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A Pongal celebration in an open-air courtyard with a clay stove fire and pot of boiling offerings in the lower left, surrounded by marigold garlands, sugarcane stalks arching overhead, banana leaves, and kolam designs drawn on the ground. A man standing at right wears an orange-red turban, a shawl over a maroon-brown garment, layered gold necklaces and a flower garland, and holds his hands together in namaskar. Behind him a group of about fifteen people in white dhotis and saffron robes stand and fold their hands in worship, while a cameraman films from a tripod. Brass lamps and trays of fruit and flowers sit on mats near the fire.

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January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14 +1 copiesJanuary 14 20182018-01-14Outdoor Pongal celebration under a red-roofed open shelter at a temple compound. In the centre, a clay pot with a flame sits on a brick stove fuelled by wood, surrounded by sugarcane stalks, marigold garlands and a flower-ringed kolam on the ground; brass vessels hold red offerings. On the right, a standing man wears a red-brown wrap, a reddish-brown turban, a long white and pink flower garland and gold neck ornaments, with his hands folded before a red carpet. Behind him and to the left, a row of devotees in white dhotis and orange or red robes stands with hands joined in namaskar; a cameraman films from a tripod. Roughly fifteen to twenty people are visible.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A Pongal celebration in an open-sided hall at the Tiruvannamalai Aadheenam. Central figure, a bare-chested man in a maroon-brown dhoti and rust turban, wears a pink and white flower garland and stands with palms joined before a fire pit of stacked clay bricks. Around him, women in orange saris stand and sit with hands folded; one woman holds a brass tray of flowers and flame, another rings a handbell. Fresh yellow marigold garlands and red petals decorate the ground, and a brass pot sits near the pit. A tall sugarcane stalk stands behind them against red pillars. Several children in white dhotis and orange clothing stand on the left, and a man in white stands behind the central figure, with a red-and-white striped canopy overhead. Several people are visible, and the scene reads as a homa-style fire ritual. The central man's appearance is not clear enough to confirm the a person candidate.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.2018-01-14A 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.2018-01-14A 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.2018-01-14Outdoor-style pavilion Pongal ceremony on a dirt floor decorated with a white rangoli kolam and yellow marigold garland borders. Two clay pots (pongal pots) with garlands and a pineapple sit at the centre, with bananas, sugarcane and offerings on banana leaves at left and a flower-covered altar at right. A man in a rust-brown dhoti and shawl, with a colourful headwrap and long garlands, stands with palms joined. Several women in orange and red saris perform a ritual near a clay stove and a flame, while a line of standing devotees in orange and red watch and fold their hands. Drums are visible in the background.2018-01-14