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Photograph of a large covered hall at night where many women in white and cream saris sit on the floor in rows, hands pressed together in prayer. Rows of small brass oil lamps line the floor in front of them, and a few women in orange-bordered saris sit near the foreground with lamps. Tall cylindrical pillars painted with red, blue and yellow floral and geometric patterns stand along the walls and at right. Colourful rangoli designs decorate the floor, and a decorated deity murti stands with garlands at the far end of the hall. Strings of small triangular flags hang from the roof.

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A photograph of a dim, open-sided pavilion during an evening vilakku pooja. Dozens of devotees sit in rows on the floor, many women in white and cream saris and men in white shirts, several with palms pressed together in prayer. In the foreground, women hold brass oil lamps and arrange lit lamps on leaf-like plates. Along the floor in front of a raised shrine, rows of small clay lamps glow. At the far right, a deity murti is decorated with gold and orange drapery beneath a canopy, with priests in white standing nearby. Striped cylindrical banners in red, blue and orange hang from the roof, and strings of small orange flags run across the ceiling. Rangoli patterns are visible on the ground.2006-12-31A large open-sided pavilion at dusk where rows of women in white and pastel saris sit on the floor with palms pressed together in prayer before rows of small oil lamps lined along a central aisle. Decorative rangoli patterns are drawn on the ground between the rows. At the far end, a deity murti decorated with garlands stands on an elevated altar, with a priest in white near it. Striped decorative poles and orange bunting hang from the roof, and a large colourful deity image is displayed at the left side of the hall. Several men in white shirts stand near the edges. This is a vilakku pooja, a lamp offering ceremony.2006-12-31A dim tented hall during an evening vilakku pooja. Rows of women and girls in white saris sit cross-legged on the floor facing a central shrine with a deity murti decorated with a gold-trimmed backdrop and flower garlands. Brass oil lamps (vilakku) with lit wicks stand before each participant on banana-leaf or plate offerings, and colourful kolam rangoli designs in pink, blue, orange and green decorate the floor between the rows. Striped ceremonial pillars with saffron pennants line the hall, and smoke or incense haze drifts through the air under a single hanging bulb.2006-12-31December 31 20062006-12-31A large open-sided pavilion at night filled with seated women in white and cream sarees, many with coloured borders in orange, red and yellow. Rows of brass oil lamps (vilakku) are lit on banana-leaf plates with flowers and offerings on the floor, in a vilakku pooja. Several women press their palms together in prayer, and a girl in white with a rudraksha mala sits at right. Tall painted pillars with dove motifs and orange hanging bunting frame the hall, and a faint smoky haze hangs in the air. No identifiable a person figure is visible.2006-12-31December 31 20062006-12-31Evening photo of a covered open-sided hall during a vilakku pooja. Devotees in white clothes sit on the floor in rows, some holding brass oil lamps, while a man in white stands at the front near the lamps. Tall cylindrical decorations painted with red, yellow and white floral patterns and a dove emblem stand in the hall, and orange pennants hang from the roof. A raised shrine area with a deity murti is visible at the back, with an orange-robed figure seated near it. Many people in white and orange sit in the foreground facing the front.2006-12-31December 31 20062006-12-31Evening vilakku pooja under a open-sided tent. Rows of seated devotees, mostly women in white saris with orange borders, face a raised shrine holding a colourful deity murti, possibly a goddess, with a priest in white at its base. Many brass oil lamps stand on the floor in front of the rows, with rangoli patterns between them. Rows of clay pots with offerings sit before the shrine. Orange and white triangular bunting hangs above, and tall decorated pillars stand at the sides. A man in white and an orange-clad figure stand nearby.2006-12-31December 31 20062006-12-31A large open-sided pandal full of seated devotees during a vilakku pooja. Rows of women and men sit on the floor in white clothes, many wearing white saris and dhotis, with a few in yellow, green and orange garments. Along the right, a long line of lit brass oil lamps, diyas, and offering trays runs down a cleared path toward a distant stage with a tall decorated structure. Tall hanging cloth banners in red, orange and blue with floral and bird motifs hang from the roof. Some women press their palms together in prayer. Strings of lights and red flags decorate the hall and palms beyond.2006-12-31Wide view of an open-sided pavilion where rows of women in white saris sit on mats before lit brass oil lamps (vilakku) arranged along the aisle, a traditional vilakku pooja. Colourful rangoli kolam floor designs in pink, blue, green and orange decorate the ground between the rows. At the far end, a decorated deity murti sits on a raised shrine platform garlanded with marigolds and flowers, with a priest in white seated before it. Ritual brass pots and fruit offerings are set on the platform. Red and orange bunting hangs across the ceiling and tall striped decorative pillars line the sides. A man in white stands with a camera near the platform, and a few people in orange and white clothing stand at the front.2006-12-31