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A temple ritual inside a decorated hall with marigold garlands hanging from the ceiling. Two bare-chested priests in white dhotis with pale shoulder cloths stand before a tall deity murti draped in red fabric and heaped with flower garlands, one priest holding a garland aloft. Behind them stands a row of young people in saffron-orange clothing and orange headwraps, some wearing rudraksha beads. On the right a seated priest in a purple shawl sits near a brass lamp and a garlanded kalasha. In the foreground a floor arrangement holds coconuts, bananas, fruit, flowers, brass bowls and a fire pit with lit oil lamps on a red cloth. Yellow umbrellas stand at the left. The scene reads as a puja or abhishekam with offerings.

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Indoor temple ritual with a decorated deity murti set on a tall red-and-green floral canopy, garlanded with marigolds. Two bare-chested priests in white dhotis and white shoulder cloths stand before it, one holding a brass vessel and the other offering something at its base. A seated man in a purple dhoti and garlands sits at right beside brass lamps. Behind them, a row of young women and girls in orange and saffron saris and garlands sit, and a yellow-and-gold umbrella is raised. Foreground shows a fire pit with offerings, coconut halves, fruit, flower garlands and brass plates on a red cloth. Yellow and orange flowers hang from the ceiling.2018-04-14Inside a temple hall, a homa fire pit is laid with brick-like stacks of offerings, flower garlands, coconut halves and small kalasha pots wrapped in marigold garlands. A small flame burns at the centre. Behind it, a deity murti is decorated with garlands under a canopy of flowers and a red and gold cloth. Several bare-chested priests in white dhotis with gold borders officiate; one in a gold-bordered dhoti stands at right, another kneels at left wearing a rudraksha mala, and a man in saffron clothing sits at the far left. Red floor covering, a brass implement and a bowl of flowers lie in the foreground.2018-04-14A temple ritual with a fire pit (homa) built from stacked bricks on a red cloth, with a visible flame at left. Priests in white dhotis and gold-bordered shawls, one shirtless with a gold necklace, tend the fire and offerings. Brass kalasha pots and bowls, mango and banana fruit, and garlands of marigolds sit on a purple cloth at right. Behind them devotees in saffron and orange clothes stand among decorated pillars, garlands and a gold-fringed canopy umbrella. Marigold garlands and a floral canopy frame the scene.2018-04-14A temple ritual in a pillared hall decorated with marigold garlands and hanging red and purple lanterns. In the foreground a fire pit with flames and marigold-garlanded brick borders holds a homa, with a priest in white dhoti and gold-bordered shawl tending it. Behind, a man in white dhoti with gold border and beaded necklaces stands beside a brass kalasha and tall marigold-wrapped pots and a silver umbrella. To the right, a red-and-green garland-draped canopy shelters a golden oil lamp stand. Several men in saffron and orange clothing stand in the background, with rows of devotees behind them. Brass vessels and offerings lie on the red floor.2018-04-14A temple ritual on a red-carpeted stage with garlanded pillars and marigold strings overhead. Shirtless priests in white dhotis with gold borders and red-and-gold shoulder cloths stand beside an ornately decorated deity murti draped in flower garlands, a kalasha and brass lamps placed before it. Robed attendants in orange and saffron hold ceremonial staffs and fans, and a woman in a blue-and-gold sari stands at left under a decorated umbrella. Banana leaves, fruit plates and flower offerings lie on the floor, and a crowd in orange and saffron watches from behind. The setting suggests an abhishekam or puja in progress.2018-04-14April 14 20182018-04-14April 14 20182018-04-14April 14 20182018-04-14April 14 20182018-04-14A ritual abhishekam in a hall with a red-carpeted floor. Several men in white dhotis with gold borders stand and bend around a deity murti under a red and gold canopy draped with marigold garlands. Ritual offerings of fruit, flower-garlanded kalasha pots and brass vessels fill the foreground. To the left, a group of young people in saffron/orange robes and rudraksha malas plays drums, with one standing figure holding a long pole. The white-clad priests have bare upper bodies and sacred threads, and the scene is decorated with banana leaves and yellow marigolds.2018-04-14Temple ritual inside a hall with concrete pillars, hanging garlands and round red and purple lanterns overhead. A fire pit with burning logs and flower-decorated brick platform sits in the foreground, beside a brass kalasha decorated with marigold garlands and a pink cloth. Several white-clad priests in white dhotis with gold borders wear rudraksha malas; one holds a ceremonial umbrella. A bare-chested man in white dhoti and red-bordered shawl stands at right, holding a ritual implement near an ornate golden canopy draped with flower garlands. Saffron-robed attendants stand in the background. Smoke rises from the fire. Visible people number about ten, all priests and devotees.2018-04-14Photograph of a ritual inside a hall with a fire pit at centre, where a flame rises from a brass vessel on a tiered offering platform decorated with marigold garlands. Several priests in white dhotis with gold borders and bare upper bodies stand around the fire, some holding ritual implements. At right, a bare-chested priest raises a long yellow staff toward a red and green decorated canopy hung with flower garlands. A woman in a purple sari stands at the right edge. Brass pots, plates, a woven basket, and banana leaves sit on the red floor, with purple and red umbrella-shaped canopies and marigold strings overhead. The setting is a homa or yagna with offerings.2018-04-14