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A photograph of two shaved-headed men in rust-red and maroon ochre robes with golden borders kneeling and digging into sandy earth in a pit, one using his hands while the other reaches down beside him. The kneeling man at centre wears a white forehead band, white marks on his arms, and a gold armlet, while the man at right wears a dark rudraksha mala and a gold pendant. Standing behind them are several men in matching red-and-gold dhotis, one holding a long metal rod, and a gold-trimmed seat with an orange cushion sits at left. Sacred ground-breaking ritual setting.

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April 24 20132013-04-24April 24 20132013-04-24Night ritual scene at an outdoor ashram setting. Several saffron-robed monks in rust-orange dhotis with gold-bordered edges stand and kneel on a white raised platform. A seated figure on the left wears a red and white flower garland, a gold necklace and a red and orange shawl, and has a white forehead mark. A kneeling monk in the foreground with shaved head digs into a pile of sand with both hands, while a man in white clothes holds a long rod or staff. A silver vessel sits on a cloth, a gold-trimmed low stool is at left, and tall tree trunks frame the background. Standing monks have white-painted arms and ropes of beads.2013-04-24A photograph of two men kneeling and digging into a pile of brown earth on a stone-floored area. On the left, a shaved-headed man in an orange-brown sannyasi cloth wears a long rudraksha mala, bracelets, and white horizontal stripes of vibhuti across his forehead and arms, gently pressing sand with both hands. On the right, an older man with short grey hair in a white shirt and white dhoti holds a long wooden digging stick and scoops soil. Behind them, a golden chair with red and maroon fabric and a cream cloth are visible, and a stone wall edges the scene.2013-04-24April 24 20132013-04-24April 24 20132013-04-24A night-time photograph of two men digging sand or soil at a construction or ritual site. The man on the left, shaved-headed and bare-chested with a white forehead band, wears a rust-red and saffron cloth with rudraksha beads and white-marked arms, and kneels to scoop the earth with his hands. The man on the right wears a white shirt and white dhoti and works with a long iron rod or pole. Behind them a red cloth and golden decorated seat or throne are partly visible, along with saffron-clad figures in the background and a white stone ledge.2013-04-24Night outdoor ritual at a sandy site lit by harsh light. A man seated on a red cushioned chair at left wears a rust-orange dhoti with gold borders, a pink and yellow flower garland, a rudraksha-style bead necklace, and a tilak on his forehead; he rests his hand on the chair and looks down. Standing behind him, a person in a rust-orange robe with gold borders holds hands together, wearing a long beaded necklace. Two men in rust-orange dhotis with gold borders kneel on a pale cloth digging into the sand with a long pole, one bare-chested with a bead necklace. A man in white shirt and dhoti kneels at right holding a stick, and a man in a red t-shirt stands in the background. A silver pot sits on the cloth in front. The scene suggests a ground-breaking or digging ceremony, with banyan-like roots hanging behind.2013-04-24Night-time photo of two men digging soil in a sandy pit beside stone-edged square enclosures. The man in front is shaved-headed, bare-chested, wearing an orange-and-white head band, orange cloth over the shoulder and a rudraksha-style bead necklace, crouching and scooping earth with his hands. Beside him a man in a white shirt and white trousers holds a long wooden digging stick with both hands. Behind them, a red upholstered chair with gold legs and a figure in red-and-gold striped garments are partly visible at the left edge. Orange and pink cloths lie on the ground. Whether the front figure is the swami is uncertain from appearance alone.2013-04-24April 24 20132013-04-24Night-time photograph of three men crouched beside a low white stone-walled pit filled with reddish-brown sand. Two shaved-headed men in saffron-orange dhotis and sashes, one with a rudraksha mala, dig into the sand with their hands. A third man in a white shirt and white dhoti kneels at the right, holding a long metal rod or pole into the pit. Large tree roots are visible in the upper right. Only these three physical people are visible; no candidate for a person can be confirmed from appearance.2013-04-24Close view of a ground-level ritual in progress on packed reddish-brown earth. A shaven-headed man with white sacred ash marks on his forehead, arms and chest, wearing a rudraksha mala and a saffron-red cloth, kneels and presses his hands into the soil. Beside him a man in white shirt and white dhoti crouches and digs with a long iron rod. Behind them, a gilded chair and draped red and pink cloths suggest a temple or ashram setting. The soil has been dug into a shallow trench lined with pale stone blocks.2013-04-24