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Outdoor ritual at the edge of a pit in dirt ground beside an orange container structure. A bearded man with long dark hair wears an orange top and rust-brown dhoti and holds a small metal vessel and a bell-like object. A man in a white dhoti stands behind him. Behind them, several men in orange and saffron cloths, some bare-chested, wear rudraksha malas and gold necklaces; several have hands folded in prayer and one holds a plate of offerings. A man holds a tall umbrella with red and multicoloured tassels over the scene. Beside the container, a small decorated pot with a white and blue design sits with green leaves. Trees and blue sky are in the background.

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December 30 20162016-12-30Outdoor photo of a ritual at a construction site beside an orange shipping container, with dirt ground and trees behind. A bearded man with long dark hair wears a rust-orange kurta and dhoti, holding a small brass vessel and a bell-like object while standing over a patterned mat. Beside him an attendant in a white dhoti with a gold border holds a bell and a tray of offerings. Several bare-chested men and women in orange and saffron dhotis and gold necklaces stand with palms joined in namaskar. A man on the left holds a tall ceremonial umbrella with red and orange tassels over a small decorated deity murti or kalasha bearing a yellow-green garland. The scene appears to be a puja performed during rites in an open-air setting.2016-12-30December 30 20162016-12-30Outdoor last-rites ceremony beside a freshly dug pit in sandy earth. A long-haired man in an orange-red top and rust dhoti, holding a brass tray, stands at the pit's edge beside a white-clad man in a white dhoti and shawl. An orange umbrella with red and multicoloured tassels is held aloft by a bare-chested man in orange cloth. Around them stand several sannyasi-style devotees in orange and saffron dhotis with rudraksha malas, some with ash-marked foreheads and bare torsos, and a woman in a red sari at the left. An orange shipping container stands at the left and a decorated offering with a sacred mark lies on the ground. Trees and a tall dirt bank frame the scene.2016-12-30A photograph of a burial pit dug beside an orange shipping container under a clear sky. A man in an orange robe and a large white flower garland stands at the pit's edge, holding a tall umbrella with orange fringe above him. Around him, devotees in orange and saffron robes, one in a white dhoti and shawl, and women in orange saris stand in a line, some holding plates of offerings. Scattered petals and green leaves lie in the open earth, and a small decorated object sits near the umbrella base. The scene shows ritual last rites for a bull.2016-12-30December 30 20162016-12-30December 30 20162016-12-30December 30 20162016-12-30Outdoor last-rites scene beside a deep earthen pit. A bearded man in an orange top and rust-orange dhoti stands centre, arms extended, dropping a long pink flower garland into the pit. Behind him a figure in orange holds a tall ornate umbrella with red, blue and multicoloured tassels. Around them, shirtless and orange-robed devotees and attendants stand; one holds a brass tray of flowers and another wears a white dhoti. A red cloth covered with petals lies at the bottom of the pit, and a small decorated object with a green leaf sits near the edge beside an orange container structure. Blue sky and trees form the background.2016-12-30December 30 20162016-12-30Outdoor ritual at a freshly dug earthen pit on a bright day, with a large umbrella of red, orange, white and green tassels held overhead by a bare-chested attendant in orange dhoti and beaded necklaces. A central man in a bright orange fleece jacket, rust-coloured dhoti, long dark hair and forehead markings holds a silver bell in one hand and a silver incense or aarti vessel with smoke in the other. Beside him a bare-chested man in a white dhoti with gold border holds a red cloth. A woman in orange with folded hands stands among other devotees, and flower petals are scattered on a patterned mat at the pit's edge.2016-12-30January 03 20082008-01-03