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A bare-backed priest with long dark hair, wearing a white sacred thread and a face mask, raises a brass five-flame aarti lamp toward black stone deity murtis on a yellow-walled altar. The murtis are garlanded with red, yellow and orange flowers, and a white flower garland lies on the altar base. A tattoo is visible on the priest's upper arm. He is the only physical person in view; the figures are statues. The scene suggests a puja with aarti.

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KAILASA SAN JOSE, USA on 1/14/20212021-01-14A shirtless man with long swept-back hair wears a white face mask and a white forehead vibhuti line and holds a brass five-flame aarti lamp in both hands, the flames rising in front of his chest. Rudraksha malas and a pendant hang on his bare chest, and a white cloth is tied at his waist. Behind him stand three black stone deity murtis garlanded with red, yellow and pink flowers, with a flower garland draped across the orange wooden altar below. The yellow wall and petals on the altar complete a temple evening puja scene.2021-01-14A bare-chested priest seen from behind performs aarti with a five-flame brass lamp held high in his right hand, smoke rising from the flames. He wears a white dhoti with a gold-bordered end and has a dark topknot, a tattoo on his upper arm, a dark mala around his neck and a red face mask. Before him on a teal and maroon brocade-draped table stand dark stone deity murtis decorated with white and yellow flower garlands, with a red and white garland draped along the table edge. Brass bowls of white flowers and rose petals sit in the foreground beside a gold-coloured puja plate, in a yellow-walled temple room.2020-12-14 +1 copiesA bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with a gold border and a red face mask holds a brass five-flame oil lamp aarti toward the viewer before a shrine. Black stone deity murtis stand behind a teal and maroon silk cloth, garlanded with white jasmine, yellow marigold and red flower garlands. A brass bowl of white flowers and rose petals sits in the foreground. A rudraksha mala hangs around the priest's neck, and vibhuti is marked on his forehead. The setting suggests a Navagraha puja or abhishekam at a Hindu temple.2020-12-14KAILASA SAN JOSE, USA on 12/14/20202020-12-14KAILASA SAN JOSE, USA on 1/14/20212021-01-14KAILASA SAN JOSE, USA on 10/20/20202020-10-20A shirtless priest with his back to the camera, wearing a white dhoti and a black face mask, pours liquid from a small silver vessel over a shivalinga. The linga is decorated with a silver crown, a gold and jewelled necklace, red and white flower garlands, and sits on a gold base with brass lamps, bowls and a lit oil lamp arranged on a tray. Behind it, a dark stone deity pair, seated and garlanded with a red and gold cloth backdrop, is adorned with marigold garlands and a silver-embellished headdress. Striped painted pillars in red, yellow, green and blue frame the shrine room.2021-02-27A shirtless priest with long hair tied up sits cross-legged on a golden cloth before a shrine in a yellow-walled room, wearing a white dhoti and a face mask. A tattoo marks his upper back and arm. He holds a small ritual implement over a silver plate of bananas, nuts, and offerings, with brass cups and a bowl of red and yellow flower petals nearby. Behind him stand three black stone deity murtis garlanded with red and white flowers on a red-draped altar, with a white flower garland swagged across it. A cushioned seat with a decorated blue-draped throne and a brass lamp stand sits to the left, and a bouquet of red roses rests at right.2021-01-14A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a tattooed upper arm and a black face mask waves incense before a shrine of dark stone deities adorned with garlands, silver ornaments and a red-and-gold cloth. A black Shiva linga dressed in a crown, gold jewellery and red-green-and-white garlands stands in front on a grey platform, flanked by brass vessels, a small oil lamp, a brass tray and a small figure. Colourful painted pillars frame the scene, and incense smoke rises. The setting suggests a Hindu abhishekam or puja.2021-02-27KAILASA TORONTO, CANADA on 3/11/20212021-03-11A photograph inside a temple shrine. A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with a gold border, wearing a black face mask and with hair tied up in a topknot, holds a lit multi-wick aarti lamp toward a shrine. The shrine has a raised tiled platform with a red draped backdrop and gold arched frame. Several gilded deity murtis stand with yellow and orange marigold garlands and jewelled necklaces; one central murti wears a crown and red garment seated on a red-cloth throne with a garland. Brass vessels and a small silver stand sit on the platform. Only the priest is a physical person visible.2020-12-19