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A priest stands at night beside a large black stone Shiva lingam decorated with a yellow and orange flower garland, pouring liquid from a golden vessel raised in his right hand onto the lingam so water sprays brightly in the flash light. He is bare-chested, wearing an orange dhoti with red stripes, a rudraksha mala across his chest, and red-and-white wrist threads. Seated devotees in white and blue clothing watch from below, with a red barrier behind. This appears to be an abhishekam, a ritual bathing of the lingam.

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December 11 20162016-12-11December 11 20162016-12-11 +1 copiesDecember 11 20162016-12-11 +1 copiesA photograph of an abhishekam at a Shiva lingam on a black stone yoni-peetha base, with water pouring over the lingam. A person in a rudraksha headpiece and rudraksha necklace, with gold bangles and a gold ornament, wears red-orange and gold-bordered cloth and pours water from a silver vessel over the lingam. A second figure in orange clothing and rudraksha beads stands behind. To the right stand a tall garland of marigolds and purple flowers and a gold-and-red deity figure with a red-orange turban. Another person in pink and gold clothing is at the far right edge. The people in the scene are: one main officiant pouring water, one assistant, and a partially visible figure at the right and left edges.2015-02-17 +1 copiesA photograph of a Shivalinga abhishekam at night. A man in a rudraksha headband and rudraksha mala with ornate gold necklaces, wearing a rust-red dhoti and bare-chested, pours water from a silver conch-shaped vessel over a dark stone Shivalinga on a black yoni-peetha base. Water sprays and streams down. Behind him a second man in red-orange robes and a rudraksha mala holds a silver vessel. To the right, a tall pillar of marigolds and roses in yellow, purple and red garlands stands beside a deity murti wrapped in an orange turban and garland. Gold-framed objects and a pink-clad figure appear at the right edge.2015-02-17A photograph of a temple abhishekam. A man with long, swept-back dark hair and a red tilak, wearing saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha-style mala, pours water from a golden kalasha onto a dark stone Shivalinga on a tiered base. Water streams down the linga and pools on the floor. Behind him, another person in orange robes bends over the linga. To the right, a golden deity murti is draped in a red and gold silk cloth and decorated with multicoloured flower garlands in red, yellow and purple. A small brass lamp stands in the background. Scattered flower petals lie on the wet floor.2010-02-12Night photograph of a large dark polished lingam being bathed in abhishekam. A man in an orange saffron garment with a gold chain pours liquid from a silver vessel over the top of the lingam, which is wrapped with a garland of red, white, yellow and green flowers and banded with silver-and-gold decorative plates. Flower garlands line its base. Behind him, another priest stands on a metal staircase holding a brass bowl, with bokeh lamps in the dark background.2011-10-12Night-time temple procession on a red and white striped carpet beneath a golden arch and hanging colourful banners. In the foreground a man with long dark hair and a dark rudraksha mala, wearing an orange-brown wrap, bows with hands joined near his face. Beside him, a young attendant in orange cloth and a dark turban holds a brass plate with a lamp and offerings. Behind them, several men in orange robes with dark turbans, some holding trumpets and drums, walk in a line, and a richly draped golden deity figure with pink and white flower garlands stands at the left edge. Devotees in white stand along the colonnade. Several men in saffron robes with rudraksha malas are visible; their roles are attendants and devotees, and the identity of the central figure is not established by appearance alone.2018-05-30A standing man in saffron-orange draped robes pours water from a brass vessel over a dark stone Nandi bull statue during a Pradosha puja. He wears a white vertical tilak on his forehead, rudraksha beads, and a wristwatch, and stands on a wooden stool beside the sculpture. The bull's ornate collar and neck are visible as water streams down its face onto the white stone plinth. Behind him, palm trees and a copper-clad pillar frame the scene, with two boys in white dhotis and a man in white attending near brass pots and flower offerings. Several figures are visible, including the pourer and the attendants.2007-10-08A temple abhishekam at night: a man with a rudraksha headband and rudraksha mala, bare-chested with a red-and-gold dhoti, pours water from a vessel over a black Shiva linga. Two other men in red-orange dhotis stand beside him, and a bald priest in red-orange cloth leans in to the left. Behind the linga is a deity murti dressed in a pink-and-gold silk garment, adorned with golden necklaces and flower garlands in red, yellow and magenta, with a tall orange kalasha-like headpiece. Gold-trimmed decorations and a gold-lit wall frame the scene.2015-02-17 +1 copiesNight ritual at a water tank beside a large black Shivalinga with three face motifs and fountain jets of water behind it. In the foreground a small raft-like platform holds an ornate golden peetha with a decorated deity murti covered in red, yellow and white flower garlands, under a red and gold canopy. A priest in saffron cloth and a tall gold-topped headdress sits at left, tending offerings and oil lamps. A second man in white dhoti and shawl sits at right with a rudraksha-style necklace. Strings of multicoloured lights hang across the background steps.2010-11-23October 06 20112011-10-06