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Photograph of a ritual aarti in a large tent hall. Several men in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls, with rudraksha malas and dreadlocked or topknotted hair, stand in a row holding brass lamps with lit flames and handbells. Behind them, women in pink, orange and white saris and men in white kurtas watch and participate, and a few children sit on the red carpeted floor. Long metal tables with polished surfaces stand at left. The scene suggests a pratyaksha padapuja gathering.

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A photograph of an aarti or puja ceremony in a large tented hall. In the foreground, several young men in saffron-orange dhotis and sashes hold ornate brass oil lamps aloft; the central figure wears a rudraksha mala and a bare chest with arm bands and holds a small handbell. Other men on the right raise similar lamps, and a figure in orange carries a brass lamp near the top right. Behind them, women in orange and white saris and men in white kurtas sit or stand with hands joined, and a girl in a grey outfit watches. A long metal altar table runs along the left edge. The mood is devotional and orderly.2016-05-20May 20 20162016-05-20Photograph of a ritual aarti at an indoor tented hall. Several men in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls, with matted hair in top knots and rudraksha malas, stand in a row holding ornate brass aarti lamps with flames and handbells. A woman in a saffron sari and other devotees in white and pink stand behind, a small child sits on the red carpet, and a long metal offering table lies at left. Ceremonial padapuja-style worship with lamps.2016-05-20May 02 20162016-05-02Five young men in saffron-orange dhoti-style garments stand in a row at a temple-style ceremony, holding brass handbells and oil lamps. Their long hair is coiled into high topknots, and they wear rudraksha malas and white ash markings on their arms and chests. A low stone counter with flickering oil lamps runs along the left edge, and seated devotees fill the background of a large hall with a white tent ceiling. The scene matches a pratyaksha padapuja in progress.2016-05-20May 20 20162016-05-20May 20 20162016-05-20May 20 20162016-05-20May 02 20162016-05-02A photograph inside a large decorated hall with red and yellow drapes and a gold-framed deity murti at the back. Five men in orange-saffron dhoti-style wraps with bare chests and rudraksha malas stand in a row along a long table draped in a colourful striped cloth, each holding a small silver-toned cup or lamp-like vessel, several with lit flames, as in a ritual offering. Each wears a patterned headband, and the foremost men have dreadlocked hair and armbands. Seated devotees in the background watch, some with hands joined, and a bright orange-clad person sits in the lower right. Smoke rises from the front.2018-01-01Inside a white tented hall, several men in orange-saffron dhoti-style garments with orange shawls and rudraksha malas stand in a row holding lit oil-lamp aarti plates and kalasha-style lamps over a long steel-topped offering counter. Their hair is tied in high topknots and their foreheads and arms bear white markings. Brass bells and small hanging lamps are on the counter. Seated devotees in red and patterned saris fill the red-carpeted floor, and a cameraman in white clothes films from a tripod at right. The scene is a ritual aarti in progress.2016-05-21Five people in saffron-orange dhoti-style garments with gold borders stand in a row beside a metal counter, holding brass tridents (trishula) with lit oil lamps. Each has long dark hair knotted high and crowned with white flower garlands; some wear tilaka and gold necklaces. Brass lamps and bells line the counter. A seated audience fills the background of a large tented hall, and a camera operator is visible at right. Scene suggests an aarti or lamp-offering ritual.2016-05-24 +2 copies