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Night procession at a South Indian temple. A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with a dark sash stands on a raised palanquin, holding a lit oil lamp over a deity murti that is heavily garlanded with marigolds, pink and white flowers. A multicoloured canopy with blue fringe shelters the palanquin. A dense crowd of devotees surrounds it with raised hands, some holding phones and cameras. A gopuram-style entrance with a Ganesha relief and a glowing lamp stands behind, and a videographer with a large camera is at right. No individual is clearly identifiable as a person.

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Night procession at a temple. A bare-chested man in a white dhoti with a red-marked torso and forehead holds a brass lamp of burning flame before a richly garlanded deity murti carried on a wooden palanquin. Marigold and multicolour flower garlands drape the murti. Above it a striped ceremonial canopy with red, green, yellow and white fringes and blue tassels shades the procession. Dense crowds press around the palanquin, many raising hands and phones. Behind, an ornate gopuram features a Ganesha relief, and a lit Ganesha shrine stands at right beside a cameraman.2012-04-05A nighttime temple procession photographed outdoors. A bare-chested man in a white dhoti with a red-and-gold waist sash and white body markings stands behind a palanquin-style canopy with bands of red, yellow, green and blue fringed drapery. The deity murti on the palanquin is heavily garlanded with orange, yellow, pink and red flower strings. Below, a dense crowd presses forward, many people raising hands or phones. Behind them is an illuminated temple gopuram with painted deity sculptures, including an elephant-headed Ganesha figure above the entrance, and a tall lamp post rises beside it.2012-04-05Night procession at a temple: a shirtless man in a white dhoti with a red-and-gold waist cloth stands on a decorated palanquin, arm outstretched, scattering petals into the air. The palanquin is covered by a striped canopy of red, yellow, green and white with blue fringe, and is heavily garlanded with marigold, orange and pink flowers around a deity murti. A dense crowd of men presses behind a wooden barrier, many reaching up with raised hands. Behind them a temple gopuram shows an elephant-headed deity relief, lit by warm lamps, with a Ganesha shrine on the right.2012-04-05April 05 20122012-04-05April 05 20122012-04-05Night procession at a South Indian temple: a bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with white sacred markings on his arms and chest stands on a decorated palanquin (ratha) draped in a multicolored striped canopy with blue fringe, while a deity murti is garlanded with orange, red and white flower garlands. Crowds of devotees press around the wooden poles, many raising hands and holding up mobile phones. A small fire burns to the left, a Ganesha relief and lit lamps appear on the temple gopuram, and a video camera is visible at the right edge. The priest's clothing and the palanquin's colourful canopy are the dominant features of this procession.2012-04-05April 05 20122012-04-05Night procession at a South Indian temple. A richly decorated palanquin carrying a deity murti is covered with garlands in yellow, red, white and green, under a striped blue, orange and yellow canopy with a golden finial. Shirtless bearers in white dhotis lift the palanquin on poles while a dense crowd of men in white shirts and checked shirts press around it. On the right, a man raises a brass tray holding a flaming camphor or aarti lamp. Smoke drifts above and a temple colonnade with white pillars lines the background. Several men are visible, and a few shawled women stand further back.2012-04-05April 05 20122012-04-05Night procession on a decorated ratha or chariot, its tall central pole wrapped in white and red-and-green flower garlands with a striped canopy above. A man in a white shirt and cream dhoti stands at the left filming with a camera. On the chariot, a man in a brown dhoti and ochre cloth with bare upper body and beaded necklace stands near a lit brass kalasha-like vessel, while another man in white clothing with a gold-bordered dhoti stands beside him. Red and green string lights frame the scene. Crowds of devotees in the foreground, many women in white and colourful saris, some wearing headbands, look up toward the chariot.2016-01-03Night procession photographed outdoors among a dense crowd of devotees pressing forward with raised hands. A bare-chested man in a yellow dhoti with a grey-patterned waist cloth stands on a flower-decorated float or chariot, one hand raised and head tilted. Behind him is a large ornate umbrella with blue, orange and red panels and tassels, and the float is heavily garlanded with yellow, white and red flowers. Temple gopuram-style architecture and a streetlight-lit compound form the background. Other men in white shirts and dhotis stand near the float, and a camera operator is visible at the left edge.2012-04-05Night procession photographed from the side, with a dark sky behind. On the left, a long-haired figure with a bare upper body and a saffron/orange cloth draped over the shoulder stands in front of the crowd and faces the scene. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts, some with maroon-and-white scarves, hold a palanquin-like structure and raise oil lamps in brass dishes. On the right, a deity murti is carried on a large ratha-style frame with a multicoloured striped arch of green, yellow, red and white, and a decorated canopy above. Two ornate umbrellas with tasselled edges and embroidered fabric stand at the upper left. Several people wear orange and white. Fruit sits near the lower right.2006-12-23