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A photograph of an outdoor temple-style ceremony with a large crowd of devotees looking upward. In the foreground, a figure with long dark wavy hair in a full orange-saffron robe sits seated on a white stone platform, seen from behind, feet bare. Several men in saffron and white clothing hold ropes or cords raised toward the upper area, and one wears a white flower garland. Behind them stand ornate black stone deity murti figures with saffron cloth, and yellow and orange canopies hang overhead. The setting appears to be a festival procession or rope-pulling ritual.

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A large outdoor crowd gathers at a festival procession. In the foreground, a man with long dark hair, wearing an orange saffron robe and waist cloth, sits barefoot with his back to the camera atop a white stone platform. Beside him, a man in a white robe holds a rope, and an orange-clad attendant raises a white cord upward. Dozens of onlookers, many in white or colourful clothes, look upward. Behind them, a decorated temple structure has yellow and orange cloth canopies, banana bunches, a red-and-blue striped parasol with fringe, and a carved deity figure. The scene suggests a ratha or chariot pulling ritual.2009-01-02Outdoor temple scene at a festival. In the foreground, a man in a white kurta with an orange shawl kneels on white steps, reaching up toward ropes. Beside him, a man in orange robes with a white flower garland and white body markings looks up with open mouth, holding a rope. A kneeling figure in orange robes with bare feet is seen from behind, working at the base of a large ornate copper-coloured metal kalasha or pedestal, with a garland of yellow marigolds draped over the top. Behind them a dense crowd watches, many with hands raised in prayer or clapping, some women in red, yellow and blue saris. A dark stone animal sculpture stands near the crowd. Yellow flower petals scatter the white platform.2009-01-02Outdoor festival scene of devotees gathered under yellow and orange canopies and colourful decorated umbrellas. A tall pole rises from the crowd, topped with a long orange and red flag, with a bundle of straw and flower garlands tied near its middle. A man in orange robes kneels on a white raised platform at right, facing the pole. Nearby, a bald man in orange and a man in an orange shirt with a white shawl and garland raise their arms toward the flag. Many people in orange and white clothing look upward, some with hands pressed together. A deity murti and decorated shrine are visible in the background.2009-01-02A photograph of a temple festival at a shrine with a copper-coloured ratha or chariot-style base decorated with yellow, white and green garlands. A man in orange robes with curly dark hair kneels on the white platform, pulling on a thick rope, while another man in orange cloth stands beside him. A man in orange with a white forehead mark and a flower garland looks up and holds the rope, and a bald man in orange with a mala stands at left. Behind them a crowd watches under a yellow, green and red canopy, with painted panels and a red umbrella at left. Scattered marigold petals lie on the platform.2009-01-02Outdoor temple scene during a ritual. In the foreground, a figure in orange saffron robes with dark curly hair kneels on a white stone platform, reaching up with one arm toward a large copper-coloured ornate kalasha or vessel decorated with floral reliefs and yellow and orange flower garlands. Beside them, another person in orange robes holds a rope or cord, and a third orange-clad person stands behind. A crowd of onlookers, many with raised hands, watches from behind a barrier, and scattered yellow and pink flower petals lie on the white platform. A small golden pot or kalasha is held in the lower left, and a dark stone figure is partly visible behind the copper vessel.2009-01-02Outdoor temple festival scene during a flag-raising ritual. A tall copper-coloured pillar with a flared base and yellow flower garlands stands at right. A saffron-robed man kneels on a white platform, pulling white ropes that hoist a long orange flag topped with a cluster of dried grass and a red bundle. Several saffron-clad helpers in orange robes hold the ropes, and one wears a white flower garland. A large crowd of devotees stands behind a barrier, many in white, yellow and red clothing, some with hands raised in prayer. A blue, red and yellow umbrella with fringed tassels is held over a figure at left. Beyond, a decorated shrine with banana stalks, garlands and painted panels is visible under a yellow and green canopy. Trees and a pale sky sit behind.2009-01-02Outdoor temple ritual with palm trees behind. A man in an orange-saffron sleeveless top and white-smeared arms, with a white flower garland and dark hair tied back, raises one arm and grips a thick white cloth rope wound on a white stone platform scattered with marigold petals. Beside him stands a man in white dhoti and orange shawl, and other people in orange and white clothes stand nearby, some holding a brass vessel of yellow flowers. Behind them are a carved red sandstone pillar and a dark stone base with a deity statue draped in flower garlands. Palm fronds and white-walled temple structures fill the background.2009-01-02Photograph of a temple flag-hoisting ritual during a festival. In the foreground a barefoot man in orange robes kneels on a white stone platform, pulling a white rope that raises a tall orange flag topped with a bundle of grass and a small orange cloth. Beside him a man with a white tilak, marigold and white flower garland, and bare upper arms also grips the rope. A second orange-clad man stands at the lower left. Behind them a dense crowd of devotees, mostly older men and women in saris and shirts, stands under a yellow and green canopy hung with flower garlands. Beyond, a white temple shrine has an orange-clad figure and a lit lamp, with a dark stone deity murti at the right edge.2009-01-02September 14 20092009-09-14Outdoor temple festival scene with a tall copper-coloured flagstaff wrapped in a saffron cloth and straw-like bundles, hauled by ropes. In the foreground a man in orange robes kneels on a white platform near the base of the pillar, pulling the rope upward, while another man in orange with a white garland and white forehead marks holds the rope beside him. A dense crowd of devotees watches and raises their hands in prayer under a yellow and green canopy. Yellow and white flower garlands hang from the copper column, and a dark stone deity or yantra-like object sits to the right. Behind, decorated pavilions with colourful banners and orange-clad attendants are visible.2009-01-02Outdoor temple ritual at a white stone platform beside a large copper-coloured kalasha-style base. A standing figure in orange robes stands on the platform, with only legs and lower garment visible. In the foreground, a man in orange robes with a white flower garland and white marks on his face holds a bundled white cord and a long pole, looking upward. Brass bells, a small brass cup and a copper kalasha-shaped vessel sit on the platform, scattered with yellow and orange flower petals. Behind them, a crowd of onlookers, many in red and yellow clothing, watches. A dark stone bull figure with yellow flower garlands is visible beside the platform.2009-01-02Outdoor temple festival scene under a yellow and green canopy. A ritual flag pole with an orange banner and a bundle of grass at its top is being raised by several men in orange robes pulling on white ropes. In the foreground a man in an orange robe kneels on white steps near a dark stone deity murti adorned with yellow flowers. A shaven-headed man in orange with a white forehead mark and a white and red flower garland holds a rope. A large crowd of devotees, many with hands raised in prayer, watches from the left. A brass kalasha stands at the bottom edge. Behind, decorated banners and banana stalks flank the temple steps.2009-01-02