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Photograph of a Shiva Deeksha initiation on stage in front of a red curtain. A bearded man with long dark hair, a white and red forehead mark, rudraksha and gold necklaces, and a rust-coloured robe sits on an ornate gold throne, holding a white thread across the head of a shaved-headed initiate in white dhoti and bare upper body. A second man in a rudraksha mala kneels at left, assisting. A gold staff with a finial stands behind the throne. Appearance-based candidate, a person, seated and officiating.

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April 26 20172017-04-26A seated man in rust-red saffron-toned robes sits on an ornate gold throne with a large gilded backrest, before a deep red drape. He wears long dark hair swept back, a white tripundra mark on his forehead, a long beard, and layered gold necklaces with a rudraksha mala and gold ornaments, plus gold armbands. His eyes are closed as a bare-chested man with a shaved head, wearing a white dhoti and white markings on his skin, bows toward him while a white thread is placed around his neck. A woman in a pink-and-gold sari holds a folded cloth at the right edge. The scene suggests a Shiva Deeksha initiation ritual. A gilded ornamental pillar stands at the left.2017-04-26A seated guru in a rust-brown robe and layered gold necklaces sits on an ornate gold throne against a deep red curtain, holding a white thread that he lifts toward the head of a shaved-headed initiate. The initiate, bare-backed and wearing a white dhoti, kneels before him with white markings on his shoulders, as the guru's long hair falls down his back and he wears a dark mark on his forehead. Gold bangles and a rudraksha-style mala are visible. Two attendants flank the scene, one with a beard and white markings, the other partly cropped at the left edge. The setting suggests a Shiva Deeksha initiation ceremony.2017-04-26A seated figure on an ornate gold-carved throne with a red cushion before a red draped curtain, wearing rust-red robes, a gold-and-bead necklace, layered garlands, gold armbands and a forehead tilak, with long dark hair swept back and a full beard, appearing to receive a ritual. In the foreground a bare-backed, shaved-headed devotee in a white dhoti bends forward with white paste on his shoulders and back, while another person's hand holds a small brass item at the left edge. The appearance of the throned figure matches several cues for Swamiji (probable): long swept-back hair, ornate ceremonial gold necklace and saffron-red garments, so he is identified in the description with that label and the setting is a diksha initiation scene.2017-04-26A seated figure on an ornate gold throne with a red cushion, in front of deep red draped curtains, bestows a initiation on a shaved-headed devotee kneeling before him. The seated figure wears a dark red-brown robe, a long gold-and-beaded necklace with a large gold pendant, gold bangles, a tilak on the forehead and long dark hair, and holds a white thread that drapes over the devotee's head. The devotee, bare-chested with white ash marks on the shoulders and a white dhoti, bows forward with hands raised to the head. A woman in a pink-and-gold sari is partly visible at the right edge, and a golden staff stands at the left. Ritual scene consistent with a Shiva Deeksha initiation.2017-04-26A photograph of a Shiva Deeksha initiation. A long-haired, bearded man in a rust-brown shawl and rudraksha malas, with gold necklaces and bangles, sits on a golden throne with red cushions and places his right hand on the shaved head of a young boy in white ritual cloth. The seated man wears a white forehead mark and gold earrings, and a gold trident-topped staff and a golden kalasha-style vessel stand beside the throne. Behind, a bare-chested bearded man with rudraksha malas and a white forehead mark watches, and another devotee stands at the left edge. A red curtain fills the background. Swamiji (probable): the long hair, ornate gold jewellery, rudraksha malas and crowned throne are the appearance cues.2017-04-26A seated man on an ornate gold-and-red throne places his right hand on the shaved head of a small bald child in white dhoti and cloth. The seated man wears a maroon-brown dhoti-style robe, a dense rudraksha mala, ceremonial gold necklaces, gold bangles and armlets, and has white tilak marks on his forehead; his long dark hair falls to his back. Behind the child, a bare-chested man with a rudraksha mala and white markings sits on the floor, and a smiling man in white tilak stands further back beside a gold staff. A figure in orange robes stands at the left edge and a red curtain hangs behind. The scene suggests a Shiva Deeksha initiation with a blessing gesture. Probable Swamiji seated on the throne, as indicated by his long swept-back hair, ornate gold jewellery, rudraksha malas and throne.2017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26September 26 20172017-09-26April 26 20172017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26October 26 20162016-10-26