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Photograph of a seated audience in white clothing filling a covered hall during an evening ritual. A small fire is burning on a red carpeted aisle in the foreground, where a devotee in white sits before it. At the far end, a figure sits on a raised red and gold throne with a tall ornate headpiece, framed by a painted yellow backdrop with green hills, trees and a peacock motif. Garlands drape the platform and steps. Several people in the front rows are seated facing the dais, with some women in saris and others in white and pale yellow clothing. The scene suggests a homa or yagna before a throne, with smoke rising in the middle distance.

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Photograph of an indoor ceremony in a hall with a yellow painted backdrop depicting mountains, trees and a peacock, and a central raised dais draped in red carpet. On the dais sits a deity murti or altar decorated with a flower garland and a shiva linga motif above it, with a small throne-like seat. A ceremonial fire or oil lamp flame burns at the foot of the red steps, held by a man in white clothes kneeling near the front. Dozens of seated devotees in white and pastel saris and kurtas face the stage, with a few standing near the back. Ceiling fans and speakers are visible at the sides. No identifiable person is clearly visible on the dais; the central figure is a statue or murti.2007-12-15A large open hall at night during a ritual, with a long crowd of seated devotees in white and light clothing facing a raised stage. On the stage, a central seated figure with long white hair and beard sits on a throne-like seat backed by a decorative arch and a green-and-yellow painted backdrop with mountains, trees and peacock motifs. A man in the foreground holds a lit flame or torch toward the stage, and a red carpet runs down the centre aisle. Floor-standing fans and speakers flank the stage.2007-12-15Wide view from the back of a dimly lit hall where a large crowd of devotees sits on the floor facing a raised stage. On the stage, a seated figure in a red and white robe sits beneath a decorated backdrop painted with yellow mountains, trees and lotus-like motifs. A tall lamp or flame burns at the front of the stage, and a red carpet runs down the centre aisle. Devotees in white clothes and saffron shawls sit along the sides, and a brazier-like fire with smoke rises near the backdrop. Air coolers and speakers stand at the edges of the hall.2007-12-15Photograph of a seated ritual gathering in an indoor hall with a yellow painted backdrop of mountains, clouds and trees. A central raised platform holds a decorated deity murti or shrine framed by white flower garlands, with a red carpet leading toward it. A visible lit flame in a fire pit or lamp stand sits on the red carpet beside a kneeling priest in white clothing who appears to be conducting a puja. Many devotees in white and cream clothes sit on the floor on both sides, some in saffron-toned dress, with ceiling fans and speakers visible. Overhead lights and a blue draped valance frame the hall.2007-12-15December 15 20072007-12-15December 15 20072007-12-15December 15 20072007-12-15Photograph of an indoor evening ceremony in a decorated hall with a red carpeted aisle leading to a raised stage. On the stage, a seated figure in white and red-and-white garlands sits on a flower-decorated throne before a yellow backdrop painted with mountains, trees, a peacock and a flame motif. A man in white kneels on the carpet in the foreground holding a lit flame or oil lamp near a tray of flowers, while a dense crowd of seated devotees in white clothes, some women in saris, faces away from the camera toward the stage. Smoke rises near the ceiling.2007-12-15Indoor photo of a programme hall with a yellow painted backdrop showing mountains, peacocks and palm trees, framed by flower garlands. On a raised stage a figure in white and saffron-trimmed clothes sits on a flower-decorated throne with a leafy branch behind it; the seated figure is a distinct presence, not clearly a physical person, and identity is not established. A red carpet runs down the centre aisle toward the stage. In the foreground seated devotees in white, several women in white sarees and a young man in white with an orange scarf face the stage, and a small flame is burning near the aisle with a plate of offerings in front. Ceiling lights and a standing fan are visible.2007-12-15December 15 20072007-12-15Wide view from the back of a hall during an evening programme in a white-walled venue with bright ceiling lights. A large yellow backdrop painted with green hills, clouds, a peacock and a flame stands behind a raised stage; a seated figure on a decorated throne with flower garlands and a red-and-white striped cloth sits under foliage. A red carpet runs down the centre aisle toward the stage, lined with a white garland rope. Rows of seated devotees in white clothes fill the floor; women wear white saris with orange or gold borders, and a man in the foreground raises his hand. Near the aisle a seated person in an orange-and-white cloth holds a lit oil lamp. The figure on the throne is too distant to identify reliably.2007-12-15December 15 20072007-12-15