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A temple abhishekam scene at a sanctum with a dark stone shivalinga on a black base being bathed with water poured from a vessel. Several men and women in orange and rust-coloured dhotis and shawls, some bare-chested with white sandalwood markings, stand around the lingam, one man in a leopard-print cloth pouring water. Behind them stand ornate metal and deity murtis draped in yellow and white flower garlands and red bead strands, one with a gold crown and a trident, and a tall decorated kalasha-like form. Small flower garlands in pink and white sit on a brass stand in the foreground. Ritual performed in a stone temple interior.

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Photograph inside a temple sanctum of a ritual abhishekam: a stream of water pours over a dark stone deity murti adorned with yellow and red flower garlands and gold jewellery. A man in a brown-and-leopard-print wrap and bare arms pours from a vessel, while beside him a woman in an orange sari with white ash markings and a rudraksha mala assists. Several other men in orange and saffron dhotis, bare-chested, with tilak and bangles stand around. A pink and white flower garland decorates a small brass image at the front, and marigold garlands are laid on the floor. Some attendees wear crown-like headpieces and tall braided hair.2018-02-13A photo of a temple abhishekam at a Shiva linga on a dark stone pedestal, decorated with yellow and red flower garlands. A bare-chested man in a leopard-print cloth and a rust-brown shawl pours from a brass vessel over the linga. Beside him stand several shaved-headed or long-haired men in saffron and orange dhotis and shawls with ash-marked bodies, along with a standing gold-and-white ornamented deity murti wearing a tall red-and-white turban with a crescent, holding a trident, decorated with a rudraksha-style garland. A small golden deity figure sits on a pink-garlanded altar at the front, and a tall flower-garlanded red-and-white pillar stands behind. Red curtains frame the right edge.2018-02-13February 13 20182018-02-13February 13 20182018-02-13February 13 20182018-02-13A photograph of an evening abhishekam at a temple shrine. A man in a brown dhoti with leopard-print cloth wraps and dreadlocked hair holds a metal vessel and pours liquid over a large dark stone lingam-style abhishekam basin. Nearby, a priest in an orange-red dhoti with bare back and a shawl stands at the shrine, and other men in orange and brown robes assist with brass vessels. A trident stands upright on the left, and garlands of yellow, red, white and pink flowers drape the deity murti and small shrine figures in the foreground, with marigold petals scattered on the floor.2018-02-13A photograph of an abhishekam at a temple shrine. A large black stone linga-style base receives a yellow liquid poured from a vessel held by a bare-chested man with dark matted hair and a brown cloth wrap, wearing a leopard-print skirt and rudraksha beads. Beside him a woman in an orange dhoti with white ash markings on her arms stands with hands joined. Behind them a man in a brown wrap and rudraksha mala and a bare-chested man with a red turban stand near a tall garland of yellow, red and white flowers. Pink and yellow flower garlands decorate a small golden deity murti in the foreground, and the scene is framed by a yellow garland on the right.2018-02-13February 13 20182018-02-13A temple abhishekam scene. A bare-chested man in a leopard-print cloth and maroon wrap stands at a large dark stone shivalinga on a black peetha, pouring liquid from a metal vessel over it while a sheet of water flows down the stone. Around him, shirtless devotees in saffron and maroon cloths wear white sandalwood markings and beaded bracelets. Behind them, a gilded deity murti in green and red silk is decorated with yellow and pink flower garlands and a crown. Flower petals and marigold garlands cover the floor.2018-02-13Inside a temple shrine, a group of shaven-headed and turbaned men in orange, red and brown dhotis and bare-chested devotees with white sacred markings on their arms and torsos attend a ritual. A central figure in a red and gold turban, ornate white-and-gold necklaces and a rudraksha mala stands before a black stone shivalinga on a pedestal, as an assistant in a leopard-print garment beside him tends the linga. Another devotee in a rudraksha mala holds his hands in anjali mudra. Dense garlands of yellow, white, red and pink flowers hang on an ornate pillar, a brass trident-topped ornament stands at right, and a small gilded deity murti sits in an arch below. Red curtain at right.2018-02-13A temple abhishekam in progress beside a dark stone shivalinga on a green-black yoni-pitha base, with water and a conch-shaped vessel being poured over it. Several men and a woman in saffron-orange and rust-brown ritual cloths stand around, one with a leopard-print wrap and rudraksha malas, another holding a conch. Behind them a deity murti in a tall ornate crown, gold jewellery and a red-green-gold silk sari is adorned with yellow and red-white garlands. Pink flower garlands hang in the foreground.2018-02-13A temple abhishekam scene: a bare-chested man in a brown cloth and leopard-print wrap pours liquid over a green-tinted shivalinga on a round peetha base. Garlands of yellow, white and red flowers drape a deity murti behind him. To the left, several men in orange and saffron dhotis and shawls stand with pink and white garlands, one with long hair in a crown-like topknot. Brass lamps and a golden prabhavali frame the scene.2018-02-13