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A photograph of a ritual bathing in a river. A shaved-headed man in a white dhoti and white shawl with a gold border stands waist-deep in rippling water, his face lowered and eyes closed, a dark bead mala around his neck and wrist. A bare-chested man with a gold-bead necklace and a purple cloth over one ear supports his arm from the left, while a man in a wet white garment and red-brown mala stands at right. The scene suggests a sacred river immersion in white ritual clothing.

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A photograph of a river ritual on the Ganga at Varanasi. Three men stand waist-deep in greenish water. The man on the left, with a long reddish-maroon cloth wrapped at the waist and a rudraksha-style bead necklace, bends forward and supports a shaved-headed man in white dhoti and shirt with gold-bordered cloth. A third man in white shirt and maroon lower cloth kneels in the water on the right, steadying the initiate. A white-clad figure stands on the stone steps at left, and a blue boat with lettering is visible at top. Water splashes around the group during the dip.2013-02-13February 13 20132013-02-13February 13 20132013-02-13A photograph of a ritual bathing in a river. A figure wrapped head to foot in a white cloth is lifted and dipped into splashing water by two men at the sides. The man on the left wears a red lower garment, a gold-beaded mala and a gold bracelet on his wrist. The man on the right wears a white shirt and a red-brown rudraksha-style bead necklace, and his arm is extended under the figure. Water sprays high around the bodies, and the river surface is rippled and sunlit.2013-02-13A ghat on the bank of the Ganga in Varanasi during a ritual bathing event. In the foreground, a bare-chested man in white dhoti with a rudraksha mala stoops to sip or sprinkle water at the stone steps while another man in white assists him. Behind them, a man in orange and white with glasses is held steady by a helper in white. Several men in white dhotis with gold borders and rudraksha and beaded necklaces stand on the steps, and marigold garlands decorate a wooden boat. Devotees in orange and red saris and white clothing crowd the boats and the riverbank behind.2013-02-13November 16 20152015-11-16February 13 20132013-02-13February 13 20132013-02-13February 13 20132013-02-13June 04 20162016-06-04Photograph of three women bathing waist-deep in a river, with water splashing up around them. A woman on the left in a white sari with a red-orange shawl smiles and holds the arm of a central figure, who is bowed forward with long dark hair wet and streaming, wearing a saffron-and-maroon garland and a light garment. A woman on the right in a cream sari with a red-orange shawl presses her hands on the central figure's head, pouring water over it. Floating flower petals dot the sunlit water. Ritual immersion at the ghat setting.2013-02-13A photograph of three men bathing in a murky river among splashing water beside a ghat. Beside them, boats are decorated with marigold garlands; one boat bears red and blue lettering. A man on the right wears a white kurta-style top and orange-red dhoti, facing a shaved-headed bather in the centre. The bather on the left, wearing rudraksha beads and gold-toned garland around the neck, is wet and smiling; no crown or ceremonial saffron cues are clearly visible for identification. The scene suggests a holy river immersion.2013-02-13