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A seated figure in an orange-red sannyasi garment holds a tall silver trident aloft in a bright room. He wears a red and yellow flower garland and a long green-and-yellow lime garland, with gold bangles on his wrist. Before him, a kneeling group in white clothes receives a flame from a small oil lamp held by a woman in white, while others press palms together in namaskar. Among them are saffron-clad men and women, a young girl in a gray dress with a flower in her hair, and a shaven-headed boy in orange. Flower petals and a brass plate sit on a patterned rug. The seated figure appears to be a presiding teacher receiving devotees, and the ritual looks like a light-offering greeting during a house visit.

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June 27 20142014-06-27Indoor house visit in a tiled room where a seated sannyasi in saffron-orange robes, wearing a long red and yellow marigold garland and a rudraksha mala, holds a silver trident-staff upright and smiles. Devotees sit and stand around in white dhotis, white saris and saffron cloth. A kneeling man in a white shirt and white dhoti offers a lit oil lamp, a woman in a white sari kneels beside him, a young woman in white with folded hands prays, and a small girl in pink stands nearby. A brass plate of flowers and fruit lies on the mat in front, with a colourful patterned rug beneath. Several other devotees stand with folded hands near a window.2014-06-27June 27 20142014-06-27A photograph inside a bright, whitewashed room during a house visit in Tamil Nadu. A seated figure in saffron-orange robes with a red and yellow garland of marigolds and green beads, holding a trident-topped staff, sits on an orange cloth and smiles as devotees perform aarti. Around them, a woman in white kneels holding a lit lamp, and a family in white and red garments kneels on a blue patterned mat with offerings of flowers and fruit on a brass plate. Standing devotees in white dhotis and saffron-clad sannyasis with rudraksha malas press their palms together in the background. Some people are partially visible at the edges of the frame. The scene is a welcoming puja within a home.2014-06-27A photograph of a home ritual in a whitewashed room with a patterned blue and red floor mat. A seated figure on the right, wearing a saffron-orange cloth and a long red and yellow flower garland with a rudraksha-style bead garland, holds a tall ceremonial staff topped with a metal trident-like finial and a hanging garland. Seated devotees in white clothes, one wearing a red and green sari, make offerings and receive a lit oil lamp on a brass plate with flowers and fruit. Standing devotees in white dhotis and saffron-clad sannyasis press their palms together in prayer. A child in a patterned dress stands near the centre. A bowl of flowers and bananas lies at the lower left.2014-06-27June 27 20142014-06-27June 26 20142014-06-26A photograph of a domestic house-visit ritual in a small room with pink-lilac walls. A seated woman in a red-brown sari with a thick garland of yellow, white and green-red flowers and a silver staff-like ceremonial rod holds the staff upright on the right. In front of her, a woman in white and a man in white with a red shawl sit on a striped mat while a man in maroon holds a flame over a plate; a small oil lamp burns on the floor beside a tray of flowers. Behind them, saffron-robed attendants stand, one holding a camera, and a shaved-headed youth in orange with beads sits on the mat. A framed deity picture hangs on the wall.2014-06-27July 04 20142014-07-04 +1 copiesA photograph inside a small room with pink walls and an orange bolster area. A seated figure in saffron-orange robes with a bare chest and a long red-and-white flower garland holds a silver trident aloft, with a wide smile. Before him a man in a white shirt with a brown rudraksha-style mala and a woman in white sari with red-and-yellow trim hold a lit oil lamp and an offering, while a young boy in white dhoti with a rudraksha mala kneels nearby. A row of standing women in white saris and blue-patterned saris, with hands folded in namaskar, watches. A framed portrait and a second print hang on the wall behind. Marigold petals lie on the floor.2014-07-04 +1 copiesA photo of a pada puja in a plain-walled room. A long-haired figure in a rust-orange robe with a red-and-white flower garland sits on an orange cushioned seat at right, holding a silver trident-like staff upright, with a brass tray of white and red flowers at the lower right. Seated on the floor at centre, a man in a white dhoti and white shirt with an orange shawl is lit by an oil lamp. Women in orange blouses and a young girl in a striped dress reach toward the lamp; a shaved-headed young sannyasi in orange with rudraksha beads sits beside the seat. Standing in the background are people in white and yellow-bordered saris and white dhotis, with yellow shawls.2014-06-26A photograph of a devotional ritual in a small room with lilac walls and a bright flower arrangement of red, white, yellow and pink blooms. A seated man in a saffron-orange robe with a saffron sash and a long garland of white and orange flowers holds a silver trishul upright while devotees gather around him. Several women in white and cream saris and saffron-yellow blouses, some with rudraksha malas and gold bangles, press their palms together or raise their hands near a lit oil lamp on a tray. A shaved-headed young man in white dhoti and a white shawl stands behind them, and a young man in white kurta kneels with folded hands. Red flower petals are heaped on a tray near the seated figure, and a small framed photograph sits on a side table.2014-07-04 +1 copies