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A Pongal celebration in an open-sided pavilion with a sandy ground. In the foreground, a clay pot of boiling milk sits on a brick stove fenced by sugarcane stalks tied with leaves and strands, circled by yellow and orange flower garlands and a kolam design. Beside it, a seated person in orange robes with a headband and rudraksha beads tends brass vessels and offerings, and clay pots with pineapples and red flower baskets are set out. Behind, a line of people in saffron and orange robes, white dhotis and a woman in a white sari with a rudraksha necklace stand and watch. About 25 people are visible.

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January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A Pongal ritual outdoors under a thatched shelter where a shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange cloth stands bare-chested with sandalwood markings, facing two clay pots decorated with white patterns and garlanded with yellow and red flowers. Fire burns from a pot set on bricks, with sugarcane stalks tied into a frame above. Women in red, orange, pink and green saris stand around with hands joined, one holding a vessel, while seated women in orange and saffron sit on a red mat in the background.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.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14Outdoor Pongal celebration under a corrugated metal roof at an ashram. Two bare-chested men in orange dhotis sit cross-legged on red mats at the front, one with a white headband and sacred ash markings, performing rituals beside a clay pot over a small fire. Sugarcane stalks are tied at a pole, and a row of yellow and white marigold garlands surrounds a kolam design on the ground. Behind them, a long line of women in orange saris and mostly orange sarees stands in rows, with other attendees in mixed colours. A man in orange stands to the right beside a drum, and a camera on a tripod is set up near the centre. Brass vessels and pots of offerings are arranged on the floor.2018-01-14A 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.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.2018-01-14Pongal celebration outdoors under an open pavilion at a temple site. A man in a maroon-brown dhoti and a red-and-white turban stands with palms joined in namaskar, wearing a long white flower garland and heavy gold-toned necklaces. Behind him, a line of devotees in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas stand with hands folded, and a white-clad man and women in colourful saris also join. Two women in orange saris on the right hold offering plates. On the ground, a kolam of white rangoli patterns is outlined in yellow marigold garlands. Clay pots filled with flowers, a pineapple, bananas, a brass lamp, and trays of rose petals and fruit sit on striped mats. Three stacked clay-brick hearths with sugarcane and flower decoration form the Pongal cooking area. Drummers in orange stand behind, and a striped ceremonial umbrella stands at the top. Roughly 25 to 30 people are visible.2018-01-14Outdoor 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.2018-01-14