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A shaved-headed man in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl with gold border sits cross-legged on green mat outdoors, wearing a long gold-beaded necklace with a rudraksha-style pendant and gold armlets. He holds a small silver vessel and spoon above a brick altar with marigold flowers, a silver plate with orange and yellow offerings, a small bowl of white powder, and kolam rangoli designs on the ground. Behind him seated devotees in white and orange dress, some wearing red shawls, sit on white plastic chairs. The scene suggests a puja or abhishekam ritual. Sacred ash tilak marks adorn his forehead and arms.

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December 16 20102010-12-16December 16 20102010-12-16A shaved-headed man sits cross-legged on a green mat, hands pressed together in namaste, eyes closed. He wears an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl with gold borders, a long gold and bead mala with a pendant, gold bangles, and white sacred markings on his forehead and arms. a person by appearance cues: saffron ornate clothing, ceremonial gold necklace and rudraksha-style mala. Before him on the ground are stacked red bricks marked with yellow turmeric and kumkum, a silver tray with rice, a small brass vessel, a bowl of yellow offering and a small kalasha, with a kolam drawing beside them. Behind him, seated devotees in white dhotis with gold borders and an orange-clad person sit on white plastic chairs. A yagna-style brick altar and ritual offerings indicate a homa or puja setting.2010-12-16A shaved-headed man in an orange saffron dhoti and shawl with gold trim sits cross-legged on a green mat, holding a silver lamp with a bright open flame in his right hand and a silver handbell in his left. A long beaded necklace hangs on his chest and he has white sacred ash markings on his forehead and arms. Before him on the ground are brick-like blocks garlanded with yellow flowers, fruit, a silver plate of offerings and a kolam pattern. Seated behind him in white clothes, devotees sit on white chairs with hands folded in prayer, indicating a puja ritual. a person cues: saffron clothing with gold trim, beaded ceremonial necklace and a central ritual role, with the man performing the aarti.2010-12-16A photograph of an outdoor ritual on a green mat with red earth. A shaved-headed man in an orange saffron dhoti with gold ornaments and a gold chain sits cross-legged with palms pressed together in prayer, a tilak on his forehead. Before him is a red brick platform decorated with yellow flowers, a kalasha with flower garlands, brass bowls and a rangoli design of coloured powder on the ground. Behind him people in white dhotis and shawls sit on white chairs, and a younger man in white with a gold necklace and tilak sits beside a microphone and wooden book stand. Others in orange and white are visible in the background.2010-12-16December 16 20102010-12-16December 16 20102010-12-16A photograph of a homa/yagna at night: a bald man in orange robes and rudraksha mala sits cross-legged behind a square brick fire pit ringed with yellow flowers, his face pressed into his hands. A brass vessel with a ladle lies on the bricks, and an oil lamp sits at the left edge. Behind him, seated devotees in white and orange shawls watch, including a woman in white with a red-bordered shawl, a woman in white holding a child, an elderly woman in a patterned orange shawl, and a man in orange seated on a white chair. A green mat covers the ground and a white chair stands at right.2010-12-16September 25 20092009-09-25 +1 copiesA photograph of a ritual scene in which a seated priest wearing saffron-orange robes with maroon borders and a rudraksha mala around his neck pours or arranges offerings over a brass plate. An open ritual book lies on the floor beside him, with small brass lamps, bells, a bowl of flowers and kumkum/vibhuti on a red cloth. Several other robed participants sit around him in white and orange clothing, some with white marks on their arms, and their hands are folded in prayer. Plastic and metal bowls of water and rice sit among the brass vessels, indicating a puja or padapuja offering. The priest is absorbed in the task, his head bowed toward the plate.2010-10-16A seated man in saffron-orange robes and a dark rudraksha mala sits cross-legged on a floor mat during a ritual. He wears white horizontal forehead markings and white arm markings, a small gold earring and a gold bangle, and holds a white conch shell. Brass vessels and oil lamps sit on the mat before him. Behind him, two people in white and maroon garments sit on the floor, and a person in saffron is partly visible at the left edge. The setting appears to be a ritual gathering in a hall with patterned fabric on the wall.2013-10-15A homa or fire ritual in a painted hall with a large deity mural behind. A shaved-headed priest in a saffron-orange dhoti and shawl, with white tilak and white arm markings, sits at a low yellow-brick fire platform, pouring offerings from a silver bowl into a bright flame. Several seated devotees in white clothes and orange-beaded necklaces, including a woman in white with blonde hair, have their hands in anjali behind him. A kalasha pot with flower garlands sits at right, and silver ritual vessels and flowers are on the platform. A camera operator is visible at the lower left.2013-05-13