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Night ceremony on tiered red-brick steps lined with black stone shivalingas, each set on a black yoni-peetha base with brass vessels and small oil lamps beside them. Many devotees sit in rows behind the lingams: a woman in a white shawl with folded hands, a woman in a white top with a long braid, a man bare-chested with a rudraksha-style necklace and white dhoti, women in colourful saris and salwar, and people in white and blue clothing. Some participants are seated with eyes closed in meditation or prayer. A chain-link fence and dark foliage form the background. This appears to be a Rudra abhishekam-style ritual, described plainly from the visible lingams and lamps.

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December 12 20162016-12-12Night photograph of a Rudra Abhishekam at an outdoor stepped amphitheatre lit by electric lights and strings of lamps. Rows of black stone Shiva lingams on pedestals sit on the tiered steps, many with yellow flower garlands and offerings. Devotees sit along the steps in white, cream and pastel clothing, some with palms pressed together in prayer. In the foreground a bare-chested man in cream dhoti with gold trim kneels with hands folded beside a lingam. Two women sit in front of lingams, one in a maroon top and one in a cream sari, both gesturing with their hands. Red and orange ceremonial flags hang at the right edge.2016-12-09Night photograph of many participants seated on tiered red steps at an outdoor ritual, each beside a black stone Shivalingam and a brass vessel with lit oil lamps. Many women wear white, saffron-orange, green and pink saris or salwar kameez, with rudraksha malas on several necks. A few men sit bare-chested with orange shawls and malas. Participants sit cross-legged, some with hands folded or holding offerings, while flames flicker across the scene and a fence and purple lighting show behind them. The setting suggests a Rudra Abhishekam gathering, with the Shivalingams and lamps as the central ritual objects. No single figure can be identified as a person from this view.2016-12-09December 11 20162016-12-11 +1 copiesNight photo of devotees seated on red-painted tiered steps at an outdoor deepam lamp event, lit by bright floodlights under a canvas canopy. Many brass oil lamps sit on the steps in front of rows of people. A woman in a teal top and black trousers sits center with palms pressed together in prayer. A young man in white dhoti and bare chest holds a lamp beside her, a woman in a white top and yellow sari sits to the right, and a man in white with a red-and-white shawl sits at left. Others in saffron, pink and purple saris and white clothes fill the rows behind, with small black lingam-shaped stone pieces placed among the lamps. Strings of colourful bunting run along the fence above. Some people appear to be standing at the back and sides.2016-12-12Night photograph of a large outdoor ritual on tiered red steps lit by floodlights and strings of colourful lights. Many participants sit cross-legged in rows, most in white, cream or colourful saris and kurtas, and several bare-chested men wear rudraksha malas. Black stone shivalinga stand on the steps before them, with brass vessels and lamps placed beside them, indicating a Shiva abhishekam-style ritual. A bald elderly man in white clothing with a mala sits in the lower right foreground, eyes closed and hands folded. A woman in a yellow-green saree and another in red sit with hands pressed together in devotion.2016-12-06Night photograph of a large outdoor ritual in which many devotees sit in tiers on a stepped stone platform, each before a black stone Shivalinga on a round yoni-peetha base. In the foreground a woman in a white shirt and dark trousers cups a small lit oil lamp, with a brass pot and flower offerings beside her. A bare-chested man in white dhoti sits near a lingam, and a woman in a pink top and rudraksha mala holds a flame. Behind them many people sit with brass vessels and lamps, and a woman on the right wears an orange sari. Floodlights and red flags are visible in the background.2016-12-11 +1 copiesDecember 18 20162016-12-18Night ritual on a tiered red stone stepped platform lined with black Shiva lingams and brass lamps, many lit with small flames. Devotees sit in rows with palms pressed together in prayer. Bare-chested men wear white dhotis, and women wear white or coloured saris, one in a yellow and blue sari, another in a green and yellow sari. The scene suggests a lamp or lingam-centred puja. No individual is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance, so no candidate is named here.2016-12-23A photograph of many devotees seated on red-painted tiered steps at night, each holding a small lit oil lamp in both hands during a deepam lamp ceremony. Dark black stone shivalingam-style bases with brass pots and vessels sit on each step. Several women wear saris, kurtas and salwar in blues, greens, purple and orange, while others wear white ritual clothes with red-and-white mala beads. A man in the foreground wears a red shawl over white clothes, and a shaved-headed man in orange-red wraps sits at lower right. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person in this crowd, so no candidate is marked in the appearance field.2016-12-12A large crowd of devotees sits on red-painted stone tiers during a Shiva puja, each seated beside a black stone Shivalingam on a yoni-shaped base. Brass kalashas and small brass pots stand between the lingams, and some seats hold offering trays. Many men are bare-chested in white dhotis, while women wear white, red and pink saris or kurtas with rudraksha malas. In the foreground a woman with short light hair in a patterned blue blouse and white trousers sits quietly beside a lingam. Trees and a red flag frame the upper left of the scene.2016-12-17December 11 20162016-12-11 +1 copies