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A photograph inside a golden temple sanctum during a ritual. A man with long dark swept-back hair, bare-chested and wearing a white garland of flowers and beaded bracelets, lifts an ornate golden crown draped with an orange cloth above a seated deity murti. The murti wears a yellow and gold silk garment with flower garlands and a jewelled ornament. Two young attendants in orange cloths stand in the foreground, one with white vibhuti markings on the chest. Gold carved lion-headed pillars frame the scene.

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May 05 20172017-05-05May 05 20172017-05-05A temple abhishekam scene in a gold-ornamented shrine. A man with long swept-back hair, a brown dhoti-style garment, a white-and-pink flower garland, gold necklaces and bangles pours liquid from a silver vessel over a deity murti of Meenakshi. Around him, saffron-clad attendants in orange cloths, one with white body markings, assist and hold a silver tray. The deity is adorned with flowers and jewelry on an elaborate golden throne-like backdrop with a gold lion-shaped carving at left.2017-05-05Ritual abhishekam scene in a gold-decorated temple sanctum. A bearded man with long hair, a white tilak on his forehead, a long mala of pink and white flowers, gold necklaces and gold armbands, and a rust-brown dhoti pours water from a silver pot over an object on a tray. Two young men in orange-saffron cloth with white body markings stand beside him, one holding a silver platter. Behind them is a golden lion-carved pillar and a decorated deity murti garlanded with flowers. The appearance of the central man is not a sufficient basis for identification, so he is described by role as the officiating priest performing the abhishekam.2017-05-05A photograph of a temple abhishekam ritual before a gilded shrine with a golden lion carving and a decorated deity murti crowned with a jewelled headdress. A man in a maroon dhoti and long swept-back hair, wearing a white and pink flower garland and gold necklaces, pours water from a silver vessel over the deity. Beside him stands a priest in an orange-saffron dhoti with a orange turban and sandal marks on his arms, hands folded in prayer. Another orange-clad man with a rudraksha mala bends over the offering tray, and a further orange-clad figure with long hair stands at the right edge. Marigold and rose garlands drape the altar.2017-05-05May 07 20172017-05-07May 07 20172017-05-07A photograph of a ritual abhishekam in a gilded temple hall. A man with long hair, a trimmed beard, a red-brown dhoti and a pink and white flower garland pours liquid from a brass vessel. Beside him, a younger man in orange garments and a long-haired attendant in orange cloth hold a tray and assist at a gold-decorated altar with a lion-figure pillar, marigold garlands and a red and gold cloth bundle in the foreground. Pale sacred markings are visible on the attendants' bodies. No clear physical evidence establishes the first man as a person, and the page states he was not at this event.2017-05-05May 05 20172017-05-05Photograph of a ritual in a gilded temple hall. A central figure with long dark hair, a beard, a red tilak on the forehead, a pink-and-white flower garland and an ornate gold-brocade garment performs an offering before a deity murti decorated with flowers and gold ornaments. A golden lion-faced carved pillar stands at left. Three shaved-head young men in orange-saffron cloths stand in front with their backs to the camera, one holding a silver staff, and one holding a flower-filled offering. Gold ceremonial setting with a red curtain.2017-05-05May 05 20172017-05-05May 05 20172017-05-05