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Outdoor photo at dusk of a cow decorated for ritual. A black-and-white cow wears an orange-and-gold draped cloth and a garland of yellow flowers with orange ribbons around its neck. A figure in white robes holds a white rope tied to the cow, standing at right with back partly turned. Behind the cow, a man with long dark hair and a white kurta with an orange shawl stands with palms pressed together, flanked by others in white and orange-yellow shawls, a woman with folded hands and a child at left, and a girl in white with a beaded necklace. A decorated floor pattern with yellow marigold petals lies at lower left on the dirt ground. Trees and a chain-link fence form the background.

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January 16 20072007-01-16Outdoor evening scene at a rural ashram courtyard during a Pongal-style cattle ritual. Two men in white dhotis and white kurtas, one with long dark hair and an orange shawl draped over his shoulder, stand beside a dark cow decorated with yellow and orange marigold garlands, a red cloth and a painted forehead mark. The cow stands on a patch of bare earth with flower petals and a kolam design nearby. Tall bamboo poles with leaves frame the scene. Behind them, many people in white and orange clothing stand in the background, and a woman in a yellow sari with red border stands at the left edge. Oil lamps and a decorated altar with flower garlands appear at the right.2008-01-16Outdoors at dusk on bare earth, three men in white ritual dhotis and shirts tend a cow standing on a raised mound of mud. The cow wears a saffron-orange cloth draped over its back, a garland of yellow flowers around its neck, and colored tilak marks on its forehead. The man on the left reaches toward the cow's head, the man in the center touches its back, and the man on the right bows low to touch its face. A few other people in white and orange clothes stand behind them among trees, and a framed garlanded portrait sits on a white-covered table at the right. The scene suggests a Mattu Pongal cow worship ritual.2008-01-16Outdoor photo of a black cow with long curved horns and a black bull beside a reddish-brown calf, both decorated with white and orange flower garlands and a pink rope halter. Behind them a crowd stands under a thatched shelter; many wear white clothes, several women wear orange or saffron shawls, and a man in white sits cross-legged at right beside a brass vessel and offerings on a cloth. Dirt ground, bundled sticks at upper right. Text overlay at lower right reads copyright and source credit.2006-01-15October 08 20072007-10-08A photograph of a temple-style ceremony on a red carpet in front of a yellow-walled building. A man in white dhoti and shirt, seen from behind, holds the head of a black-and-white cow with a green halter and bells. Beside the cow, a young person in orange robes, a gold headband and a white-and-red flower garland stands with a yellow cloth tied at the waist. Behind them, a musician in maroon plays a long brass horn, and a group of orange-robed and white-clad devotees, including a man in orange shirt and dhoti and a man in white kurta with an orange shawl and rudraksha mala, watch. Some people wear orange shawls, and a woman in green sari stands in the background.Evening outdoor photograph of a Mattu Pongal cattle ritual at an ashram courtyard. A decorated black-and-white cow with garlands and a painted forehead stands at centre, led by a man in white dhoti and white shirt holding its rope. Around them, devotees in saffron and orange robes and white dhotis stand in a loose group, some holding brass plates and offerings. A man in orange dhoti and orange shawl at left foreground holds offerings, and a figure in the right foreground holds a lit oil lamp. Trees and a string of lights are visible overhead, with another dark cow partly visible at the bottom left.2008-01-16A photograph of an outdoor cattle yard at dusk beside a corrugated metal wall and trees. Several men in white dhotis and white kurtas, many wearing saffron-orange shawls draped over their shoulders, stand and walk among cattle. A large black cow with yellow flower garlands and a tied rope stands at right, and a small black calf with a yellow garland lies on the dirt in the foreground. A smaller brown calf stands near the center. The ground is bare sandy earth with scattered yellow petals, and a partially visible person with long dark hair in white clothes stands at the left edge. No identifiable individual is marked as a person; the figures are described by role and dress only.2008-01-16Outdoor ritual photo at an ashram courtyard with palm trees behind. A black-and-white cow wears a garland of yellow and red flowers and a white cloth around its neck. A man in an orange robe with a white forehead mark applies a mark or offering to the cow's head, while another man in orange holds a brass vessel. Two young men in white kurtas with yellow shawls stand beside the cow, one smiling. A white stone structure is visible at right.2008-03-05 +1 copiesA photograph of a cow ritual outdoors on a red carpet beside a pale yellow building. A central figure with long dark hair, a yellow headband with an ornament, a white flower garland and an orange robe holds bananas to a black-and-white cow with red kumkum marks and a green collar. A man in white dhoti and shirt stands at the cow's head holding its face. Around them, men and women in orange and saffron shawls and white clothes watch, some clapping, and a man in an orange robe and gold bangles looks on. A woman in a yellow shawl and white clothes holds a small camera, and a man at right raises a camera. a person is the central figure in the orange robe and white garland, shown with long hair, a headband and garland, and the bananas offering. A horn player stands at the upper left. +1 copiesOutdoor photo of a black cow with white markings being led along a dirt path past a thatched fence and green shrubs. The cow wears a yellow marigold garland around its neck and a red-and-pink patterned cloth draped over its back. A man in white dhoti and white shirt, with a beaded necklace, walks barefoot holding the rope lead. Behind them, people in white and orange clothing carry orange flags bearing a blue emblem, and a woman in pink stands nearby. A sign and palm trees are visible in the background.2010-12-20Outdoor ceremony on a red carpet in front of a pale green building with a metal railing. A central figure in an orange robe and a white-and-orange flower garland, with a gold headband and long dark hair, holds bananas and feeds or offers them to a black-and-white cow with a green halter. A man in a white dhoti and shirt holds the cow's lead rope at left. To the right, a man in white kurta and orange shawl with a beaded mala gestures, beside another man in an orange shawl. Behind them, musicians play a wind instrument and drums, and devotees in white and orange stand watching. +1 copies