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A night ritual in a decorated hall with marigold and orange garlands hanging from pillars and a fire-pit altar. A man in an orange dhoti and shawl, with a red rudraksha-style cord and bracelet, stands with palms pressed together in prayer at the left, facing the offering. A seated man in white clothes with a camera strap and another seated woman in white sit by small red fire trays with flames, and a seated man in white kneels at right. A large white statue of a seated female deity with a garland stands at right behind a plinth labelled in Tamil, and a white statue stands at left. Brass vessels and marigold-decorated altar with a stone or white plinth fill the foreground, with more seated devotees in the background.

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January 12 20092009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12A photograph of a fire ritual (homa/yagna) inside a temple hall decorated with marigold garlands and strings of flowers. A central circular fire pit is ringed with orange and white marigold garlands. A person in a saffron/orange robe with a gold necklace and a red cloth draped over the arm stands at the pit, while a boy in white clothes assists with the ritual tools. Brass vessels, banana leaves with fruit and sweets, and coconut-shaped offerings in white sit on tables at left. Several people in white sit on the right beside red trays with lit oil lamps (diyas). A few standing devotees in white and a seated figure in saffron are visible in the background, and a camera is mounted at the upper right.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12A photograph of an evening puja inside a marigold-decorated temple pavilion. A standing man in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl holds a brass tray of burning camphor flames aloft. Seated on the ground in white dhotis, a priest tends a fire pit and oil lamps (diyas) near a marigold-garlanded altar. Behind them, a seated man in saffron clothing with a rudraksha mala presides over a row of devotees. Golden-yellow sculptures of deities stand in arched niches, and a tray of conical sweet offerings sits on a white-draped table at right. Orange and yellow flower garlands hang from the ceiling, and smoke rises through the lamplit scene.2009-01-12A night-time ritual scene under a canopy of orange and yellow marigold garlands. A standing man in a saffron-orange dhoti and shawl holds a brass plate of burning camphor flame aloft in an aarti. Below, a seated man in white dhoti with an orange-red sash tends a fire pit ringed with marigold garlands and small oil lamps. Behind them, a seated figure in red sits with hands in anjali, and more devotees in white and red sit in the background. White stone deity murtis under garlanded arches stand around the space, and tiered trays of offerings with fruit, flowers, rice and kumkum fill the foreground. Smoke and lamp light hang in the air.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12A photograph of an evening ritual under a canopy densely decorated with orange and white marigold garlands and strings of lights. In the foreground, a long-haired figure with dark hair, seen from behind, wears an orange-red robe and sits cross-legged facing the ceremony. Ahead, a standing figure in an orange robe with a beaded necklace stands before an altar of flower-covered tables and brass bowls. Seated devotees in white dhotis and shirts sit on the floor with folded hands, while a cameraman in white stands at left. A plate of offerings and a brass lamp rest on the ritual table, with a Ganesha murti at right. A banner reads சக்தி பீடம, and a row of kalasha pots with mango leaves sits at left. Several more people in white and orange are visible, bringing the count to roughly a dozen or more.2009-01-12Photograph of a night ritual in a temple hall decorated with marigold garlands and mango-leaf torans. A standing man in a saffron-orange robe and rudraksha mala holds a silver lamp with a flame in his right hand while a small silver bowl is in his left. A yellow deity murti stands in an arch behind him. Several people in white clothes sit on the floor with small red-tray oil lamps burning in front of them, and a man in white kneels at left. A man in white at centre holds a camera. Smoke hangs in the air. The marigold-garlanded stone platform in the foreground suggests a homa or puja setting.2009-01-12A photograph of a night ritual under a canopy of marigold and jasmine garlands. A standing figure in an orange saffron robe and beaded necklaces holds a lit lamp (aarti) toward a homa fire pit lined with marigold garlands. Smoke rises from the fire pit. Three men in white dhotis and shirts stand with hands folded in prayer behind a table of banana leaves, brass vessels, fruit and sweets. In the foreground, a seated figure in orange clothing presses palms together. A framed portrait of a deity garlanded with flowers sits on the left, above rows of decorated kalasha pots with mango leaves.2009-01-12A photograph of a fire ritual (homa or yagna) under a decorated pavilion hung with orange and marigold garlands. At the center, a man in an orange robe with a rudraksha-style necklace sits beside a circular pink-and-white altar bordered with marigold garlands, while a priest in white tends the fire. Behind them stands a golden deity murti on a pedestal. Along the right, several people in white clothes sit before red trays holding small oil lamps. Offerings of fruits, sweets, and banana-leaf dishes are arranged on a table at left, and a red-and-gold cloth lies in the foreground. Several white-clad attendants are visible in the background.2009-01-12A night ritual in a marigold-decorated pandal hung with orange and white flower garlands. A standing man in saffron-orange robes, with rudraksha beads and a gold chain, raises a ritual object above a central fire pit and offering platter. Seated men and women in white dhotis and saris with folded hands face the fire; a woman in orange and a man in orange sit nearby. Brass pots of fruit and flower offerings and banana-leaf plates line the foreground. A white deity murti stands at the back right. In the left foreground, a figure with long dark hair in orange robes sits with back to the camera. The scene is a homa or puja with smoke rising, lit by warm lamps.2009-01-12