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A photograph of an outdoor ritual space with a sandy floor and a white kolam design. A central figure in a rust-red dhoti with a maroon-and-gold turban, a gold necklace and a flower garland stands with palms pressed together in namaskar in front of a large flower-covered platform of yellow marigolds and white petals with red offerings. Around him, figures in orange-saffron robes hold trays of flowers and offerings, and a standing man in white dhoti with hands joined watches. Brass lamps, a kalasha pot, bananas, coconut-leaf decorations and a bundle of sugarcane lie on coloured striped cloths. An orange-and-yellow ceremonial banner stands at right. Several devotees in orange and white watch from the left. The setting suggests a puja at a Pongal-season gathering.

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January 14 20182018-01-14A photograph of a ritual at an open-sided pavilion. A bare-chested man in a maroon-red dhoti with a gold waist ornament, a red turban and a white-and-pink flower garland stands with hands folded in namaskar before a large flower-decorated altar covered in yellow and white marigolds and red roses. Behind him, several men in orange-saffron robes and rudraksha malas hold offerings, one holding a tray of red flowers. A woman in an orange sari stands at right holding a brass vessel near brass oil lamps. Bananas, a pineapple, coconut and brass bowls sit on striped mats in front, with a kolam drawn on the floor. A yellow banner with a bird emblem hangs at right. Several more people in orange and white stand in the background.2018-01-14A ritual scene in an open courtyard during a Hindu puja. A man in the centre wears a maroon-red turban, a gold necklace with a white flower garland, and a dark maroon dhoti, with hands joined in namaskar. Behind him, several men and a woman in saffron-orange robes stand with joined hands, one holding a tray of red flowers. Before them a floor altar has a flower-covered mound of yellow and red blossoms with white petals, bananas, coconuts, brass bowls of kumkum, a lit oil lamp and incense sticks on a striped cloth. Brass lamps and a kalasha stand nearby, and a saffron and yellow banner with a bird emblem hangs on a pole at right. Rangoli-like designs decorate the ground.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14Outdoor pavilion with a red floor cloth, leafy bamboo and mango-leaf decorations, and a mud-plastered ground. A man in a maroon-brown dhoti with a saffron-red turban and a marigold garland stands at left, while saffron-robed attendants and a bare-chested man in orange cloth tend the ritual area. Several clay pots with leaf-wrapped rims sit on flower-strewn mud platforms beside a white kolam design and bananas, fruit and offerings on banana leaves. At right, a decorated altar holds flowers, oil lamps and a row of silver-toned items, with saffron-and-white triangular banners hanging on the posts.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided hall with a dirt floor. In the foreground, earthen pots (pongal pots) rest on banana leaves, decorated with marigold garlands and set within a white rangoli kolam outlined with yellow flowers. Two men in saffron-orange robes stand at a fire pit, one kneeling and tending the flame while another in orange with bare upper body and rudraksha beads stands nearby. A man on the left wears a red-brown dhoti, garlands and an ornate headwear, with hands folded in prayer. Behind them, several people in red and orange robes stand near drums. An altar holds fruit, flowers, brass lamps and bananas. Orange and yellow flag banners hang from the rafters.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided pavilion. Saffron-robed sannyasis and women in orange saris stand on a red mat around a clay pot sun offering, with a kolam of white rice flour and flower garlands on the ground. A man in a maroon robe and gold-bead necklace, with a red turban and flower garland, stands at left with hands joined. A bare-chested sannyasi with rudraksha beads stands with palms together, while a woman kneels to arrange brass plates, bananas, sugarcane, and offerings on a striped cloth. Clay pots, a brass lamp stand, and a saffron banner with a bird emblem complete the scene. Visible people number about ten.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided pavilion with a dirt floor. A standing man in a reddish-brown dhoti and a red-and-orange turban, with a flower garland and a shawl, stands with palms joined in front of a decorated pot. Women and girls in orange and red saris and salwar kurtas stand nearby, several holding hands together in prayer. Clay pots garlanded with yellow flowers stand on a kolam drawn in white powder, with sugarcane stalks, bananas, plantains and banana-leaf plates of food laid on striped cloths. A brass lamp and a large display of marigolds and offerings are set at the right, and an orange ceremonial banner hangs at the right edge.2018-01-14A Pongal ritual inside an open-sided pavilion with bamboo and palm-leaf decorations. Several people in saffron-orange robes stand and kneel around a sand-floored area with clay pots and stone hearths, one with a fire built from stacked bricks ringed with marigold garlands. A woman in a teal sari kneels at lower left stirring from a clay vessel. Along the right, a platter of fruit, bananas and sugarcane sits on a kolam-decorated floor beside brass lamps and flower-covered offerings. A bare-chested man in orange garments and rudraksha-style mala raises a hand near the altar, and a woman in an orange sari stands at the right edge. The atmosphere is of a festival puja.2018-01-14Outdoor Pongal-style ritual in a covered courtyard. A large white kolam with floral border sits on the earth, surrounded by yellow and red marigold garlands, clay pots with mango leaves and coconuts, pineapples, bananas and brass plates of offerings. Saffron-robed sannyasis and women in orange and red saris stand and bow with hands folded. A standing man in a red-and-gold turban, gold necklaces and a garland on the left looks on. In the right foreground a saffron-clad man lies prostrate on a striped mat. Brass lamps and a decorated ceremonial umbrella with a kalasha emblem stand at right. Approximately ten people are visible.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14