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Outdoor Pongal festival scene in a sandy courtyard beneath open sky and palm trees. A seated figure in an orange saffron robe with a green leaf garland sits on a leopard-print cushion in the foreground, facing a small clay pot brick hearth where two earthen pots sit beside a fire of wood and ash. Around the hearth, a group of men in white dhotis and white shirts with white ritual threads sit cross-legged on the ground, with others standing nearby; a man in white with a yellow shawl stands at right and a man in glasses and white attire sits at right. A young banana tree decorated with yellow and white balloons stands in the centre, and blue plastic chairs line the back. Women in pink and blue saris sit at the right edge.

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Outdoor Pongal-style ritual under a canopy of banana leaves and mango leaves strung between posts, with yellow and pink balloons at the left edge. A man with long dark hair, a garland of green leaves and an orange robe sits on a leopard-print cushioned seat holding a small steel cup, appearing to take part in the proceedings; a person candidate by appearance, with long hair, saffron clothing and a garland. Standing in front of him, a woman in a white sari with a shawl faces a small black clay pot on a brick hearth with burning wood, a traditional pongal boiling pot. Behind them a semicircle of about twenty devotees in white dhotis, white shirts and white saris stand with arms folded or hands clasped, a few in orange and red garments. Dry firewood is stacked at the right.2011-01-15January 15 20112011-01-15January 15 20112011-01-15Outdoor Pongal celebration under banana leaves and mango leaves strung on a line, with balloons at the upper left. In the foreground a clay pot of boiling milk sits on a brick hearth with a small fire beneath it, and a smaller pot rests beside it. A man with a long dark hair and a flower garland, wearing an orange sleeveless garment, sits on a leopard-print cloth holding a steel cup. Facing him, a man in white dhoti and shawl sits on the ground near the fire. Standing behind them is a crowd of about twenty men and women in white dhotis, saris and orange robes, many with vibhuti and rudraksha malas, watching the ritual. A woman in a red-bordered white sari stands at the right holding a ladle. Swamiji (probable) appears as the seated man in orange with the flower garland and steel cup, identified by long swept-back hair, ornate orange clothing and a garland.2011-01-15January 15 20112011-01-15Outdoor ritual gathering beneath large banyan trees with aerial roots. A young man in orange robes with long dark hair sits cross-legged at centre-left, holding a long bamboo staff, flanked by a man in orange on the left. Dozens of seated devotees in white clothing, many with white garlands, sit in rows on the ground, some with hands pressed together. A standing figure in orange at the back and a man in white with a microphone or instrument appear among them. In the foreground a shaved-headed man in orange sits before brass puja vessels and a small kalasha, and a bare-chested sadhu in orange sits beside a circular stone tank. Multicoloured flower garlands hang from the trees and drape a red-stone structure at the right edge. A chariot-like setting with flowers and a red rock sculpture completes the scene.2006-07-12November 14 20052005-11-14Outdoor Pongal celebration at a temple-style courtyard with a clay pot cooking over a brick hearth on the right and a second pot on a brick stove at center, milk boiling over. A man in an orange dhoti and shawl stands at left with arms folded and a rudraksha mala. In the foreground, a person with dark hair wears a green leaf garland and an orange shawl, seen from behind. Behind them, a row of people in white dhotis and shirts stand under a mango-leaf and banana-leaf torana, with a woman in a red-and-white sari at left and a potted kalasha on a pillar at center. Dry firewood and sugarcane pieces lie by the fire.2011-01-15Outdoor Pongal festival ceremony in a open ground with banana plants and small trees decorated with colourful balloons in pink, purple, orange and yellow. Several people in white dhotis and shirts, some with yellow shawls, stand and sit on a raised white and red platform near a shrine-like setup. A saffron-robed figure stands at the platform, and a standing man in white with a yellow shawl is at the left edge. Rows of seated devotees in white clothes sit on a large cream cloth on bare ground, with a crowd of seated people further back under trees.2011-01-15Outdoor ritual gathering on bare earth beneath a large banyan tree with spreading aerial roots. In the foreground a seated figure with long dark hair wears an orange-saffron robe and sits on a white-covered chair, facing the group, with a red patterned rug beneath. Before the group, a white-tiled square fire pit or altar stands on a blue cloth, with brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot, lamps, plates of offerings and a wooden stand. Roughly two dozen seated devotees, many men in white with orange shawls and women in white or orange, sit in rows; a microphone stands nearby and a cameraperson is visible. This appears to be a homa or puja setting.2006-09-21Outdoor ritual under a shade structure with banana leaves and palm trees behind. A bald man in an orange robe sits cross-legged on a striped mat, hands pressed together in prayer. Around him, young men in white dhotis and yellow shawls, with rudraksha malas, sit on yellow cushions; one holds a brass plate, another holds a plate of offerings. A standing man in white attends with a cloth and a bowl. Plastic chairs with seated devotees in white and a woman in orange sari watch from the back, with garlands on a nearby temple structure and a stone statue visible.2009-09-26Outdoor ground-breaking ritual under a canopy of mango leaves and colourful fringed cloth. A bare-chested man in an orange turban and orange cloth sits cross-legged with hands folded in prayer, wearing a white flower garland and a rudraksha mala; his distinctive orange head covering and garlands are visible, but his face is turned down and partly obscured, so the appearance is uncertain. Around him, white-clad devotees and others in orange sit or stand with palms pressed together. In front of him are brass plates of flowers, fruit and offerings, and small oil lamps with flames. To the left, a pit in the earth lined with bricks and a small mound with a decorated floor design mark the site. Smoke drifts across the scene.2006-11-24