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Photograph from behind a seated congregation of men in white dhotis and shawls, many with shaved heads, holding lit oil lamps (diyas) aloft during an evening ritual. They sit on mats before a stage with a large screen showing a deity murti, a temple-style backdrop, and a raised seat with a figure in saffron clothing among garlanded flowers. Some attendees hold open books and small bells. A camera on a tripod and a fan are visible at the side of the hall.

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A photograph of a devotional ceremony in a hall with a backdrop painting of a temple gateway and deity murti. On a raised stage, a seated figure in orange-saffron robes sits on a golden throne with a golden halo, surrounded by people in white. Devotees in white dhotis and shawls with maroon borders sit cross-legged on the floor in the foreground, many holding lit oil lamps raised upward, while others sit near the stage. Video cameras on tripods and a fan are visible at the right edge.2010-10-29A stage-side view of an indoor ceremony where a large group of men in white ritual clothes sit on the floor facing a raised platform. Several people in the foreground hold small lit oil lamps or flames near their faces, with lit wicks visible. On the stage, a seated figure in an orange-saffron robe sits on a gold ornate throne before a backdrop painted with a temple gopuram and deity murti. Other figures in white sit beside the platform. Stage lights, a fan, a curtain and video cameras are visible. The scene suggests a satsang or aarti gathering, with the lamps held by devotees.2010-10-29October 10 20102010-10-10 +1 copiesA large hall during a group ritual, with many devotees seated on the floor in white dhotis and shawls, some with white sacred ash markings on their arms and chests. Many hold lit oil lamps and small brass plates. At the front, a richly decorated stage with a marigold-and-flower arch and a golden sun-motif backdrop holds a seated figure in orange and red robes, surrounded by other seated attendants in white. Orange and multicoloured hanging banners decorate the upper hall, and a projection screen and cameras are visible at the sides. Lamps and offerings are placed on orange cloths before the seated devotees.2010-10-25A dim hall where rows of shaved-headed men in white dhotis and unstitched white upper cloths sit cross-legged on orange mats, each holding a lit oil lamp or wick flame. Brass plates with bananas, small brass lamps and kumkum-marked offerings sit before them, and a few steel bowls and a notebook lie on the mats. At the far right, an empty orange-draped seat stands beside a whiteboard and a projection screen. No figure is identifiable as a person in this image.2011-01-25A large hall during a seated ritual gathering. Many men in white dhotis, some bare-chested with white shawls, sit on orange mats in rows, many with brass plates, lamps and offering trays before them, and some reading from paper pages. On a raised platform at left stands an elaborately decorated deity murti with garlands, a golden canopy and gold ornaments, flanked by other decorated figures. A seated figure in orange robes sits near the front of the platform, with his face not clearly visible. Orange and multicoloured hanging fabric decorations and a camera on a tripod are visible overhead and at right.2010-11-15Several men seated on the floor, seen from behind, in white dhotis with maroon-red borders and bare shoulders, many shaved-headed, wearing rudraksha malas. Each holds a small lit oil lamp or diya in their hands during a ritual. Some wear orange or saffron cloth over their shoulders. The setting is a white tiled hall with steps and an orange draped cloth behind them, with a brass vessel and offerings on the floor nearby.2010-12-26October 25 20102010-10-25A photograph of a group of shaved-headed men in plain white dhotis and shoulder cloths with red-and-white borders, seated closely together and holding up lit oil lamps with flames at shoulder height. The lamps appear to be the focus of a devotional lamp-lighting ritual, with a small lit lamp on a low tray in the foreground. In the lower right, a young child in a light blue shirt sits in front of the group. The setting is a plain, pale-walled hall with an overhead metal structure. No one in the image is clearly identifiable as a person; the seated men are ordinary devotees in white ritual clothing.2011-02-02A large group of devotees sits on the floor of an indoor hall facing a stage, many holding lit oil lamps or lamps aloft. Seated men in white dhotis with red-bordered cloths and bare upper bodies predominate, with some in saffron-orange robes among them. On the stage, a figure in white and orange garments stands near a raised golden throne draped in red, with a framed portrait of a saffron-robed figure set on it, decorated with red flowers and a garland. Behind the stage hangs a starry blue-and-purple backdrop with a large golden lotus motif and a blue statue of a figure with hands joined in namaste. Camera tripods and a projector screen are visible at the edges.2011-08-03A photograph of a night ritual on a raised stage with blue curtains behind it. A seated figure in an orange robe sits on an ornate gold throne with red cushions, with a small oil lamp in front of him. Around the throne, several people in white dhotis and white shawls with red or yellow borders sit on orange cloth, some holding lamps and offerings. In the foreground, a large crowd of men in white dhotis and shawls sits on the floor, many holding lit oil lamps or flames aloft. A small pedestal fan stands at the right edge of the stage.2011-01-21Many men in white dhotis and orange robes sit cross-legged in rows on the floor of a hall, holding lit oil lamps and small flames aloft in both hands during an arati or puja. Plates of offerings, banana leaves and small brass vessels rest on mats in front of them. A white double door and a red wall stand behind the rows. Several men wear rudraksha malas and tilak marks; a few wear orange cloth over white.2011-12-31