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Outdoor temple ritual in a stone-paved courtyard beside a tall gopuram. In the foreground, a bald priest in white dhoti with sandalwood-marked chest sits at a silver tray holding a bowl of flowers, oil lamps and a small red offering, with an open ritual book before him. Several saffron-robed sannyasis sit on the ground wearing orange shawls and rudraksha malas; one seated figure in orange with long dark hair and a crown-like headpiece is a person candidate, with long swept hair and a rudraksha mala. A devotee in white bends forward in prostration. Large pink and yellow garlands hang at right, and a crowd in white and orange stands behind a bamboo scaffold wall.

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December 20 20112011-12-20Outdoor temple courtyard scene at dusk beside a stone wall, with bamboo scaffolding behind. Many people, mostly in white and orange, sit and stand in crowded rows. In the foreground a large group of seated figures in saffron-orange robes with rudraksha malas and marigold garlands sit before a ritual tray holding fruit, sweets, flower petals, oil lamps and small brass vessels. A priest in white dhoti, bare-headed and seen from behind, presses his palms together facing them. A bare-chested man in orange at right performs a puja over a stone structure draped with pink, white and yellow flower garlands. Other devotees in pink, red and orange saris sit with hands folded in prayer.2011-12-20December 20 20112011-12-20December 20 20112011-12-20December 20 20112011-12-20December 20 20112011-12-20A group of people sits on a stone-paved courtyard in front of a pink temple wall with a gopuram visible behind palm trees, with a crowd standing further back. Seated at right, a man with long swept-back dark hair wears an orange saffron dhoti and shawl, a rudraksha-style bead mala and an ornate gold necklace, and a gold armband; a person candidate sits in the centre-right of the group. Nearby, other saffron-robed attendees sit with beaded malas. At left, a priest in orange sits on a raised platform before a garland of flowers, and in the centre a man in white dhoti and shawl with a gold chain holds an open book. Maroon-clad students sit with books in rows. Trays before them hold fruit, sweets, ladoos, a brass plate with oil lamps and flowers, and a cloth of orange and yellow, indicating a puja offering.2011-12-20December 20 20112011-12-20A large outdoor gathering of devotees sits on a stone-paved courtyard beside a tall grey stone temple wall, with bamboo scaffolding and dried palm-thatch framing above. In the foreground, several men in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas sit cross-legged; one man with long dark hair, a white forehead band and gold armlets holds a long staff. Nearby, a bald man in orange holds a brass vessel, and a robed priest in orange with a beaded mala sits beside silver plates of offerings, sweets and a small lamp. Behind them, many people in white dhotis and shirts, plus women in pink and green saris, sit closely packed. A garland of flowers is visible at the right edge. The ritual appears to be a seated temple ceremony in progress.2011-12-20December 20 20112011-12-20Outdoor ritual photograph at a temple courtyard with grey stone walls. In the foreground a bare-chested man in an orange and yellow wrap sits with his back to the camera, facing a group seated on the stone floor. On the right, a man with long swept-back hair wears an orange shawl, orange clothing and layered garlands, and sits cross-legged beside other seated devotees in orange. Several women in orange and red saris sit nearby. Trays hold fruit, sweets and sweetmeat offerings, and a small oil lamp and incense burn on the ground. Long garlands of yellow, pink and white flowers hang along the left edge. Behind them a large crowd of white-clad devotees stands, with uniformed police officers visible among them.2011-12-20Outdoor temple courtyard ceremony at dusk with a large crowd seated and standing in prayer, many with hands in anjali. In the foreground a priest in a white dhoti with a gold border sits before a tray of offerings, bowls of food, fruit and flower garlands, while a man in orange robes and rudraksha mala holds a lit oil lamp in an aarti-like puja. Nearby, a saffron-robed man with a tilak and a bald head sits cross-legged, and a woman in pink and another in green sit among devotees. Pink, white and yellow garlands drape a stone pillar on the right. Bamboo scaffolding and a pink temple wall form the background. Photographers are visible at the lower edge. The scene resembles a puja or aarti at a temple.2011-12-20