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Dusk ritual on a riverside stone ghat. A fire burns in a yellow brick fire pit in the foreground, with brass bowls, a ladle and small offering dishes around it. Behind, two decorated kalasha pots with mango leaves, red and white garlands and ornaments sit on a gold cloth-covered table. A man in a rust-orange shawl and dhoti, with hands folded in namaste and a tilak on his forehead, stands at right beside a brass bowl held by another attendant. A photographer in white clothes stands among a small group of seated devotees in white and orange. Calm water and dark trees fill the background.

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March 18 20142014-03-18Evening ritual on a stone ghat beside a river at dusk. A priest in orange robes and an orange turban, with a rudraksha-style mala, blows a conch shell at left. At right, a person in an orange shawl and orange garment holds a bell and a lit lamp over a table draped in gold cloth, on which two decorated pots or kalashas with mango leaves, garlands and flower offerings sit. Behind them, seated devotees in white and orange shawls join palms in prayer, and a cameraman in white stands nearby. A fire pit with burning wood and metal bowls lies in the foreground, and a gold-fringed ceremonial parasol stands at upper right.2014-03-18May 20 20142014-05-20May 20 20142014-05-20May 20 20142014-05-20January 22 20082008-01-22Night outdoor ritual at a sandy riverside ground beside a fire pit. In the foreground, a woman with a shaved... no: a woman with dark hair, red-and-gold sari, gold necklaces and a red tilak sits on a low seat, holding a lit oil lamp (aarti) over a brass vessel. Beside the fire, several saffron-robed sannyasis sit with folded hands and bowls, including a bald priest in orange clothes and rudraksha beads. Behind them, rows of white-clad and red-shawled devotees sit with hands raised in namaskar, and a decorated kalasha-like offering with flower garlands and green leaves stands on a red-draped platform at right. Strings of small lights glow on the sand and standing onlookers are visible in the background.2014-05-20Night outdoor fire ritual on a sandy riverbank lit by floodlights, with a small brick fire pit burning in the centre and brass plates of bananas and offerings beside it. A bare-chested man with long dark hair, a rudraksha-style necklace and an ornate gold-coloured garment sits cross-legged with palms pressed together in namaste, apparently the central officiant, while an orange-robed priest on the right, wearing a turban-like head covering, sits near the fire. Around them rows of seated devotees in orange and white clothes, several with palms joined, fill the green mats. Carved pillars wrapped in orange and marigold garlands frame the scene, and a trident-topped staff stands beside the officiant.2014-05-20Night-time outdoor ritual on a riverside ghat under bright floodlights, with a fire and offerings arranged on a green mat. A standing man in a red-maroon dhoti with a rudraksha-style garland and a large ornate gold-and-silver chest necklace holds a long flagpole with white flowers and a trident-topped staff. Behind him a bare-chested man in a maroon dhoti and orange shawl sits at a small fire pit, holding a ritual object over the flame. Brass vessels, plates of bananas, coconuts, a kalasha-like pot and offering trays surround the fire. Seated devotees in orange and saffron robes and white kurtas fill the mat on both sides, with women in orange saris in the foreground. Ornate carved white pillars with yellow garlands frame the scene.2014-05-20Night-time outdoor fire ritual on a riverside ghat. A large crowd of devotees in orange and saffron robes sits cross-legged on green mats in rows, many with hands pressed in prayer. In the centre, a man in a saffron-red garment with a bare upper body and gold-patterned cloth stands facing the fire. At right, two shaven-headed priests in orange robes sit behind a draped red-orange platform holding ritual items and floral garlands. Bright floodlights illuminate the scene from above while standing onlookers line the far embankment.2014-05-20Night-time outdoor fire ritual on a sandy riverbank lit by scattered oil lamps and floodlights. A fire burns in a low brick pit in the foreground, with a brass vessel and ladle beside it. Behind the fire, a red cloth-draped platform holds decorated kalasha pots with mango leaves and coconuts, flanked by floral garlands. On the left, a woman in red garments and a marigold garland sits with hands folded near the fire, while several seated devotees in saffron and red clothing sit nearby. On the right, a bare-chested priest in a red-orange turban and orange dhoti stands with palms pressed together, a gold-trimmed shawl draped over his shoulder. Several more people in white stand and watch in the background, and a white sheet-like banner hangs on the right edge. This appears to be a homa-style fire ritual with kalasha offerings.2014-05-20March 20 20142014-03-20