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A photograph of a temple ritual with banana leaves in the foreground. A man in a saffron-orange robe with a draped orange shawl and a long gold-bead necklace with a pendant stands at right, holding a brass plate of offerings and a small silver vessel while looking down. Beside him a man in white clothes with a red-and-blue rudraksha-style mala and an ID badge kneels on a woven mat, holding a brass plate of small white offerings and a lit oil lamp. A young attendant in white and yellow stands at the right edge. Behind them is a red-and-white shrine area with floral decorations, a kalasha-like object and small brass lamps.

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September 26 20092009-09-26September 26 20092009-09-26September 26 20092009-09-26September 26 20092009-09-26September 26 20092009-09-26A photograph of an outdoor ritual at a rural ashram. A tall man in saffron-orange robes and a matching orange shawl, with a rudraksha-style mala and gold beaded necklace and a vibhuti mark on his forehead, holds a silver vessel and spoon over a brass tray of offerings. Two assistants in white dhotis with yellow shawls stand beside him, one holding a tray and another seated on a woven mat in front. Tall green banana leaves frame the scene, with a small flower and offering arrangement on the ground. Behind them stand a white attendant and simple white ashram buildings, one with a red door and a partly visible painted sign. Sandy ground surrounds the ritual area. The tall man's appearance does not clearly match a specific identity, so no identification is made.2009-09-26Outdoor ritual under a canopy of red and orange fabric with yellow and green circular designs, with a banana tree trunk at right. A shaven-headed man in orange robes and a draped orange cloth, wearing rudraksha beads and a vertical tilak on his forehead, stands on a striped mat holding a ladle over a small vessel. Beside him, a young man in white dhoti and yellow shawl holds a silver plate, and another in white with a yellow shawl holds a plate of offerings. A man at left in white with a yellow shawl holds a silver pot. The ground shows scattered flowers and rice. Four people are visible. The scene suggests a homa-style offering, a ceremonial pouring of water or abhishekam-like ritual.2009-09-26Outdoor ritual scene in a dirt courtyard framed by young banana plants tied to a blue pole. A man in an orange saffron robe with a red-edged border, a gold necklace and a red-and-gold pendant, and a sandalwood tilak on his forehead, holds a silver handbell and walks past the banana plants. To the right, a man in white dhoti and kurta with a yellow shawl stands with palms joined in namaskar, holding a plate of yellow flowers. Seated on a striped mat at lower left, a young man in white with a yellow shawl and a rudraksha mala holds a brass tray with oil lamps and small bowls. Two more men in white stand in the background near a white building with red doors, and additional people in white and yellow sit on mats at the edge of the frame. Small clay bowls with offerings lie on the ground, consistent with a puja.2009-09-25A photograph of an outdoor ritual beside a young banana tree. A bald man in saffron-orange robes with a red-bordered saffron shawl, wearing gold-toned ceremonial necklaces and glasses, stands barefoot on a woven mat and holds a small silver lamp or dish while ringing a handbell. A younger man in white dhoti and shirt with a yellow shawl holds a brass tray or plate above. A man in white with a yellow shawl kneels at right, arranging small bowls of red, yellow and orange powders on a brass plate at the base of the tree. A man in white at left holds a silver vessel. Background shows a dark stone deity statue and a red wall. Gravel and small offerings lie on the ground.2009-09-26A seated saffron-robed sannyasi with a shaved head, tilak marks, a red-and-saffron shawl and a heavy gold necklace performs a homa at an outdoor ritual ground beside a young banana tree. Around him, men in white kurtas wear yellow scarves and rudraksha malas; one man at left holds a silver tray of offerings and another kneels with a silver vessel. Women in white saris with folded hands sit in the background, and a wooden bench and mats cover the ground. Brass and silver ritual vessels and a small fire-pit area are in front of the priest.2009-09-26Outdoor ritual scene under a canopy of banana leaves. A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange robes and an orange shawl, wearing a large gold bead necklace and holding a stem of pink flowers, arranges petals over a plate of white rice on a banana leaf. Sacred ash is marked on his forehead. The blue brocade cloth-covered table holds brass lamps, flower garlands in orange and yellow, a bell, a kalasha-style vessel, coconut and bananas. Seated devotees in white and yellow garments, including a young man in yellow with a white forehead mark, watch the offering. Some people behind are seated on white plastic chairs. This appears to be a puja or homa offering.2009-09-26A photograph of an outdoor puja beneath banana plants lashed to wooden poles. A man in a saffron-orange robe and matching shawl, wearing a gold beaded necklace and rudraksha-style beads, holds an oil lamp in one hand and a small bell in the other, with a brass tray nearby. Beside him a young attendant in white dhoti and yellow shawl holds a tray of offerings. A seated devotee in white clothing tends a flame and a plate of sweets or offerings sits on the mat. Woven mats with red and blue borders cover the ground. Behind, a painted deity image and floral decorations are visible. The scene reads as a homa or chandi-homa ritual, with the central figure appearing as a probable Swamiji candidate due to saffron robes, gold necklace and beads.2009-09-26