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Night outdoor ritual on a sandy beach at a Nithyanandoham event. Two shirtless men in white dhotis with green and red sashes stand at a round raised platter table laden with flower petals, banana-leaf offerings, small brass vessels and a lit oil lamp. A small brick fire pit with a bright flame sits in the foreground. Behind them a large seated crowd, many in red, orange and white clothing, sits with hands folded in prayer and watches. Purple stage lighting and darkness frame the scene.

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Night outdoor ritual on a sandy beach. A brick-lined fire pit with an open flame sits at lower left, beside round white platforms holding red flower petals, sweets, coconuts and small brick-shaped offerings. A brass oil lamp stands on a platter at right. A shirtless man in a white dhoti with a red border and a green shawl, wearing a blue-and-red turban, bends forward near the platforms. Behind him a large seated crowd of devotees, many women in saffron, red and colourful saris, watches with hands folded in prayer. A shirtless man in a red-bordered dhoti stands at the right edge. The scene appears to be a homa-style ritual with fire and offerings.2015-12-24Night-time outdoor ritual on a sandy beach. In the foreground a priest with a bare upper body, white dhoti with a red-bordered cloth, a green shawl over one shoulder, a blue-and-white head wrap and white sacred ash markings on his chest holds a small silver plate and a tray, with a bright red flower garland. A second priest in a white dhoti stands behind him holding a silver plate of offerings. Small brass lamps, a brass kalasha-style vessel, a green cloth, flower petals and fruit sit on round low platforms on the sand. A brick fire pit with burning flames is at left. Behind them a seated audience of many women and some men, many wearing red and orange garlands, sits on the sand watching.2015-12-24December 24 20152015-12-24Outdoor evening event on a sandy beach at night under purple-tinted stage lighting. In the centre, a man with a shaved head and bare chest, wearing a white dhoti with red border and a green shawl, bends forward at a low round platform. The platform holds red flower petals, scattered red bricks, brass lamps, fruit, and a small silver lamp stand. Seated rows of attendees fill the background, many wearing red shawls and sarees, some with hands folded in prayer, and one man in a red shirt with folded hands. The scene looks like a ritual offering on the sand.2015-12-24December 24 20152015-12-24December 24 20152015-12-24A night-time beach ritual with a large crowd gathered on sand. In the foreground, two seated men with bare upper bodies sit near a small fire, one in a green cloth. Several round white platforms hold offerings of fruit, flowers, sweets and small lamps. Many standing participants wear white and red garments, with red shawls and sashes; some hold plates or trays. A bald, bare-chested man in saffron-orange cloth stands at left among the crowd. Purple stage lighting falls over the scene. The crowd is too large to count precisely.2015-12-24Outdoor evening ritual on a sandy ground in front of a seated crowd. Two priests in white dhotis with red borders and green shawls bend over a round dark platform strewn with pink and red flower petals and small red bricks. The priest on the left holds a silver vessel and a flower, while the priest on the right pours or places offerings from a metal bowl. Silver oil lamps and fruit offerings sit in the foreground, and a green cloth lies at the left edge. Behind them, many devotees sit with hands folded in prayer, some in white and red clothing and garlands. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person.2015-12-24December 24 20152015-12-24Night-time outdoor gathering on a sandy beach with a crowd of many people dressed in white, red and saffron clothing, many wearing red and white shawls. In the foreground, a fire burns on the left beside two bare-chested priests seated on a mat, one in a green cloth and the other in white. Round white platforms holding flowers, lit lamps and small offerings sit on the sand, and several women bend over them to tend the offerings. On the right, men in white kurtas and shawls hold brass plates. The scene looks like a beach ritual or puja. No figure can be confidently identified as a person from appearance alone.2015-12-24Night outdoor fire ritual on a sandy beach. A bare-chested man in white dhoti with pink sash and rudraksha mala stands holding a plate of offerings beside a seated priest in a pink turban and white dhoti who tends the fire. A brick fire pit burns brightly in front, with a teal-draped table of flowers, fruit and kalasha-like offerings behind it. A large crowd sits in the background, and a woman in orange sits at left.2015-12-25A night-time beach ritual with a blazing fire pit at centre, surrounded by stacked wooden logs and offerings. Several priests sit around the fire; one in an orange-saffron dhoti pours or tends the flames, and a bare-chested man with a rudraksha-style necklace sits to the right. Brass vessels, a kalasha-like pot, small oil lamps and flower offerings lie on the sand. Behind, a large seated crowd of roughly a hundred devotees in red and white clothing watches quietly under a dark sky. This appears to be a homa or yagna on the beach.2015-12-24