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A ceremonial aarti scene in a plain brick hall. Several men in white kurtas with yellow shawls stand in the foreground, holding tiered brass oil lamp stands with multiple flames; the nearest man grips one lamp stand at chest height. Behind them, rows of seated devotees, many in white and yellow, sit on mats while others stand and watch. A man in a white outfit with a saffron shawl stands at right beside a video camera on a tripod, filming. Hanging saffron and yellow banners decorate the upper wall, and an orange-draped table with framed portraits and a small floral arrangement stands at right. Smoke rises in the background.

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December 24 20092009-12-24December 24 20092009-12-24December 24 20092009-12-24Inside a large hall with a white tented ceiling and striped decorative pillars, a row of young men and women in white clothing with yellow sashes perform a ritual. Several standing attendants raise lit oil lamps toward the front, while seated women in white and a woman in a red and gold sari arrange brass lamps, bells and conch-shaped vessels on mats before a seated audience. A devotee at left holds a small brass item. The ritual appears to be an aarti with lamps and brass puja implements, and the audience sits on the floor watching.2009-12-24A photograph of a large hall with a white tent ceiling and peach walls, where a group of devotees performs a ritual. Several people in white dhotis and kurtas with yellow shawls and rudraksha malas stand and sit along the room, some holding brass lamps or vessels. In the foreground, women in white saris with gold borders sit on mats beside rows of brass oil lamps (deepas). Behind them, a seated audience in mixed clothing watches. Colourful tassels hang from the ceiling. No one is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance cues, so no candidate is named.2009-12-24December 24 20092009-12-24December 24 20092009-12-24A photograph of a ritual gathering in a large tent-like hall with a pink-washed wall, white ceiling and colourful striped pillars hung with yellow and orange tassels. Several young men in white dhotis and white shirts with yellow shawls stand holding brass lamps and bells, while others and many women in white and yellow sit cross-legged on mats. In the foreground, a woman in a red sari kneels before a row of brass oil lamps and a tall multi-tiered brass lamp, and seated women in white with gold-bordered saris attend the lamps. A large audience sits behind on the floor. The scene appears to be an aarti with lamps.2009-12-24Evening aarti in a covered hall with a corrugated roof and white walls. Three men stand in the foreground holding lit brass oil lamps aloft; the central one wears an orange saffron wrap over a white kurta and holds a small bell, while the man on the left wears an orange shawl over white and the man on the right wears white with an orange sash. Seated devotees in orange and white fill the floor, and a row of brass oil lamps and a small brass kalasha-style vessel rest on a mat in front. Framed photographs hang on the back wall.2009-02-16A photograph of a large white tented hall during an aarti ceremony. Several men in white dhotis and white kurtas with yellow shawls and beaded necklaces stand at the front, holding brass lamps with lit flames aloft. Seated devotees in white clothes, some with yellow garlands, fill the floor, and a woman in a red and white sari with a beaded necklace sits center-front beside brass oil lamps and a lit flame. Hanging fabric lanterns with coloured panels decorate the ceiling, and a banner with text is visible on the back wall.2009-12-24December 24 20092009-12-24A hall with a pink-washed wall and white ceiling drapes shows a seated congregation in white and orange-yellow clothing facing a ritual. Several white-clad priests with yellow shoulder cloths stand at the front, holding lit oil lamps aloft, while framed portraits and small altars with flowers and brass items line the back. A central standing figure in white holds an oil lamp, and a wall clock is visible above the altar area. Seated devotees in white and saffron sit on orange mats in rows, some with bags placed beside them, as the ceremony of lamp offerings unfolds.2009-12-24