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Outdoor ritual at an open dirt ground lined with palm trees and hazy sky. A seated figure in saffron-orange robes with long dark hair sits with hands pressed together in namaste on a white-draped seat, appearing to be a person with long swept-back hair and saffron clothing, in the role of presiding master. Behind him to the left, a row of decorated deity murti or ceremonial figures is garlanded with yellow and red flower malas beneath red-and-white umbrellas and pink draped canopies. In the foreground, a man in white kneels before a low wooden seat with brass puja vessels and a kalasha-style pot on a blue mat. On the right, rows of white-clad devotees sit before small white brick enclosures with smoke rising, appearing to be a homa or yagna. Several cameras and onlookers stand in the background.

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July 11 20062006-07-11July 11 20062006-07-11July 11 20062006-07-11Outdoor ritual scene on a sandy ground beneath palm trees, with smoke drifting through the air. On the left, deity murtis are decorated with garlands of yellow, orange and white flowers under pink-fringed canopies and ornate white and gold platforms. In the centre, a standing man in orange robes raises his arm, holding an object aloft. Nearby a person in white kneels before a small arrangement of brass vessels and offerings on a blue cloth, while an orange-robed figure sits on a white seat. Rows of seated devotees in white clothes and orange stoles face the scene across white brick-like seating, several holding ritual implements. Overall a homa-style or puja ceremony.2006-07-11Outdoor ritual on bare earth under palm trees and an overcast sky. A long-haired man in an orange saffron robe and a beaded necklace holds a lit torch-like lamp aloft with one hand, facing a row of seated people in orange and white. Kneeling and seated devotees in white and orange clothing line the grounds, with rows of small white brick platforms. In the foreground, a white-clad figure bows at a low wooden altar with brass vessels and offerings. On the left, a decorated ratha or palanquin with red and white garlands, pink-fringed umbrellas and gold ornaments stands beside a ceremonial structure. Flower garlands and a shallow dish of offerings rest on a blue tarp.2006-07-11July 11 20062006-07-11Outdoor ceremony on a bare dirt ground beneath coconut palms. On the left, a row of deity murtis draped with multicoloured garlands stands on a white-covered platform beneath red-and-white fringed umbrellas. A figure in white sits on a low seat in the centre with hands raised near the face, while a standing man in an orange robe faces the seated figure. Around them, rows of seated devotees in white clothes, some in orange, sit on white brick enclosures on blue and green mats. Offerings, a brass lamp and an incense stick appear on the ground in front, and smoke rises behind.2006-07-11Outdoor ceremony on sandy ground under coconut palms. On the left, a decorated palanquin with red-and-white canopies and garlands of yellow and orange flowers stands beside a white-draped platform. In the centre, a man with long dark hair wears an orange robe, a beaded rudraksha-style necklace and a gold chain, standing beside a white-covered seat. Rows of people in white clothes sit on the ground to the right, many with folded hands, and brass oil lamps, a kalasha-style vessel and a lit brass lamp rest on cloth mats in front. A man in orange stands at the right edge holding an orange cloth. Hundreds of people in white attire fill the background. A microphone stands on the left.2006-07-11July 11 20062006-07-11Outdoor ritual gathering on bare earth under palm trees. A figure with long dark hair, wearing an orange-saffron robe and a beaded rudraksha-style necklace, sits cross-legged on a white-draped seat in the centre. Clothing is cloth and robe, not ornate crown or turban, so the identity is uncertain. A man in an orange-saffron robe stands at right holding a tall orange flag on a pole. Ranks of people in white dhotis and white garments sit on rows of white-draped mats and white brick-like blocks arranged in lines. On the left, a decorated pink-and-gold canopy with garlands of marigold and white flowers covers a raised altar with brass pots, kalasha-style vessels and offerings. Brass lamps and a brass tray with oil lamps lie on a green cloth at lower right. Pink umbrellas and red-and-white draped canopies line the background.2006-07-11Outdoor ritual at an open dirt courtyard with coconut palms behind. A standing man in a saffron/orange robe holds a brass vessel aloft with one raised arm, facing a seated woman in saffron-orange clothing with a beaded necklace on a white cushioned seat. Rows of seated devotees in white clothes sit on white brick-like blocks and mats, many in saffron garments, with brass oil lamps and plates of offerings in front of them. At left, a decorated altar with marigold and garland-draped deity murti under red-and-white canopies and pink drapery. A man in white bends low near the altar. Saffron flags stand at the right edge. Looks like a satsang or puja gathering.2006-07-11Outdoor ritual gathering under a open-sided shed roof with palm trees and strings of small triangular orange and pink pennant flags overhead. In the foreground, a person with long dark hair and a flower garland sits cross-legged on a raised seat in an orange cloth, with a microphone stand in front. Behind a low rectangular platform of concrete blocks, a sacred fire pit smokes, with brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot and a mound of marigold and flower offerings. Many people in white clothes sit in rows on the ground, while others in orange garments sit near the platform. A pink and orange draped backdrop hangs behind the seating area, and baskets of fruit sit at the right edge. Hazy sunlight fills the scene.2006-12-29