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Night temple ritual before a decorated deity murti of Ganesha, its face and chest adorned with garlands of yellow and red flowers and a silver-gilt backdrop. A woman in a white sari with gold border and a red headscarf raises a lit oil lamp toward the deity, while a second deity shrine to the right is also draped in marigold garlands. In the foreground, a bare-headed man in an orange-saffron cloth and a man in maroon with gold border sit with hands folded near brass pots, bowls and ritual vessels on a low table, with small flames burning. Lamps and incense haze fill the dark background.

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Night ritual photograph of a temple shrine with a sacred fire pit in the foreground. Two priests, both bare-chested with white dhotis and white shoulder cloths, stand at the flames, one wearing a tall ornate crown-like headdress. Their hands are raised over the fire as they perform a homa or yagna. Behind them stand decorated deity murtis draped in red and garlands of marigolds and green leaves, with a golden kalasha-style arch and a lit oil lamp. Banana plants flank the scene, and offerings sit on brass plates at left, including what appears to be sugar or sweets.2012-05-02May 02 20122012-05-02October 11 20142014-10-11Night temple ritual in a South Indian shrine. A young priest in white dhoti and a white head wrap, with garlands of white flowers, holds a lit camphor flame on a brass plate at left. Beside him a priest in white dhoti with a patterned black-and-gold cap and white garland holds a microphone stand. A woman in a rust-orange sari with gold border offers a plate near two ornately decorated deity murti seated on red-and-green silk, adorned with garlands, jewellery and flower arches. Brass lamps, a kalasha-style vessel, and a yellow turmeric-marked square platform are in the foreground. Ornate golden temple pillars and a lit shrine frame the background.2012-05-02November 25 20142014-11-25February 16 20162016-02-16 +1 copiesA temple shrine interior at night with a fire pit lined with yellow bricks in the lower left, flames rising from it. A bald priest in white dhoti and white upper cloth with a gold border stands barefoot on an orange cloth, holding a lit lamp toward several shrines. Behind him a man in orange clothing stands at a microphone, holding a white sheet. Three shrines are decorated with garlands of red, pink, yellow and white flowers and green draped cloth; the central deity murti and seated figures are dressed in red and gold, and a deity in the upper right shrine has a golden crown. Brass lamps and offering plates sit on the floor, with scattered red petals and a banana plant behind.2011-11-29Night temple ritual in front of a gilded shrine with carved stone pillars and a golden arch. Two young priests in white dhotis and white shawls, one in a white turban and one in a tall ornate headdress, stand with garlanded arms; the left priest holds a brass plate with a flaming camphor lamp. A third man in an orange-red dhoti and draped orange shawl raises his hand toward the shrine. Two richly decorated deity murtis sit on red and green draped platforms, heavily adorned with marigold and garland swags, gold jewellery and crowns. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha, offering plates, a keyboard and a wooden box with yellow powder sit in the foreground, with scattered petals on the floor. The scene reads as a puja or aarti performed before the deities.2012-05-02Night puja before a golden arched shrine where two deity murtis are dressed in red, yellow and green flower garlands, with gold jewellery and crowns. A priest in orange robes holds a lit oil lamp toward the deities. Several other men in saffron and orange robes stand or sit nearby; one seated man in orange speaks into a microphone, and a shaved-headed attendant in white cloth sits at right. A red cloth covers the altar, and a small fire pit glows at lower right.2014-09-06May 02 20122012-05-02May 02 20122012-05-02A woman in a red and gold striped sari with a red head wrap and a red-and-white flower garland stands at left in a temple sanctum, holding a lit oil lamp in a brass dish while performing aarti. Behind her, a large deity murti pair in gold, one seated on a throne, is decorated with thick garlands of yellow, red, pink and white flowers. Gold ornaments and a rudraksha-style necklace adorn the central figure. Brass oil lamps with flames stand in the foreground, a small offering tray rests on the floor, and a shorter figure in red-and-gold clothing is visible beside the garlanded throne.2014-12-05