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Night photograph of a Karthikai Deepam aarti at an outdoor ground. Three priests in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas stand at a row of low metal barriers, each holding a lit oil lamp or aarti flame in front of them. Devotees in white dhotis and shirts stand and fold hands in namaste behind the priests, and a cameraman with a tripod-mounted camera films from the centre. Palm trees, lamps and a low building are visible in the background under a dark sky. The centre priest is shaved-headed and wears a tilak; the priests' identities cannot be determined from appearance, so they are described by role only.

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November 27 20122012-11-27November 27 20122012-11-27Night outdoor ritual at a Karthikai Deepam celebration. Three saffron-robed priests with shaved heads stand behind a long table, each raising a lit flame in a metal lamp or torch overhead; the flames and smoke rise against a dark sky. Rudraksha malas hang around their necks. Behind them a large crowd of mostly men and some women in white dhotis and white clothes stand with palms pressed together in prayer. Palm trees, string lights, a camera on a tripod and a small white tent-like structure fill the background.2012-11-27November 27 20122012-11-27November 27 20122012-11-27 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual on a raised red-carpeted platform in front of a large crowd. Three men in saffron-orange robes perform an aarti: the central figure holds a lit lamp aloft and a bell, while the figures on either side wave large white whisk fans. Behind them, a standing cameraman films from a tripod, and rows of seated devotees in white dress watch from folding chairs. Palm trees, string lights and a building stand in the background under a dark sky.2012-11-27November 27 20122012-11-27Night ritual at an outdoor temple-style ground with a large dark tree behind and string lights and lamps along the edges. Two men in white dhotis, one with yellow and red border, stand holding brass bells and vessels, one with a bare shaved head and white shawl with red stripes. Seated rows of white-clad devotees, many in white, fill the foreground, with brass lamps and oil lamps on the floor and a wooden stand nearby.2011-04-17Night outdoor ceremony at Tiruvannamalai Adheenam with a large seated crowd filling the foreground. Several shaven-headed priests in white dhotis, some bare-chested with sacred ash marks, stand on a raised platform holding flaming oil lamps and aarti plates, a row of small lamps glowing along the back. Devotees in white and colourful saris sit with hands folded in namaskar. A street lamp glows at left and a white rope runs across the scene. Ritual aarti being performed at dusk.2011-04-17Night photograph of a riverside or ghat-style outdoor ceremony lit by bright white lamps and strings of small flames. Four young men in saffron-orange robes stand in a row at the edge of the ghat, each raising a brass kalasha or lamp vessel overhead with one arm; the nearest holds a bright brass vessel. Rows of white-clad devotees sit on the steps at the right, and a crowd of onlookers stands behind a rail on the left. Several small clay oil lamps flicker on the stone steps, and a fire burns at the lower left. Thin bamboo poles and wires strung with lights frame the scene, with a red flag visible at the upper right.2008-05-19Outdoor night ritual with a large crowd seated on blue and red mats. On a raised white-draped platform decorated with white flower garlands and orange marigolds, a bright fire burns in a brick-lined fire pit beside offerings, a flower-filled brass kalasha, and a lamp. A figure in orange robes with rudraksha malas and ceremonial gold necklaces holds a flame aloft near the fire, while a second orange-robed person kneels at the right edge of the platform. Men and women in white clothes sit among the crowd, and a photographer in white with a yellow sash photographs the scene. Bright floodlights and a small banner stand behind.2010-02-12Evening outdoor aarti at dusk with palm trees behind. Three priests in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls, with white tilaka on their foreheads and orange-red bands on their arms, raise brass oil lamps with lit flames while ringing handbells. A fourth priest on the right holds a lamp up and rings a bell. Rudraksha malas hang on their chests. Seated devotees in white clothes with folded hands fill the foreground, and a crowd stands behind them. Brass lamps sit on a long metal table in the lower left, and a string of red lights hangs in the background. A camera on a tripod is visible on the right.2012-11-27