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Night photograph inside an open-sided tent with a corrugated metal roof, strung coloured lights and bright stage lamps overhead. A central man in a maroon-brown dhoti and shawl wears a gold crown, heavy gold necklaces, a long gold beaded garland and gold armlets, and walks forward smiling. Beside him a younger man in orange-saffron cloth and a gold shawl holds a ceremonial brass vessel with green leaves. Behind them a man in white dhoti and shawl with a rudraksha-style neck garland gestures with an outstretched arm. Seated on the floor in front, many devotees in white clothes wear red blindfolds over their eyes, some with red-and-white attire. A bare-chested man sits at right.

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August 21 20172017-08-21Night-time ceremony under a corrugated metal roof strung with multicoloured fairy lights. A central figure in a rust-brown robe with a heavy gold necklace and bangles walks down a red carpet beneath a tall ceremonial parasol with rainbow-striped fringe, held aloft by a pole. Two attendants in orange and saffron cloth flank him: one on the left in orange with a silver pendant, one on the right in white dhoti and shawl with a rudraksha-style mala. Seated devotees on both sides wear white and cream dhotis, many with red headbands over their eyes, some bare-chested, as in a Shiva Deeksha initiation. Bright stage lights and a small illuminated shrine appear at the back.2017-08-21Night ritual event under a corrugated roof strung with multicoloured fairy lights. A central man in a rust-brown dhoti and shawl, with a white-and-gold beaded garland, stands smiling and holds a tall gold-tipped staff upright. Around him, attendants in saffron-orange cloth, with gold necklaces and armbands, walk beside him on a red carpet. Seated participants on mats, many wearing red blindfolds and white ritual clothes, sit in rows. A decorated figure, possibly a deity murti, stands at the left with an elephant-headed form behind lamps and a lit spotlight. Visible scene matches a Mandala Process initiation with participants blindfolded.2017-08-22August 21 20172017-08-21Night ritual hall under a corrugated roof strung with coloured fairy lights and bright floodlights. A central figure in a brown-gold dhoti and wrap, with a large gold beaded necklace, bangles and a decorated crown-like headdress, walks along a red carpet beneath a multicoloured ceremonial canopy. Flanking attendants wear saffron-orange and white garments, one carrying a ceremonial fan-like object. Along both sides, seated devotees in white dhotis, some bare-chested, wear red blindfolds over their eyes, indicating a Shiva Deeksha initiation. Several sit on mats with offerings nearby.2017-08-21Night-time photograph of a Nithya Kriya Yoga initiation (Vishesha Deeksha/Mandala Process) at an open-air pavilion with coloured fairy lights and a palm-leaf ceiling. In the centre, a man in a rust-brown dhoti and shawl, wearing a large white-and-gold flower garland, gold necklaces, rudraksha malas, a gold armlet and a white and silver headband, stands smiling beside a younger man in orange cloth with white tripundra on his forehead, a silver and gold ornamental breastplate and a garland, holding a tall gold staff topped with a trident. Behind them, orange-clad helpers have palms joined, and rows of seated participants in white dhotis wear red blindfolds across their eyes, with red-painted foreheads and rudraksha malas. The floor is covered with a red carpet.2017-08-22August 22 20172017-08-22 +1 copiesNight-time Shiva Deeksha initiation in a covered open-sided pavilion with a corrugated roof, strings of coloured lights and bright spotlights. A central man in a rust-brown dhoti and shawl wears a tall ornate crown or headdress, a heavy gold necklace with a large pendant, gold armbands and bangles, and smiles while walking forward. Beside him a younger man in orange dhoti and gold-embroidered shawl holds a decorated pot with greenery. A man in white dhoti on the right gestures outward. Seated rows of devotees in white and bare-chested clothing wear red blindfolds over their eyes.2017-08-21Night ceremony under a roofed open pavilion strung with coloured fairy lights, with a tall brass lamp stand in the background. A central figure in a rust-brown dhoti and wrap, wearing a long rudraksha-style bead garland and gold necklaces, walks forward holding a tall gold staff. Beside him, a figure in saffron-orange cloth and gold chest ornaments walks, and two other men in orange cloth follow. Many seated participants in white dhotis and white shirts, several wearing red blindfolds, sit on mats along both sides of a red carpet, with some hands folded in prayer. On the left, a large decorated elephant-headed Ganesha figure stands in red and gold, with a seated attendant nearby. This is a Mandala Process initiation scene in the Nithya Kriya Yoga programme.2017-08-22A photograph of a nighttime ritual gathering. A central man with long dark hair, wearing a reddish-brown sannyasi robe, a large gold ceremonial necklace with a pendant, a gold waist band and gold armlets, stands with his eyes closed and head slightly raised. To his left, a man in a red cloth holds a tall golden staff, and a man with rudraksha beads and a white dhoti stands beside him. Behind and around them, many seated people wear red blindfolds over their eyes, some with bare chests and rudraksha malas. In the background, a man in white with folded hands stands near a dim altar area with a deity murti in a green sari-like drape. Bright stage lighting falls on the scene from above.2017-09-17A photograph of a Shiva Deeksha initiation at an open-sided pavilion with a corrugated metal roof and string lights. A central man in a rust-brown dhoti and shawl, wearing a heavy gold necklace of garlands and a gold-embroidered turban, walks forward smiling under a multicoloured ornamental parasol held by a pole. Beside him, a younger man in orange cloth carries a brass vessel, and a third man in white dhoti and shawl with long hair walks in the procession. Many seated participants in white clothes wear red blindfolds across their eyes, and several have white forehead markings.2017-08-21September 17 20172017-09-17