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A Pongal celebration outdoors under an open shelter with a red-brick wall. In the foreground, a seated man in orange cloth sits on a striped rug with his back to the camera, facing a white kolam rangoli design decorated with marigold garlands, bananas, and a small kalasha-like pot with coconut and leaves. Clay pots with garlands stand at left, and a large offering tray heaped with yellow flowers, rose petals and lit lamps sits at right. Sugarcane stalks lie at the lower right. Behind them, a standing man in a maroon robe and a large saffron-and-gold turban wears a long marigold garland and gold necklaces, hands folded in prayer. Around 20 people in orange and saffron robes and white dhotis stand behind in a semicircle, many with palms joined, including several children. A decorated ceremonial parasol with a crest appears at upper right.

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January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A photograph of an outdoor Pongal-season puja under a shade structure at an ashram. Several devotees in saffron-orange clothing sit on striped woven mats, with bare-chested men and women in orange cloth and bead necklaces seated at the front. A large floral mat holds marigold garlands, sugarcane stalks lie in a pile, bananas and pineapples are arranged on mats, and clay pots sit beside a kolam drawn in white on the ground. A tall man with a red turban, a long garland of yellow flowers and gold necklaces stands at left, watched by a line of standing orange-clad devotees with hands pressed in anjali. A saffron-and-yellow ceremonial umbrella stands at right beside a brass lamp.2018-01-14Outdoor ritual in a covered open-sided pavilion with a sandy ground. Sannyasis in saffron-orange robes sit on striped mats around a floral kolam drawn in white on the floor, edged with yellow marigold garlands, with brass kalasha pots, pineapples, bananas, and a flower-covered platform with an offering tray. A bare-chested priest in orange cloth with a rudraksha-style headband pours from a vessel at the right. A standing figure at left wears a maroon-brown robe with a tall red turban, long beaded mala and large ceremonial garland, and stands before a crowd of devotees, many in orange, some children with palms together, others in white dhotis and maroon saris. A brass oil lamp and a yellow ceremonial flag stand at right.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14Outdoor ritual at a Pongal celebration: a figure in a tall red turban and long gold-and-bead necklaces with a garland stands at the left, hands joined, among a crowd of people in orange and saffron clothing with palms pressed together. In the centre, seated figures in orange robes sit on striped mats before a rangoli kolam design, pineapples, bananas, sugarcane stalks and a tray of flowers, with a large flower-covered platform on the right. A standing attendant in orange holds a brass lamp and a ceremonial item. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha pot and a yellow banner with a red emblem appear at the edges. Some figures bear vibhuti and rudraksha malas.2018-01-14A photograph of a ritual at an open-sided pavilion. A bare-chested man in a maroon-red dhoti with a gold waist ornament, a red turban and a white-and-pink flower garland stands with hands folded in namaskar before a large flower-decorated altar covered in yellow and white marigolds and red roses. Behind him, several men in orange-saffron robes and rudraksha malas hold offerings, one holding a tray of red flowers. A woman in an orange sari stands at right holding a brass vessel near brass oil lamps. Bananas, a pineapple, coconut and brass bowls sit on striped mats in front, with a kolam drawn on the floor. A yellow banner with a bird emblem hangs at right. Several more people in orange and white stand in the background.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal ritual outdoors under a open-sided pavilion. A man in a maroon-and-gold dhoti with a maroon turban and a long white flower garland stands center with palms joined in namaskar before an altar. Several people in orange-saffron robes with rudraksha malas stand around; one bare-chested bearded man holds a brass tray of flowers, and another holds a round brass plate. The altar is a large square heaped with yellow and white marigolds and red flowers, with sugarcane stalks, bananas, brass lamps, a kalasha and small brass bowls. Floor rangoli and a yellow-and-red pennant flag appear at right.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal-style outdoor ritual at a covered open pavilion. In the foreground a white kolam floor design with flower garlands surrounds clay pots, bananas, and a fire area with stacked wood. Monks in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls stand with hands folded in prayer, and one holds a saffron flag with a gold fringe above a brass lamp stand. On the left a man wears a deep red-maroon garment with a flower garland and gold necklaces, and a child in white stands nearby. Garland-covered offerings, plates of fruit and a brass lamp lie on a striped mat. No distinct a person candidate is clearly identifiable by appearance.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided hall with a dirt floor. In the foreground, earthen pots (pongal pots) rest on banana leaves, decorated with marigold garlands and set within a white rangoli kolam outlined with yellow flowers. Two men in saffron-orange robes stand at a fire pit, one kneeling and tending the flame while another in orange with bare upper body and rudraksha beads stands nearby. A man on the left wears a red-brown dhoti, garlands and an ornate headwear, with hands folded in prayer. Behind them, several people in red and orange robes stand near drums. An altar holds fruit, flowers, brass lamps and bananas. Orange and yellow flag banners hang from the rafters.2018-01-14