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A photograph of an annabishekam ritual centred on a dark black stone shivalinga on a square base, heaped with white cooked rice. A priest in white dhoti and a bare upper torso with a purple sacred mark on the shoulder places his hand on the linga, pressing rice onto it. Behind the linga is a seated deity murti with bare painted feet, dressed in orange and red silk with gold border. A purple and teal draped platform frames the scene.

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A priest in white ritual clothing with a rudraksha mala around his neck pours white granular offering from a brass plate onto a dark stone shivalinga. A heap of white rice-like offering surrounds the base of the linga. To the right, a deity murti wears an orange and gold garment and a teal skirt, with bare gold-toned feet visible. The setting is nighttime with a dark background and red fabric hangings.2011-11-10A photograph of an annabhishekam at a temple shrine. A tall dark stone shivalinga stands on a black base, topped with white cooked rice that has been heaped over its crown. A priest in white dhoti with a silver bracelet has his bare arm and hand pressed against the linga, shaping the rice. A large mound of white rice fills the foreground. Behind the linga, a gold-and-red silk cloth with purple and teal drapery hangs, and ornate gold carved pillar work frames the right side.2011-11-10Close-up photograph of a black stone Shivalinga on a round base, a heap of white rice or grain piled around its base in the foreground. Behind it, a large seated deity murti with bare brown feet resting on a purple draped platform, wearing an orange and yellow silk dhoti with red and gold zari borders, and a green cloth backdrop. No living people are visible; the figure is a statue, so a person is none.2011-11-10November 10 20112011-11-10A temple priest in an orange saffron dhoti and shawl pours white cooked rice from a copper vessel over a dark stone Shiva lingam set in a grey carved stone yoni pedestal. The rice covers the lingam and spreads across the base in a heap, marking an annadan-style annabhishekam offering. A standing golden deity murti with a red-jewelled crown and a figure in white and maroon ritual clothing with gold border appear at the right. A priest with a white tilak on his forehead performs the offering. The background is dark with carved stone pillars.2007-10-25A temple ritual photograph of an annabhishegam offering. A priest in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl, with a white tilak on his forehead, pours from a copper vessel over a dark stone Shivalinga on a black stone yoni pedestal, which is heaped with white cooked rice. Another priest in white dhoti with a red-bordered cloth and a rudraksha mala stands at left holding a copper pot of rice. A third attendant in white sits at far left beside brass vessels. Behind them a deity murti in a purple garment with gold border and orange floral garland sits on a stone platform. The floor is wet and dotted with rice grains.2007-10-25A priest in saffron-orange robes with a purple and white tilak on his forehead pours cooked white rice from a round metal vessel onto a dark stone Shiva lingam set in a stone yoni basin. Grains of rice scatter and cover the basin around the lingam, as part of an annabhishegam offering. To the right, a bronze deity murti with an ornate foot wears a white dhoti with red and gold border. A second person in white clothing stands in the background, partly visible.2007-10-25November 10 20112011-11-10Close-up photograph of a dark stone Shiva linga on a brown base, dusted with white ash-like sprinkles and a small red flower near its base, set before a heap of white rice or grain. Behind it, a seated deity murti wears orange and yellow silk draped over a purple satin cloth, with teal skirt-like fabric, a gold armlet and bangles on the visible hand, and a green and gold border. A gilded ornamental backdrop frames the right side. No people are visible.2011-11-10A photograph of an annabhishekam ritual inside a temple at night. A priest in a saffron-orange robe with a white tilak on his forehead pours cooked white rice from a copper vessel over a dark stone shivalinga set on a black stone yoni pedestal. Rice grains scatter across the pedestal and the floor. Behind him stands a second man in white dhoti and shirt with an orange waist cloth and a rudraksha mala. To the right, a deity murti in a maroon and gold garment with a red crown and a large pearl necklace sits beside the lingam, and a blue draped backdrop with gold trim hangs behind it. A golden standing figure is visible at the left edge.2007-10-25Night-time photograph of an annabhishegam ritual at a stone temple. A large black stone pedestal holds a heap of cooked white rice and a darker brown paste, piled over a tall lingam-shaped stone. A man in an orange sannyasi-style shawl with a rudraksha mala stands at left, his head shaven with a white tilak on his forehead. At right, a person in a white shirt and gold-bordered dhoti with a red and gold border, wearing gold bangles and a ring, pours or pats offerings onto the lingam. Carved stone architecture is visible above.2007-10-25November 10 20112011-11-10