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A photograph of a temple ritual before a decorated deity murti. A figure with long dreadlocked hair and a lavender beaded shawl stands at right, one hand raised toward an ornate golden crown on the deity. The murti is adorned with thick garlands of white, yellow, green and red flowers, and a silver-patterned face and necklace are visible. Behind is a gold repoussé arch with an orange silk backdrop. A green-and-gold ritual vessel sits in the foreground beside a tray with yellow thread. Green leaves frame the upper left.

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December 19 20162016-12-19A photograph inside an ornate golden temple shrine decorated with repousse metalwork. A man seen from behind with long matted dreadlocks and a bare upper back, wearing a lavender beaded garland, reaches toward a deity murti with a tall gold crown and silver-embellished robes. Flanking murtis are adorned with white and yellow marigold-and-rose garlands in red, orange, white and green. A red-orange silk cloth hangs behind the shrine, and a green cloth-covered vessel and brass items sit in the foreground. The scene suggests abhishekam or padapuja at the altar. No other people are visible.2016-12-19A temple photograph of a priest with long dark hair worn loose and braided at the back, bare-backed, reaching up to touch a golden kalasha-shaped vessel on a deity murti. The deity to the left has a gold crown with a black-and-white tilaka-like marking, a gold face and gold-and-red garments. The shrine is draped with long garlands of white jasmine, red roses, yellow and orange flowers and green leaves, and a second figure in a green gilded headdress with a white flower garland stands at the right edge. Gold-embroidered panels frame the shrine.2016-12-19A photograph inside a temple shrine showing a priest with long dark braided hair and a bare back, adorning a deity murti with flower garlands. Two golden-crowned deity figures stand in the frame: a larger figure on the left with a silver face, Shiva-style forehead markings and a crescent emblem, and a smaller gold-crowned figure in the centre being decorated. Garlands of white jasmine and red roses hang across the arch, and a deep rose-pink and violet flower garland is wrapped around the priest's arm. On the right, a second attendant in a green and gold headdress is seen from behind, with a grey-blue bird figure above. The setting is a golden-framed shrine.2016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19A bare-chested man with long dreadlocks and a dark beard stands at right, wearing a lavender-and-blue beaded garland and an orange cloth, his hand raised over a large deity murti adorned with a golden crown, a jewelled ornament and multiple garlands of yellow marigolds, red roses and white flowers. A silver tray holding yellow flowers and a bowl sits in the foreground. Behind the murti stand an ornate gold and silver shrine backdrop and an orange drape, with banana leaves framing the left edge. The scene appears to be a puja or alankaram decoration in a temple setting.2016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19Photograph of a ritual worship scene before an ornate silver shrine. A man with long dreadlocked hair and a bare upper body, wearing a purple and gold sash, raises one arm and holds a silver tray with a coconut and yellow thread. Before him stands a deity murti dressed in a golden crown, jewelled ornaments and heavy garlands of white jasmine, yellow flowers and red blossoms. Banana leaves frame the upper left, and a green-and-gold cloth-covered attendant stands at the lower right. The worship appears to be an aarti or abhishekam offering.2016-12-19A photograph of a temple deity murti dressed in white cloth and heavy silver and gold ornaments, wearing a gold crown and a tilak-marked face, surrounded by dense garlands of red, white, yellow and green flowers. In the foreground, a long-haired priest in orange-brown cloth with a pink floral garland stands at the left, reaching toward the murti and adjusting its ornaments, while another attendant in a green embroidered cap and white garland stands at the right. Brass lamps and ornate gilded arches frame the shrine in an evening puja setting.2016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19A man with long dreadlocks and a full beard, bare-chested and wearing a rust-brown saffron-toned dhoti-style wrap, stands at right and holds a lit ritual lamp toward a richly decorated deity altar. Garlands in white, yellow, orange and magenta drape the central figure and adjacent images, and a gold-framed arch surrounds the shrine. Floral garlands, fruit and small lamps sit on a golden tray at lower left. A figure at far left adjusts a garland on the altar. a person cues: long dreadlocked hair, bare chest with beaded mala, rust-brown wrap, performing aarti before the deities. Two other people are partly visible at left edge, and the altar figures are statues.2016-12-19