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Temple wedding ritual inside a richly decorated shrine hall. In the centre a young man in a gold crown and white dhoti with a garland of white and red flowers stands before a deity murti seated on a gilded throne, its figure draped in white and red flower garlands. Beside him a bare-chested priest in white dhoti and shawl, wearing a cloth head covering and a garland, handles a red cloth. Oil lamps and brass vessels sit on the floor, and a banana plant and carved stone pillar frame the scene. A woman in a cream sari with a gold-bordered shawl stands at left, and a man in white stands behind her.

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May 02 20122012-05-02Temple ritual at night in a South Indian shrine hall with orange-red draped walls and carved stone pillars. Two figures stand before ornately decorated deity forms and a seated figure on a red-draped throne, all garlanded with white jasmine and red-and-yellow flower garlands. A man in a tall ornamented headdress and white dhoti with gold border and a rudraksha mala holds up a white cloth, while a bare-chested priest in white dhoti and a white head cloth beside him wears a white flower garland. Brass lamps, a kalasha, flower offerings and a small bell sit nearby; onlookers in white and saris watch from the left.2012-05-02May 02 20122012-05-02 +2 copiesMay 02 20122012-05-02May 02 20122012-05-02May 02 20122012-05-02Temple ritual in a golden-hued shrine. Three men in white dhotis, bare-chested, perform worship before a deity murti draped in red and white flower garlands. The man on the left, bald and holding a small silver plate, pours or offers from a cup. The central man wears a tall ornate headdress with jewelled gold and black patterning and a white garland, reaching toward the murti. The man on the right wears a cream cloth on his head and a white shawl, bowing with hands together over the murti. Gold and bronze throne-like ornaments and a lit oil lamp frame the scene, with red satin hangings in the background. This is a padapuja or abhishekam style offering.2012-05-02May 02 20122012-05-02A temple ritual at night in a warmly lit shrine. Two priests in white dhotis stand before a seated figure on a throne draped in red, heavily garlanded with marigold and white flower strands. The priest on the left wears a tall ornate headdress and holds a white cloth; the priest on the right, bare-chested with a shawl over one shoulder and a white cloth held above the seated figure, performs the ceremony. Brass lamps, a hanging bell, and a flower-decorated deity murti in a niche at right complete the scene. Floral garlands drape the throne and the seated figure. Front of frame holds a small brass puja setup with offerings and a microphone.2012-05-02Night temple ritual photo at a richly decorated shrine with gold-toned pillars and a lit interior. Two priests in white dhotis and white shoulder cloths stand at a central deity murti draped in red, orange and green garlands, with a kumkum-marked face. The priest on the left wears a tall ornate gold crown and holds a garland. Flanking shrines hold additional garlanded murtis on red satin bases, with a banana plant, a curtain and oil lamps nearby. Banana leaves, bowls and a microphone sit in the foreground. A small framed portrait sits on the right shrine, but no living figure is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance alone.2012-05-02A night-time temple ritual photographed indoors under warm orange lighting. Two priests in white dhotis stand at center; the one on the left, holding a tall brass vessel, and the one on the right, bare-chested with a white cloth over one shoulder, raise a lit lamp or ritual object toward the deities. Both are garlanded with white and red-green flower garlands. Behind them stand two ornate deity murti decorated with flower garlands in red, green and white, seated on red velvet and gold thrones, with a gold kalasha-style canopy. In the foreground is a square yagna/homa fire-pit of brick with offerings, brass pots, a small bell and flowers. At left a cameraman films, and several people in white ritual clothes stand in the background near a poster on the wall. A green banana plant and a hanging bell frame the scene.2012-05-02May 02 20122012-05-02