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Night outdoor ritual at a stone temple structure. Large orange flames rise from a metal fire vessel in the foreground, and smoke drifts upward. A seated figure in saffron-orange robes with a flower garland sits behind the fire, beside a pink-draped deity murti and a small golden shrine. A person in white clothing lifts a metal pot and pours over a grey stone lingam with a yellow and red flower garland, under a lit lamp in an arched stone alcove. Colourful festival canopies with orange, green and purple hangings stand to the left, and banana bunches sit at the bottom. The scene suggests a fire ritual with abhishekam.

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A photograph of an evening vilakku pooja at an outdoor temple setting. Flames from a fire pit blur across the foreground with rising smoke. A large grey stone shivalinga with a kalasha-like top and a garland of yellow and red flowers is being bathed by a stream of liquid poured from a vessel held by a standing priest in white dhoti and red-bordered shawl at upper right. A seated figure in saffron-orange robes with a flower garland sits behind an offering table with a silver lamp and pink cloth, with a pale trident-shaped object nearby. Bunting in red, green, blue and yellow hangs overhead, and metal vessels sit at the base of the lingam.2006-12-31Photograph of an outdoor ritual at dusk beside a stone temple structure, with large flames rising from a fire pit in the foreground. A seated person in orange robes and a multicoloured flower garland sits behind a small golden figure dressed in pink, with a brass lamp set nearby. Behind them, a standing attendant in orange holds a metal vessel above a stone lingam-style shrine adorned with a garland, while another attendant in white stands near a golden trident. Colourful festoon fabric decorates a canopy overhead. Stainless steel pots sit on the ground, and smoke drifts upward.2006-12-31Photograph of a night abhishekam at an open-air shrine. A woman in an orange sari with a flower garland stands at the front by a fire, with flames rising in the foreground. Behind her a person in white and blue pours liquid from a metal vessel over a grey stone Shivalinga decorated with a yellow and red flower garland. A smaller person in white stands at the right edge, and an orange-clad figure is partly visible on the far right. Colourful striped cloth canopies and a trident (trishul) are visible at left and centre. Smoke drifts through the scene. The lit fire and metal pots suggest a vilakku or lamp-lit ritual.2006-12-31December 31 20062006-12-31A photograph of an evening ritual fire at an outdoor shrine. Large flames rise from a fire pit in the foreground, and smoke drifts across the dim, dark-grey stone ceiling. A seated woman in orange robes with a white and orange garland sits behind the fire, with a brass lamp in front of her. To the right, a man in white and orange clothing pours liquid over a tall grey stone linga, which is draped with yellow and red flower garlands, while another person in an orange garment stands beside it. Colourful striped cloth canopies and bunting stand to the left, and a steel pot sits near the base of the linga.2006-12-31Evening photograph of a stone abhishekam at a temple with a large grey Shivalingam on a carved black stone yoni-pitha base. A person in a white garment with a garland of yellow and red flowers pours liquid from a metal pot held overhead onto the lingam. Smoke and orange flames from a fire pit or lamps rise in the foreground, and a hanging lamp glows on a pillar. Cloth canopies with red, green and purple stripes and garlands stand to the left, and a metal vessel sits at the base of the pitha.2006-12-31Night-time photograph of a temple ritual with large orange-yellow flames rising in the foreground from a fire pit, blurred by motion. Behind the flames a smiling person in an orange robe wears a garland of white and red-yellow flowers around the neck and stands beside a silver-coloured murti or kalasha-like vessel and a dark stone shivalinga-style structure topped with a yellow-and-white flower garland. A saffron-robed attendant with shaved head stands at right, and a few other devotees are partly visible behind the stone platform. Under the open pavilion, a striped canopy with orange and green fabric drapes stretches at left, and a small oil lamp burns on a pillar. A stone-carved base with lotus-petal relief sits in the centre. Vilakku pooja and homa-style offerings are suggested by the fire and lamp.2006-12-31September 24 20172017-09-24October 10 20172017-10-10 +1 copiesNight-time homa at an outdoor temple courtyard under a white canopy. A priest in orange robes and an orange turban stands at left tending a golden fire pit with flames and smoke rising. Another priest in orange kneels beside the fire, and a young assistant in orange leans in to add offerings from a brass vessel. Seated at right on a red-cushioned chair before a microphone, a figure in red-orange robes and rudraksha beads, with long hair, sits near the fire. Behind them stand a dark stone deity murti, a golden shrine arch with a draped red backdrop and seated deity images, and striped woven mats cover the floor. Garlands of white and red flowers and brass lamps lie in the foreground.2017-09-17Outdoor temple-courtyard homa under a white canopy at night. A standing priest in orange robes and an orange turban pours offerings toward a large golden fire pit with tall flames while a second orange-clad attendant kneels beside it. Behind them a seated man in orange robes, bead necklace and gold ornaments sits on a red throne with a microphone stand before a deity shrine with golden arch, garlanded murtis and a seated figure. Striped cloths cover the floor, with a bowl of pink petals, brass lamps and marigold and white garlands in the foreground. The seated man is a sannyasi-style figure; no clear identity can be established from appearance.2017-09-17Evening puja at an open-sided tent temple. Two young sadhus in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls, with rudraksha malas and tilak-marked foreheads, stand at right holding a silver bowl of flower petals and water. Behind them, a seated man in orange with a mala sits on a red-cushioned chair before a deity murti decorated with garlands. A fire pit with burning flames is at left, with a brass lamp and offerings of flowers and leaves on a cloth. Striped woven mats cover the floor, and a small deity shrine stands at the back.2017-10-10 +2 copies