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Night-time outdoor photograph of a Karthigai Deepam ritual near dense green trees and a palm. A bare-chested man with long, swept-back hair, a ceremonial gold necklace, bangles and a ropy beaded necklace holds offerings and a garlanded structure with yellow, white and pink flower garlands, while a flame rises from the top. Two men stand behind him with white forehead markings and beaded necklaces, one with saffron cloth. Smoke and a small fire pit appear in the lower foreground. Swamiji (probable) appearance cues include the swept-back hair, ornate gold jewellery and bare-chested ceremonial dress of the central figure. Another person's head is partly visible at the bottom.

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December 02 20172017-12-02Night photograph of a Karthigai Deepam ritual outdoors among dark foliage. At right, a large flower-decorated structure wrapped in yellow, white and pink garlands holds a bright flame and rising smoke, with a woman with long braided hair and yellow flower garland seen from behind in front of it. At left, a shirtless man with a saffron cloth over one shoulder and rudraksha mala holds a metal tray of offerings, with smoke drifting across the frame. Stage lights glow at the right edge.2017-12-02Night photograph of a Karthigai Deepam ritual outdoors among dark foliage. A bare-chested man with long swept-back dark hair, a full beard, a tilak on his forehead, gold necklaces, a rudraksha-style garland and a saffron-red dhoti-shawl stands at centre, one hand raised toward a large cylindrical structure wrapped in yellow marigolds, white jasmine strands and pink flowers, with a flame burning at its top. Several people in the foreground, some with shaved or tilak-marked heads and one in orange, watch or assist. A small lit lamp glows at the right edge.2017-12-02December 02 20172017-12-02December 02 20172017-12-02Night outdoor procession in a garden with dense green foliage and palm fronds. In the centre, a bare-chested man with long swept-back dark hair and a beard, wearing a red and white flower garland and gold bangles, stands with palms pressed together in namaskar before a large floral-decorated object covered in white, pink and yellow flower garlands with a flame flickering at its top. To the left, two young men with white tilak markings on their foreheads and bodies, wearing rudraksha malas and orange cloths, one carrying a steel tray of orange flowers. Stage lights glow in the background and a few people in white stand at the right edge.2017-12-02Night-time outdoor ritual photograph. In the foreground, a man with long dark hair and rudraksha beads on his chest holds a clay pot aloft above a flower-decorated structure with yellow and magenta garlands. Another man in the left foreground, with white facial markings and beads, looks on. Behind them, many people in white dhotis and orange cloth stand under a dark sky beside a red fence, with palm fronds and a tree at the left edge. The pot appears to be a kalasha; a small flame is visible near the base of the garlanded structure.2017-12-02Night outdoor ritual at a deepam or homa structure draped with yellow, pink and white flower garlands, with a flame burning at its top and smoke rising. A bare-chested man in an orange-red turban and red cloth raises a clay vessel high in one hand. Beside him, a man with long dark hair and rudraksha beads sits with his back to the camera, and a woman in orange clothing with a gold necklace stands at right. White-clad devotees with folded hands watch from behind a low red wall, and a palm tree is visible in the dark background.2017-12-02December 02 20172017-12-02December 02 20172017-12-02December 02 20172017-12-02Evening outdoor scene during a large flame ritual. In the foreground, a large cylindrical drum or pot is wrapped in strands of marigold and rose garlands in yellow, orange, pink and red, with a tall flame rising from its top. At right, a man with long dark hair and a red tilak on his forehead stands with palms pressed together in namaste, smiling. He wears a rudraksha mala, a heavy gold necklace, gold bangles and a flower garland with red and yellow blooms over a saffron-orange garment. On the left, a person in dark clothing with hoop earrings and a rudraksha mala watches. Behind them a crowd of devotees stands in the dusk, with palm trees and street lamps visible.2017-12-02