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Outdoor ritual at a riverside ghat or temple courtyard during a festival crowd. A seated figure in an orange-red turban, rudraksha-style beaded mala and ornate gold-trimmed red garment sits on a gilded throne-like chair beneath a golden umbrella with fringed canopy. Before him an older man in an orange shawl bends forward to touch a silver turtle (kurma) figure on a tray, beside a brass pot with milk, fruit, marigold garlands and a silver plate. A man in a pink shawl and white kurta reaches over the offering. Several onlookers in white and blue shirts lean in, some holding up mobile phones, with orange and red parasols and temple spires behind. The scene appears to be a ritual offering to a river or water-related deity, with a person seated on the throne as the central presence.

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April 24 20162016-04-24A photograph of a ritual at an outdoor camp with an ornate gold umbrella-shaped canopy overhead and pink temple spires behind. A man in a saffron-orange turban and long gold-bead necklace sits on a red-cushioned gold throne, his palms pressed together while he receives offerings. Beside him, a man in an orange shawl with a long red-and-green sash stands with hands folded. A man in a pink shawl and white kurta pours liquid from a small vessel near the throne. On a red-draped table are a silver ritual vessel, a brass kalasha pot, a steel bucket, bowls of fruit, marigold and flower garlands and a silver deity figure. Several men with tilak marks and bare upper bodies sit to the left, some wearing rudraksha malas and orange scarves, and a cameraman is visible at the edge.2016-04-24A festive outdoor ritual scene at a riverside ghat during a Kumbh Mela event. A central figure in saffron-orange robes and an orange turban sits on a red cushioned seat beneath a golden canopy, wearing a long gold-and-orange garland and a rudraksha mala, hands folded in front of him. Nearby, a man in an orange shawl and gold necklace stands with hands clasped, and a bare-chested man in orange sits at the left beside a steel vessel of milk. A man in a pink shawl and white kurta stands at right with palms pressed together. On the red-draped table are a silver kalasha-style vessel, brass pots, fruit, flowers, a plate of oil lamps and a pink cloth. Television cameramen with a video camera and monitors stand at left among the crowd in orange and pink clothing.2016-04-24Outdoor ritual photograph at a crowded riverside festival. A seated figure in a deep red-brown dress and an orange-saffron turban sits on a gilded throne-like chair with a golden canopy above, wearing a long beaded necklace and holding his hands together in prayer. Before him is a red cloth-covered table with brass vessels, a bowl of milk, a plate of fruit, marigold garlands, turmeric and kumkum dishes, and a small silver ritual object. An attendant in pink pours from a small vessel while another man in orange robes stands nearby. A man in orange with a sash kneels at the table, and devotees in orange and white press behind, many raising phones. Swamiji (probable): the seated figure's cues are a turban, a saffron-orange garment and a ceremonial gold necklace, seated in an honoured pose on the throne-like chair with ritual offerings. Abhishekam-style offerings and aarti are being performed.2016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24A seated man in saffron-orange robes and an orange turban sits on an ornate gold-and-red throne during a puja at a riverside ritual site. He wears a long gold-beaded garland and a bead necklace, with orange armbands on his arms, and his palms are pressed together in front of him. Before him on a red-orange cloth sit a silver mirror-like tray, a silver deity figure of a turtle-shaped form, brass pots, a bowl of milk, a tray of fruit and flower garlands, and a plate of marigold petals and colourful offerings. Around him men in orange shawls, a man in a pink kurta, and a man in yellow stand close, some holding mobile phones, while a camera operator is visible at the left edge. Orange tilak marks show on some foreheads.2016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24Outdoor ritual scene at a festival camp with red and orange flags and small pink temple shrines behind. A seated figure in an orange-red robe with a matching orange turban and layered gold-bead necklaces sits on an ornate gold throne-like seat under a golden umbrella with hanging gold ornaments, hands pressed together in greeting. Standing to the left, a man in orange robes with a vertical tilak and a shawl watches, and a bald man in an orange robe holds a mala. On the right, a man in white with a pink shawl gestures toward the seated figure. In front, a red-cloth altar holds a silver puja tray with a small silver deity idol, a brass kalasha pot, a steel pail of milk, fruit, marigold garlands and a flower-filled plate. A seated devotee in orange cloth and a man bare-chested with rudraksha beads sit at the table edge. Cameramen with video cameras stand at left.2016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24A ceremonial abhishekam scene at an outdoor camp. A figure seated on a gold throne wears an orange-red turban, a gold-beaded necklace and a rudraksha-style mala, and pours liquid from a copper vessel over a silver shivalinga-style object on a tray, with an orange cloth draped over the table. Several shirtless young men sit at the table, one wearing a white cloth and a bowl of white liquid sits nearby; a man in an orange shawl and white ritual clothes stands behind, with a gold-fringed umbrella overhead. Men in orange and red robes, a cameraman with a video camera and people holding phones crowd the frame, with marigolds, fruit and brass vessels on the table. Swamiji (probable): the seated throne figure in orange-red turban, gold necklace and rudraksha-style mala performing the abhishekam.2016-04-24April 24 20162016-04-24