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A temple ritual scene under a tent-like canopy. Five young women in cream, white, orange and pink saris, wearing white and pink garlands, sit in a row on a silver mat before a decorated deity murti hung with yellow and white flower garlands. In the foreground a young woman in white with gold border sits with her back to the camera. At right, a shaved-headed priest in orange-red dhoti and shawl, with rudraksha mala, performs the ritual before a bowl and a yellow-and-orange decorated square of fruit and flowers. A decorated silver-fringed umbrella stands at right, and lamps and brass vessels sit on the floor. Several other people stand in the background.

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October 21 20152015-10-21October 21 20152015-10-21 +1 copiesOctober 21 20152015-10-21 +1 copiesA temple-style ritual in a tented hall. A bald priest with a rudraksha mala and bare upper body, wearing a red-brown dhoti-style cloth, bends over a metal bowl and a small flame, offering to the fire in front of five young women seated in a row on the floor. The women wear cream and gold silk saris and orange and red garments and are garlanded with marigolds. Behind them a large deity murti with garlands and a silver crown stands on a red cloth, with brass lamps, a decorated kalasha, fruit, coconut and yellow offerings nearby. The floor is strewn with flower petals, and a bright ceremonial umbrella stands at the right.2015-10-21 +1 copiesOctober 21 20152015-10-21 +1 copiesOctober 21 20152015-10-21 +1 copiesA ceremonial puja before a richly decorated deity murti draped in pink, red and white garlands and gold ornaments, with a golden crown-like headdress. Five young women sit on the floor in front of the murti: at left a woman in a cream sari with a white garland, next a woman in a white-and-gold sari, then a girl in orange with a red bindi, a woman in an orange-red top, and a young woman in pink with a garland. A shaved-headed officiating priest in an orange-red robe and rudraksha beads kneels at right, lifting a small vessel above the group. Brass kalasha-style lamps, an orange flag with a decorative emblem and brass standards stand beside the altar, and a water cooler sits in the background.2015-10-21 +1 copiesA ritual scene before a richly decorated deity murti of a goddess, dressed in a red and gold sari and heavy garlands of yellow and white flowers, with a gold crown and jewelled ornaments. In front, a shaved-headed priest in an orange-brown dhoti with a sacred thread sits at the lower left, holding a long ritual implement over a brass bowl, and an oil lamp burns nearby. Four young women in silk saris, one in pink and orange, one in pink and red, and one in peach, sit on a red cloth with flower petals scattered at their feet, garlanded with white and orange flowers. Another woman in cream and gold stands behind the priest. Fruit, sweets and offerings are arranged on a tray at lower left, and a yellow and orange ceremonial banner hangs at the upper left, with the a person Times page date and photo credit as context.2015-10-21 +1 copiesOctober 21 20152015-10-21 +1 copiesOctober 21 20152015-10-21 +1 copiesA photo inside a temple-style hall during a ritual. In the foreground a bald priest with a bare upper body wears a dark red-brown cloth and sits on the floor facing a row of five young women seated on the floor. The women wear saris in yellow, cream, magenta and pink and garlands of white and orange flowers; several have bindi and sandal marks. Behind them, a large deity murti dressed in a red sari and layered jewellery and garlands stands on a red-draped platform flanked by two smaller decorated figures. A brass lamp, a bowl and a plate of fruit and flowers sit on a low table, and petals are scattered on the floor. A small golden kalasha and a red-and-gold banner hang on the left.2015-10-21 +1 copiesPhotograph of a ritual inside a temple-style hall during a homa-type fire offering. Central foreground: a shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange dhoti and bare upper body with white sacred marks, seated before a low brick fire pit with offerings. Four young women in saffron, pink and yellow saris and garlands sit around him; the two on the right wear red and orange silk. Behind them stand ornate deity murtis under flower garlands on golden thrones, with a golden kalasha-style lamp and an orange and red ceremonial banner. Petals and small oil lamps decorate the floor.2015-10-21 +1 copies