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A crowded photograph of a devotional gathering in a stage hall with red and gold drapes. Dozens of devotees, mostly women in saris and salwar kameez with red, pink, orange and teal colours and kumkum marks on their foreheads, stand and sit closely packed while raising small brass oil lamps or aarti lamps toward the front. Some wear rudraksha malas and bangles. A haze of incense or smoke hangs over the scene, and a partly visible stage backdrop and yellow banner are behind them. The image is a crowd photo, so the people shown are devotees performing an aarti-style lamp offering rather than a specific named ritual.

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January 01 20182018-01-01January 01 20182018-01-01A dense group of devotees performs a ritual with lit oil lamps (diyas) held in outstretched hands. Bare-chested men in white dhotis and red shawls, with rudraksha malas, sit closely packed on a stage backed by black drapery. A woman in a red sari and a woman in a lilac sari with gold bangles join them in the foreground. A silver-bordered wooden stand with a small cup sits to the right, and a standing woman in red with hands in anjali pose appears in the upper centre. Plates of offerings and many flickering lamps fill the floor. Some faces are partly hidden, and no clearly identifiable ceremonial figure stands out for a person identification. The overall mood is a communal aarti with oil lamps.2018-01-01May 20 20162016-05-20A crowded indoor gathering of devotees seated on the floor, many holding small brass oil lamps with lit flames. In the foreground a man in dark-rimmed glasses and yellow turmeric paste on his forehead holds a brass lamp, with a red and silver wrist thread and a ring visible. Beside him a devotee wears an orange-red shawl. Others in white and orange clothing hold lamps, and blurred candles and offerings sit in the background. The scene looks like a lamp-lighting ritual. No person is identified by face.2014-05-17A large seated gathering of devotees performs a ritual with lit oil lamps in a hall with pink curtains and white walls. Women in the foreground wear orange, maroon and cream saris and hold small diyas or lamps, some with brass lamp stands. Men in white dhotis and shirts sit in rows behind them. Brass plates with fruit, flowers and offerings lie on the floor on red and orange mats, with small brass vessels among them. The scene suggests a pada puja or aarti in progress, with many participants lifting lamps together.2011-12-31A photograph of a seated group of devotees in an indoor hall during an evening ritual, many holding small lit oil lamps and flames aloft. Many women wear saffron and rust-red sarees with rudraksha malas and white vibhuti or tilak marks on their foreheads. In the foreground a woman in orange holds a lamp, and a woman in a white and red garment with a rudraksha necklace stands centrally. Background shows more seated devotees in orange and red, some in dark blue or green. A small plate of offerings sits at the lower right near the floor. The scene reads as an aarti or puja with oil lamps.2014-06-06March 06 20132013-03-06December 12 20162016-12-12A photograph of a seated group of women and some men in an indoor hall during a devotional gathering, several holding small lit oil lamps (diya) in their hands. Foreground women wear orange and saffron sarees with gold borders and rudraksha malas; one older woman with grey hair holds a lamp on a brass plate, another in a peach saree holds a lit lamp up, and a woman in a maroon saree with gold border holds one at her face level. Several have white or red forehead marks and bindis. Behind them, people in white and red-saffron clothing sit with hands folded in prayer, and red chairs line the back of the hall. Visible physical people number roughly 20 to 25.2013-08-03A large seated congregation performs a group puja in a hall. Many men are bare-chested, wearing white dhotis with yellow borders and rudraksha malas, some with sandalwood or vibhuti marks on their foreheads. Several hold lit oil lamps or small flames in their hands. Tall yellow-and-gold poles stand among the rows. Women in white and yellow saris sit at the left and back, and a woman in an orange sari stands near the top. The scene is shallow-focus and crowded, with the foreground figures blurred. No identifiable a person is confidently visible among the nearby participants.2017-05-24A large hall filled with seated devotees performing a ritual with oil lamps. In the foreground, a line of people sit on the floor before brass plates with banana-leaf offerings and small lamps; a seated sadhu in orange robes with white forehead markings presses his palms together. Many participants wear white, orange and saffron clothing, rudraksha malas and garlands. Brass trays and small lamps are placed on the floor. Hanging lanterns and banners decorate the ceiling, and a large stage screen with a figure is visible at the far end. Crowd of many people is visible, though the exact count is uncertain.2018-01-08