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A ritual scene before an ornate golden shrine framed by carved golden pillars with lion figures and a gilded canopy. A deity murti seated on a golden throne is draped with garlands of white, orange and red flowers and a purple cloth. A bare-chested priest in an orange dhoti stands at right, holding a lit oil lamp aloft in his right hand and a bell in his left, with rudraksha beads on his chest and red armbands. Oil lamps stand on brass stands on the stage in front of the shrine, and a red carpet covers the platform. Dark red curtains form the backdrop. This is a puja or aarti in progress.

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Photograph of a golden deity murti seated on a gilded throne-like peetha within an ornate gold-toned arched shrine flanked by carved lion figures. The murti wears a purple turban, gold ornaments and a purple cloth, and is framed by garlands of white, yellow and red flowers. In the foreground a priest stands at right, bare-chested, wearing an orange dhoti, a rudraksha mala and wristbands, holding a bell and a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward the shrine. Several brass oil lamps and offering vessels sit on the altar base against a deep red curtain backdrop.2016-09-01September 01 20162016-09-01A standing man with bare chest and orange-saffron dhoti performs aarti before an ornate golden deity murti of a seated figure on a peacock-like golden vahana, decorated with white, yellow and red flower garlands and a golden canopy with fringed tassels overhead. He holds a lit oil lamp and a small bell or cup in his hands, with a rudraksha mala around his neck and white sacred markings on his body. Golden ceremonial staffs with trident finials, brass lamps, and offerings of fruit and sweets sit on a red carpet before the shrine. Behind him a framed portrait shows a person in red attire. Two smaller deity figures stand flanking the central murti.2016-10-31October 31 20162016-10-31October 31 20162016-10-31 +1 copiesA photograph of a temple ritual in an open pavilion. A man in a sleeveless saffron-orange garment with a white flower garland stands at left, holding up a tall brass aarti lamp with a lit flame toward a deity pair. Behind the lamp, a seated golden deity murti in a red garment and crown, with a garland of yellow, orange and purple flowers, is framed by a large floral arch. Brass oil lamps and a kalasha-like gold object sit on the altar in front. A second saffron-clad seated figure with a garland is at lower left, and a man in white stands at the far left edge. The scene reads as aarti during puja, with the people visible partly and the figures identifiable only by clothing and role.2009-12-30A woman in saffron-orange robes stands at left holding a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward a decorated deity murti with gold crowns and garlands of yellow, purple and red flowers. The deities are seated under a gilded arch in a temple-like pavilion. In the foreground a small figure in orange and a white shawl with garlands sits beside ritual brass vessels, and a seated man in orange robes sits at the left edge. A brass lamp stand and kalasha-type vessels surround the altar. Some garland-decorated golden structure is placed before the murti.2009-12-30October 31 20162016-10-31 +1 copiesA photograph of a temple shrine with a gilded arch and a deity murti of Murugan (Subramanya) seated on a golden peacock vahana, adorned with white, yellow and red flower garlands. Two smaller consort figures flank the central murti, and a vel-like spear and trident-style staff stand nearby. Colourful fringed canopy hangs above, with red and yellow decorative umbrellas on either side. A single robed priest in an orange dhoti and bare upper body, wearing a rudraksha mala, stands at right holding a lit oil lamp in front of the deity. Offerings of fruit and bowls sit on the red floor in front. Only the priest is a physical person in view. No candidate for a person is visible in the scene; the framed picture at right edge is not clearly identifiable.2016-10-31 +2 copiesOctober 31 20162016-10-31 +1 copiesOctober 31 20162016-10-31 +2 copiesA decorated deity murti is seated on a gold-framed throne adorned with white and multicolored flower garlands, a golden crown and a shimmering blue-and-white embroidered cloth. Brass oil lamps stand on an orange-gold cloth in front. On the right, a man in orange dhoti and a bare upper body with long braided hair raises a lit oil lamp in aarti. A red curtain forms the backdrop and an ornate golden umbrella hangs above the altar.2016-10-10