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Five young men in saffron-orange dhoti-style garments stand in a row at a temple-style ceremony, holding brass handbells and oil lamps. Their long hair is coiled into high topknots, and they wear rudraksha malas and white ash markings on their arms and chests. A low stone counter with flickering oil lamps runs along the left edge, and seated devotees fill the background of a large hall with a white tent ceiling. The scene matches a pratyaksha padapuja in progress.

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May 20 20162016-05-20May 20 20162016-05-20Four young men in saffron-orange dhoti-style garments stand in a row holding silver oil lamps (aarti lamps) with lit flames, performing a ritual lamp offering. The foreground figure wears a gold-toned necklace, rudraksha-style beaded mala and gold armlets, with his long hair tied in a high topknot. Other attendants beside him have long hair bound up, and one wears a white forehead band. Blurred devotees in pink and red saris stand in the background, and a white tent-like canopy is overhead. The setting appears to be a ritual gathering in a tent.2016-05-20May 02 20162016-05-02May 20 20162016-05-20May 02 20162016-05-02May 02 20162016-05-02May 20 20162016-05-20May 24 20162016-05-24Photograph of a ritual aarti in a large tent hall. Several men in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls, with rudraksha malas and dreadlocked or topknotted hair, stand in a row holding brass lamps with lit flames and handbells. Behind them, women in pink, orange and white saris and men in white kurtas watch and participate, and a few children sit on the red carpeted floor. Long metal tables with polished surfaces stand at left. The scene suggests a pratyaksha padapuja gathering.2016-05-20A photograph of an aarti or puja ceremony in a large tented hall. In the foreground, several young men in saffron-orange dhotis and sashes hold ornate brass oil lamps aloft; the central figure wears a rudraksha mala and a bare chest with arm bands and holds a small handbell. Other men on the right raise similar lamps, and a figure in orange carries a brass lamp near the top right. Behind them, women in orange and white saris and men in white kurtas sit or stand with hands joined, and a girl in a grey outfit watches. A long metal altar table runs along the left edge. The mood is devotional and orderly.2016-05-20May 20 20162016-05-20