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A photograph of a shaved-headed priest in a white dhoti with gold borders and a white upper cloth, standing among a crowd of seated men who are mostly bare-chested and reaching forward with raised hands to receive threaded cords. The priest holds white cords and beads in his hands, distributing them. A rudraksha-style bead necklace and a white tilak mark are visible. Behind him stands a flat-screen monitor, with a lit wooden frame of small lamps and a golden yellow and green stage draped in the background. Another white-clad attendant stands at the left edge.

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March 11 20172017-03-11Photo 11712206A large seated crowd in white and cream clothing fills an open hall at a Tamil ritual gathering. In the centre stands an older man with short grey hair, wearing a white sleeveless top with yellow trim and white dhoti, a dark beaded rudraksha-style necklace, and holding a bundle of white threads. Many women in white and yellow saris sit close together, some with hands raised, and a shirtless man in a white dhoti stands at the right edge. The hall walls are red-orange with palm fronds visible at the top. No a person identity can be confirmed from appearance, so the central man is described by role only.2017-03-11 +1 copiesMarch 11 20172017-03-11December 02 20162016-12-02December 02 20162016-12-02December 02 20162016-12-02Photo of a ceremony in a hall with pink walls and a red curtain. A man with long swept-back dark hair, wearing a white dhoti with gold borders, a rudraksha mala and a gold-and-green necklace, raises his right palm toward a seated devotee's head in a blessing gesture. He wears gold armlets and bangles. Behind him, several people in white ritual clothes stand or kneel with folded hands, and a bare-chested attendant on the right in white dhoti with a red border holds a tray with rudraksha beads and fruit.2011-02-14A large crowd of mostly bare-chested devotees sits on the floor of a temple hall during an initiation-style ritual. In the foreground, a man in a white dhoti with a brown waist cord leans forward and reaches toward a seated devotee, handing or tying a white cord. Behind them a woman in an orange-red sari with a rudraksha mala stands near a red-draped table with yellow flowers. The background shows a golden shrine with a large deity murti and gold-framed niches, and a few people in white and a person in a purple top. Many devotees wear orange or saffron cloths and vibhuti marks on their foreheads. No individual is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance.2016-12-02A long-haired man in white dhoti and white shawl with a wide gold border stands in a hall, placing his palm on the crown of a seated devotee's head while his eyes are lowered. He wears a red rudraksha mala with a turquoise-and-gold pendant and red-beaded armbands. Behind him, several people in white dhotis with red-striped borders stand or sit in rows, some with hands folded in prayer, and a man on the right holds a white-and-gold cloth roll. Pink walls and red curtains form the background.2011-02-14A dense crowd of mostly bare-chested male devotees with white ash marks on their foreheads and bodies fills the frame, many with arms outstretched. In the foreground a man in white dhoti with orange-bordered cloth and a rudraksha-style beaded necklace hands a white cord or thread to a bare-chested man reaching toward him. Other men in white dhotis and shirts stand among the crowd, and white-clad women are visible in the background. Yellow and red striped drapery and white ceiling lights frame the scene.2017-03-11March 15 20172017-03-15