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Photograph of a ritual pavilion with a thatched bamboo roof decorated with hanging garlands, banana plants and bunches of bananas. Several ornate golden deity murti are decorated with flower garlands on draped platforms. Men in white dhotis and women in white saris tend offerings of brass pots and kalasha around a sand altar. A seated woman in an orange robe sits on a red plastic chair, and a man in an orange shawl stands nearby. A bearded older man in white holds papers. The mood is of a fire-offering ritual set in an open tent.

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July 16 20062006-07-16Photograph inside a thatched pavilion with a bamboo and palm-leaf ceiling hung with strings of yellow flower garlands. Several men in white dhotis and shirts, one wearing a white shawl and rudraksha-style beads, stand in a group at left and centre. A bald man in white clothing and an orange cloth draped over his shoulders stands near the middle, while another man in orange garments stands at right. Behind them, ornate gold-framed palanquins and deity murti are decorated with marigold garlands and banana plants. At right, a woman in an orange sari sits on a red chair beside rows of brass kalasha and oil lamps arranged on a raised platform for puja. Banana bunches and plantain leaves decorate the scene, and white umbrella-like canopies with red-and-white fringe hang overhead.2006-07-16Outdoor temple-style ritual under a corrugated metal shelter decorated with banana bunches, palm fronds and a red-and-gold umbrella. Garlanded deity murti with yellow, green and red flower garlands stand on a gold-framed altar at left and right. In front, several people in white clothes and orange shawls move among brass kalasha pots filled with flowers and leaves, handling offerings. A white-bearded elderly man in white shirt and dhoti holds green leaves at left, and a young man in white shirt is at centre. A child in a white shirt with an orange shawl stands at right. Banners with blue logos line the back wall. Consistent with a puja or abhishekam setting.2006-07-16A photograph of an outdoor homa (fire ritual) pavilion with a large rectangular mud-brick fire pit in the foreground. Behind it, a seated woman in orange robes sits on a red plastic chair beside tall brass and silver kalasha pots arranged on a raised platform. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts, some wearing orange shawls, stand around the ritual area. A man in a white kurta with a shoulder bag holds a green leafy branch. Behind them are three decorated golden peetha thrones with garlands of yellow and orange flowers, bearing deity murti, and banana plants with bunches of bananas hang overhead. A mat-roofed pavilion frames the scene.2006-07-16July 16 20062006-07-16July 16 20062006-07-16Photograph of a covered open-air ritual hall with a bamboo and thatched roof hung with strings of flowers and red-and-white umbrellas, banana bunches and palm fronds. Several men in white dhotis and shirts, some with rudraksha malas, stand in a row near a decorated altar with garlanded deity murti and brass kalasha-like offerings. A man in a plaid shirt stands at left. A bald man in white clothing with an orange shawl stands at centre, and another in orange shawl stands at right. A woman in an orange sari sits near the lower right in front of the altar.2006-07-16July 16 20062006-07-16July 16 20062006-07-16Photograph inside a bamboo-roofed pavilion during a Sapta Yagam fire ritual. A square brick-and-earth fire pit (homa kundam) sits in the foreground. Three men stand near it: a man in white dhoti and shirt at left touches or tends the area with a garland-like cord, a woman in an orange saffron garment with a rudraksha mala stands centre, and an older man in a white shirt and white dhoti stands right. Behind them, a decorated altar holds deity murtis draped in garlands, with banana bunches, paddy stalks and palm leaves hanging around. Tiered tables before the altar display rows of coconuts wrapped in white netting and small brass vessels, and a brass kalasha/lamp stand is at right. Hanging green garlands and white cloth decorate the ceiling.2006-07-16A photograph inside a large open-sided bamboo pavilion with a corrugated roof, where a yagna ritual is being performed. Tall bamboo posts and banana plants frame the hall, and strings of marigold garlands hang from the ceiling. In the centre a stepped earthen altar stands on a white-draped table beside a decorated deity murti with flower garlands. Several people in white dhotis and saffron-orange shawls walk through the hall, and one man in white with an orange shawl carries a brass vessel. Large portrait banners line the back wall.2006-07-16July 16 20062006-07-16