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A night-time puja at a decorated Durga pandal. On the left, a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with a gold beaded necklace sits before a white stepped altar scattered with yellow marigold petals, a brass bowl in front of him, and bronze oil lamps around. Behind him rises a large orange cloth hanging in the smoky air. On the right stands a tall white-and-red deity murti of Goddess Durga with ten arms, crowned and wearing marigold garlands, riding a lion beside a smaller figure, with other white-garlanded deities flanking her. Red-curtained walls, string lights and a corrugated roof frame the scene.

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October 03 20112011-10-03October 04 20112011-10-04Night photograph of an outdoor temple shrine with a large white-framed Durga murti flanked by smaller goddess figures, one riding a lion, decorated with yellow marigold garlands and red-pink flowers. In the foreground a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti sits cross-legged with a gold necklace and a bell-metal bowl before a white stone square yagna pit filled with dark liquid or ash, scattered with marigold petals. Brass lamps and metal offering plates with rice, bananas and leaves surround him. Behind, a person in white and another in a saree stand near an orange cloth draped over a rope, with red-and-orange fairy lights strung overhead.2011-10-04A priest in white dhoti with a bare upper body and a gold chain sits cross-legged on a mat before a square white marble homa fire pit, holding a ladle or spoon over it. Behind the pit stands a large deity murti of Durga, with multiple arms holding weapons, riding a lion, framed by white lace-like arches and flanked by smaller murtis of Ganesha and other deities. Brass lamps, a kalasha, bowls and a tray of offerings sit on red cloth. Strings of small lights and red-and-gold hangings decorate the hall, and smoke rises through the scene. Another white-clad priest sits at right, and a few more devotees are partly visible in the background.2010-10-12October 04 20112011-10-04October 11 20132013-10-11Night-time temple worship before a large clay murti of goddess Durga with multiple arms, shown with weapons, a lion mount and a garland of yellow marigolds, backed by a white ornate prabhavali. Beside the murti stand smaller figures including a green-faced figure and a lion. In front, brass oil lamps (deepas) burn, and coconuts wrapped in netting and red cloth sit as offerings on a kolam-decorated floor. To the right, a seated priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a gold necklace and shaved head, reads from a book at a low wooden stand beside a microphone, with a brass bell and plate nearby. The setting is an open ashram hall with hanging banana plants and a tassel-hung strip overhead.2011-10-01October 15 20102010-10-15October 03 20112011-10-03A photograph of a homa or puja at a temple shrine. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with bare upper body stands at a square white fire pit, holding a lit flame, while a person in an orange-saffron sari bows in front of the pit. Behind them, a large ornate murti of a goddess with a crown, trident and yellow marigold garlands stands beside smaller deity figures, a lion mount and a Ganesha figure, all decorated with garlands. Brass oil lamps, metal pots, flowers and a bowl sit on the floor. A sign above reads Nandeshwar Mandir. Two women in white and blue and a man in orange stand with hands folded at the left edge. Overhead strings of lights hang on the wall.2011-10-03October 01 20112011-10-01A photograph of a Durga puja before a large clay murti of a multi-armed goddess seated on a lion, with a smaller Ganesha and attendant figures flanking her in white ornate frames and yellow marigold garlands. A bald man in saffron-orange robes stands at left, extending his arms over a smoking fire pit with a brass oil lamp beside him. Brass lamps with flames sit around the altar, with potted plants and red string lights behind.2011-10-02