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A photograph of a Kailasa monastic initiation ritual on a stage hung with deep purple drapes. Rows of shaved-headed monks in orange and saffron robes sit cross-legged on the floor before a small altar with a brass kalasha-like vessel, a silver deity murti, flower offerings and brass bowls. Behind the altar stands a gilded, cushioned throne with a red seat under a decorative canopy. To the right, a man with long, swept-back hair in an orange robe gestures toward the seated monks while holding a bowl, and beside him a younger man in an orange dhoti-style wrap stands holding a small offering. A hanging yellow and blue cloth decoration hangs at top left.

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August 22 20062006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22A stage ceremony before a purple draped curtain. Several shaved-headed monks in saffron orange robes sit cross-legged on the left, while a long-haired figure in orange stands before a gilded, red-cushioned throne under a small canopy. Another orange-robed attendant kneels at lower right, holding leaves and offering plates; further right, a woman in orange sits among seated devotees. Gold and silver deity murtis, a silver kalasha-like vessel, brass pots with yellow flowers and offering plates occupy the foreground. The setting suggests a puja or initiation ritual.2006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22A photograph of an initiation or brahmacharya training session with rows of seated monks in saffron-orange robes, several with shaved heads, sitting on a low wooden platform before a maroon curtain. On the right, a long-haired man in orange robes stands beside a gold-and-red throne with a canopy, holding a silver plate or offering tray; a second younger man in orange stands next to him. Gold and silver deity murtis, including a standing figure with a flute and a female deity figure, sit among the seated monks, with a silver arch-shaped lamp stand and brass vessels, flower petals and a plate of fruit in the foreground. a person: the long-haired figure standing beside the throne wears orange robes and has long, swept-back dark hair, but the cues are not distinctive enough to confirm his identity.2006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22Indoor ritual scene in a temple-style hall with purple draped curtains and gold-framed deity murtis. On the right, a long-haired man in orange robes stands holding a small bell and a lit lamp near a brass tray. Seated in rows on the left, many shaved-headed men in orange robes sit facing him, along with several women in orange garments. A gilded throne with red cushions and a gold kalasha-like finial stands behind a brass puja table with flowers and offerings. Decorative yellow and blue banners hang from the ceiling. The man standing in orange with long hair and a bell resembles the a person description; this is an appearance-based candidate.2006-08-22A ceremonial initiation scene on a raised red-carpeted platform before a purple draped curtain. A standing figure in long flowing saffron-orange robes, with long wavy hair, holds a golden parasol-shaped canopy over an ornate gilded throne with red cushions. Seated in rows on the floor to the left are about a dozen shaven-headed monks in orange robes and rudraksha malas, with palms joined in devotion. Brass and silver deity murtis, a silver kalasha-style vessel and small offering plates sit before them, with a kalasha and flowers on the platform. Yellow and patterned banners hang at the top left.2006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22