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A photograph of a devotee undergoing a kavadi-style piercing ritual at a temple procession. A man with long dark hair and a white garland, wearing a white dhoti with a teal-blue cloth and a pale patterned waist wrap, is bare-backed with multiple silver-tipped spikes passed through the skin of his back and shoulders, attached to a green wooden frame decorated with yellow and pink ribbons, peacock feathers and marigold garlands. Beside him a man in an orange saffron robe holds the frame and garlands, and another person in white shirt and dhoti stands at right. A gold-edged ornamental palanquin and an ornate ceiling lamp are visible in the background.

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December 29 20102010-12-29December 29 20102010-12-29A devotee with long dark hair decorated with white and red flowers is pierced across the back with multiple long white-and-red-tipped skewers set into a green arched frame. The person wears a cream dhoti-style cloth, a teal and purple sari-like wrap and a yellow blouse, and is supported by a green and yellow structure with peacock-feather fringe. Men in white shirts and orange-trimmed garments stand around, one holding an apple, in a procession setting with marigold garlands visible above.2010-12-29A devotee with long dark hair, bare back and a yellow-and-teal cloth wrapped at the waist is pierced through the back by several long white-and-red skewers while standing in a green wooden frame decorated with yellow garlands and white flowers. Behind him, a man in white shirt and orange shawl and a man in orange robes watch, and a man in a striped shirt holds a fruit near the devotee's face. A purple cloth and peacock feathers decorate the frame, typical of a kavadi or vel-related procession in Tamil Nadu.2010-12-29A devotee with long dark hair and a white jasmine garland is seen from behind, pierced by a row of long silver skewers with red-and-yellow tips, held within a green-framed wooden kavadi-style frame decorated with yellow flowers. The devotee wears a yellow-striped bodice, a teal and white cloth, and a purple border sari fabric. To the left, a man in saffron-orange dhoti and shawl holds a long garland of white jasmine, red flowers and round yellow beads, standing beside a gold-decorated palanquin or ratha. Men in white shirts and white dhotis stand behind the frame, one holding a long cloth.2010-12-29Outdoor festival procession at a temple-style event. On the left, a man with swept-back dark hair wears an orange-saffron dhoti and a long garland of red and white flowers with yellow beads, standing beside a gold-ornamented ornate canopy with red and yellow tassels. In the centre, a bald man in an orange-saffron robe with a rudraksha-style mala stands near the cart. To the right, a long-haired woman in a white and yellow sari with a purple border and a flower-wreathed hair ornament stands beside a green-and-gold palanquin/ratha frame decorated with peacock feathers, yellow garlands and pink ribbons. A man in a light blue checked shirt holds one of the white-and-red poles of the carrying frame. Oil lamps glow in the background.2010-12-29December 29 20102010-12-29A ceremonial procession scene at a temple-style event. A figure with long dark hair and an orange-saffron shawl, wearing a garland of white and red flowers, stands at right facing a palanquin-like golden structure decorated with yellow marigold garlands, red flowers and a peacock-feather canopy topped by a golden deity murti. A woman in a green and blue sari with a red tilak holds a bundle of green leaves and yellow flowers. Men in orange clothing and a man in an orange shirt with a rudraksha mala stand around, one holding a red ritual object. Gold lamps and brass items decorate the background.2010-12-29A festival procession scene with a devotee in a saffron-orange shawl over a white shirt at centre, standing among people holding long wooden poles. Behind him a man in a light striped shirt holds a garland of yellow flowers, and a woman in a white sari with a red border stands with hands folded in namaskar. At left, a figure with long black hair, white jasmine adornments and a yellow garment stands before a green arched frame decorated with yellow flowers and white hooks. A red and gold canopy with tassels appears in the background. Lamps glow warmly in the temple setting.2010-12-29December 29 20102010-12-29A photograph of a festival procession with a golden deity murti under an ornate golden arch decorated with yellow marigold garlands and peacock feathers. In the foreground a woman in a teal sari with a purple border and a red kumkum bindi holds a bundle of green leaves and yellow flowers. To the right, a smiling man with long dark hair, wearing an orange saffron robe, a gold necklace, and a long garland of white flowers, red blossoms and yellow-green beads, raises his right hand in greeting. Men in orange and saffron clothing stand nearby, and a silver ceremonial lamp stand and a red trident-shaped ritual object are visible at the right edge.2010-12-29A photograph of a festival procession at an ashram-style hall. A gilded deity murti with a golden crown sits on a palanquin-like canopy decorated with peacock feathers, yellow marigold garlands and a gold arch. A man in a white shirt and orange shawl walks at left, and a man with a red forehead mark, yellow garland and blue-and-purple cloth carries green leaves on the poles. At right, a smiling man with long swept-back dark hair wears an orange robe, a white and red flower garland, a heavy rudraksha-style bead mala and gold ornaments. a person with long swept-back hair, orange robe and ceremonial gold necklace, shown in conversation with the bearers; other orange-clad attendants stand nearby and gold lamp stands line the background.2010-12-29