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A photograph of an outdoor Pongal-season puja under a shade structure at an ashram. Several devotees in saffron-orange clothing sit on striped woven mats, with bare-chested men and women in orange cloth and bead necklaces seated at the front. A large floral mat holds marigold garlands, sugarcane stalks lie in a pile, bananas and pineapples are arranged on mats, and clay pots sit beside a kolam drawn in white on the ground. A tall man with a red turban, a long garland of yellow flowers and gold necklaces stands at left, watched by a line of standing orange-clad devotees with hands pressed in anjali. A saffron-and-yellow ceremonial umbrella stands at right beside a brass lamp.

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A 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 photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided pavilion with a red-brick and bamboo frame and a dirt floor. Several saffron-robed devotees stand at the back, one with a drum. Near the centre a man in a saffron cloth bends over a stone or grinding slab with a bowl of offerings. A white kolam floral pattern surrounds a brass-and-clay pot with a pineapple, marigold and banana offerings. Clay pots with leaves and sugarcane stand beside rows of banana-leaf plates heaped with rice, fruit and sweets. A tall man in a maroon dhoti and marigold garland, with a turban and a decorated umbrella overhead, stands on the left. A yellow-and-orange flag hangs at the upper right.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A Pongal celebration outdoors under an open shelter with a red-brick wall. In the foreground, a seated man in orange cloth sits on a striped rug with his back to the camera, facing a white kolam rangoli design decorated with marigold garlands, bananas, and a small kalasha-like pot with coconut and leaves. Clay pots with garlands stand at left, and a large offering tray heaped with yellow flowers, rose petals and lit lamps sits at right. Sugarcane stalks lie at the lower right. Behind them, a standing man in a maroon robe and a large saffron-and-gold turban wears a long marigold garland and gold necklaces, hands folded in prayer. Around 20 people in orange and saffron robes and white dhotis stand behind in a semicircle, many with palms joined, including several children. A decorated ceremonial parasol with a crest appears at upper right.2018-01-14Outdoor ritual in a covered open-sided pavilion with a sandy ground. Sannyasis in saffron-orange robes sit on striped mats around a floral kolam drawn in white on the floor, edged with yellow marigold garlands, with brass kalasha pots, pineapples, bananas, and a flower-covered platform with an offering tray. A bare-chested priest in orange cloth with a rudraksha-style headband pours from a vessel at the right. A standing figure at left wears a maroon-brown robe with a tall red turban, long beaded mala and large ceremonial garland, and stands before a crowd of devotees, many in orange, some children with palms together, others in white dhotis and maroon saris. A brass oil lamp and a yellow ceremonial flag stand at right.2018-01-14Outdoor-style pavilion Pongal ceremony on a dirt floor decorated with a white rangoli kolam and yellow marigold garland borders. Two clay pots (pongal pots) with garlands and a pineapple sit at the centre, with bananas, sugarcane and offerings on banana leaves at left and a flower-covered altar at right. A man in a rust-brown dhoti and shawl, with a colourful headwrap and long garlands, stands with palms joined. Several women in orange and red saris perform a ritual near a clay stove and a flame, while a line of standing devotees in orange and red watch and fold their hands. Drums are visible in the background.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 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 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.2018-01-14