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Evening outdoor ritual at a ground lit with string lights in trees. A man in white dhoti and kurta wearing a yellow shawl raises a burning flame in a metal aarti lamp with one arm, holding a small bell in his other hand. Other men in white with yellow and orange shawls stand nearby, and a crowd of devotees, some in saris, watches from behind a table. Dark trees and a small white van appear in the background under a dusky sky.

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Night outdoor ceremony at Tiruvannamalai Adheenam with a large seated crowd filling the foreground. Several shaven-headed priests in white dhotis, some bare-chested with sacred ash marks, stand on a raised platform holding flaming oil lamps and aarti plates, a row of small lamps glowing along the back. Devotees in white and colourful saris sit with hands folded in namaskar. A street lamp glows at left and a white rope runs across the scene. Ritual aarti being performed at dusk.2011-04-17Night photo of an outdoor aarti at Tiruvannamalai. Two priests in white dhotis and shoulder cloths, one with a red-bordered cloth and a bare upper torso, raise oil lamps and a brass lamp stand with flames toward the dark sky. A row of brass vessels and lamps sits on a mat beside them. Behind them a large seated crowd in white clothes faces the stage, with string lights and white pillars at the left edge. Two women in the foreground have flowers in their hair.2011-04-17An outdoor evening gathering at a temple-like complex with flags on a rooftop and string lights in the trees. Several men in white dhotis and white kurtas wear orange or yellow shawls draped over their shoulders, some with hands folded in namaskar. Women in saris, including green, pink and purple tones, stand among the crowd of devotees. A bright light stand and a covered table with an oil lamp are in the foreground, with smoke or haze drifting through the air. No clearly identifiable a person is distinguishable by appearance, so identity remains unsure.2008-04-19Night outdoor aarti at a temple-like courtyard with a dark sky above. In the foreground a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl holds a brass lamp tray with multiple flames in his right hand. Behind him a second priest in white raises a large tiered brass lamp high overhead, its flames blazing. Other white-clad priests stand and kneel nearby, and a line of seated devotees in white and yellow clothing sit on the sandy ground, some with hands pressed together in prayer. A crowd of standing and seated people fills the background, with small oil lamps glowing along the ground and a white pillar and steps at the right edge. Brass vessels rest on the floor near the seated women.2011-04-17Evening vilakku pooja at an outdoor temple setting. In the foreground, a bare-chested sannyasi in an orange wrap holds a lit flame over an offering, with a silver vessel nearby. Behind him, men in white dhotis and white shirts with orange shawls stand in a line with palms pressed together in devotion. Small clay oil lamps and flower offerings sit on the ground, and a draped white seat with a red cloth is at right. Devotees line the background under trees at dusk.2006-12-31October 05 20112011-10-05December 21 20092009-12-21A night-time ritual at a temple in the dark, with palm trees silhouetted against the sky. In the foreground a priest in a white dhoti and shawl with a red border, wearing a gold necklace and gold bangles, raises a lit silver oil lamp (aarti) with one arm extended. Around him a crowd of devotees stands with palms pressed together in prayer; several wear white dhotis and kurtas, and a few wear saffron or orange cloths. A decorated red and gold chariot or palanquin is partly visible at the right edge. The scene suggests a lamp-lighting ceremony such as aarti or deepam.2010-11-21Night outdoor ritual at a yagna or homa setup. A bald man in a white dhoti with an orange-red border and a long beaded mala stands centre, holding a lit flame in his right hand and a small bell in the other. Strings of green leaves and hanging banners in red, yellow and blue decorate the open pavilion above him. In the foreground, a brass lamp with a burning flame and a brass kalasha-style vessel rest on a white platform, beside a flower garland and a green silk-wrapped deity murti. Seated devotees in white clothes with mala beads sit with hands folded in prayer on the left and right. Mats, metal plates and offerings are spread on the ground.2010-10-15November 21 20102010-11-21Night-time outdoor ritual photograph in which three priests in white dhotis and white shawls stand in a row on a raised platform, holding lit flames or oil lamps aloft. Brass ritual vessels and bells sit on the ground in front of them, and a large crowd of people dressed in white is seated in the darkness beyond. A single street lamp and a string of small lights mark the edge of the gathering. The scene appears to be an evening puja or aarti.2011-04-17Night outdoor aarti at a Tiruvannamalai temple courtyard. Two priests in white dhotis with red-and-gold borders stand at right and centre, raising multi-wick brass oil lamps (aarti lamps) and ringing handbells. The right priest has white sacred marks on his bare upper body and a red-and-white shawl over his shoulder. Seated devotees in white clothes fill the background, with brass lamps and a bell set on a mat in the foreground. A white pillar and a lamp post stand at left under dark trees.2011-04-17