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A photograph of a ceremonial exchange on a raised dais at a Kumbh Mela event. A bald man in white dhoti and striped sash, with white ash markings on his arms, raises his palm toward a figure seated on a throne-like seat. That seated figure wears a red robe, a thick rudraksha mala across the shoulders, and long dreadlocked hair, and holds a tall silver staff topped with a round disc. Behind them a third person in dark-red robes sits partly visible, and a cameraman in white at the left films the scene. A camera-style frame is not present; the image is a candid photo of the ritual.

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A photograph of a ritual initiation at a night ceremony. A bald man in white dhoti and a striped shawl stands with raised palms facing a long-haired figure in a red robe with a rudraksha garland, who holds a silver staff topped with a small disc and a trident-like finial. Behind them a person in a red garment with rudraksha malas looks down, and a cameraman in white on the left films the scene. The background is dark with reddish light.2016-04-22April 22 20162016-04-22April 22 20162016-04-22A photograph of a stage ceremony. A shaved-headed young man in white dhoti with a bare upper body and rudraksha mala hands over folded red cloth to a bare-chested figure in a red cloth with long swept-back dark hair, a thick rudraksha necklace and a long silver staff raised in the other hand. Behind them a cameraman in white dhoti holds a video camera and a microphone is visible at the lower edge. The stage is dimly lit.2016-04-22A photograph of a ritual initiation. A man with a shaved head in white ritual cloth with a green-striped border is seated and has his forehead touched by a standing figure with long dark hair, a red robe and a large rudraksha mala around the neck. The standing figure raises a silver-colored staff or rod with his other arm. A second seated person in red and a camera operator are partly visible in the background. Dark background with stage-like lighting.2016-04-22A photograph of a bare-headed, shaved-headed man in a white dhoti with green-and-white striped border and a sacred thread, eyes closed, having his forehead touched by a long-haired man in a red garment and a large rudraksha mala draped over his shoulders. The man in red places his right palm on the devotee's forehead, while another hand rises beside a tall silver ceremonial staff with a round finial. Dark background, another person partly visible in the upper left, and a second figure in red at lower centre. A rudraksha mala and a long-haired ascetic in red suggest a sannyasi giving an initiation blessing. a person candidate is the red-robed man, appearance uncertain.2016-04-22April 22 20162016-04-22A photograph of a ceremonial initiation on a stage. A seated man in red robes with long swept-back dark hair, rudraksha malas draped over his shoulders and across his chest, raises a tall silver trident-shaped staff with his right hand and places his left hand on the shaved head of a kneeling initiate. The initiate wears a white garment with a gold border, layered rudraksha and gold-beaded necklaces, rudraksha bracelets, and white sacred ash marks on his arm and shoulder. Behind them, a woman in a white garment with a red-brown shawl and another shaved-headed person are partly visible, and an ornate gold throne-like backdrop stands at the right.2016-04-22February 09 20122012-02-09April 22 20162016-04-22April 22 20162016-04-22A night-time ritual photo in an outdoor temple setting with strings of coloured lights overhead and a painted deity panel behind. On the left, a long-haired man with dreadlocks, a red-orange cloth wrapped around his body, gold earrings and a ring, and white sacred ash marks on his face holds a red-and-white ceremonial whisk or staff and extends his right arm toward a bare-chested devotee on the right. That devotee, with shaved head, white marks on the chest and arms, a rudraksha mala, a white sacred thread and a white dhoti with gold border, smiles and raises his palms in reverence. Behind them a woman in a white sari with gold border and a beaded necklace, a curly-haired young man with white forehead marks and an orange cloth, and other attendees look on.2017-08-02