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A photograph of a temple ratha procession in Chennai. In the foreground a man in a white dhoti and shirt with an orange shawl over his shoulder stands on the chariot, holding a small lamp or pot toward two golden deity murtis on the right. The deity murtis are adorned with white and red flower garlands, jewelled necklaces and ornate crowns; one is dressed in blue and white cloth. On the plate below sit fruit and offerings, and behind the chariot a line of schoolchildren in blue and white uniforms watches. A large fire burns at the back, beside a playground and trees. The scene is consistent with an aarti at a ratha yatra procession.

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A man in a white kurta with an orange shawl over one shoulder raises a lit oil lamp toward the golden deity murti pair of a ratha procession on a wooden platform. The two golden metal murtis wear blue and white garments, heavy silver necklaces, floral crowns and thick garlands of white and red flowers. Below, a brass plate holds bananas, fruit and offerings. Behind them, a line of school children in blue uniforms stands with hands folded in a garden with trees and a playground.2006-10-31A photograph of a procession ratha decorated with garlands of white jasmine and red flowers. A man in white ritual clothes with an orange saffron shawl stands at the left, holding a camphor flame or aarti lamp toward the deity on the right. The deity murti wears a golden crown-like headdress, gold ornaments and a heavy flower garland. Behind the ratha, a crowd of schoolchildren in blue uniforms and women in saris watches, with trees and a playground in the background. The orange saffron shawl and white clothing are the clearest cues for the man, but his face is not visible and his identity cannot be confirmed from appearance, so this is an aarti on a procession ratha.2006-10-31A photograph of an outdoor ritual at a decorated shrine with a golden pillar and floral garlands overhead. A man with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a white kurta and an orange shawl draped over his shoulders, holds a flaming lamp over a tray of fruit and sweets. A row of uniformed schoolchildren in blue and white watches from behind a low hedge, and several women in saris stand at left beside a golden-panelled screen. Trees, a playground and a fenced area appear in the background.2006-10-31A photograph of a procession chariot with a man in a white kurta and orange shawl holding a lit oil lamp flame toward two decorated deity murtis. The murtis are golden-faced figures draped in garlands of white flowers and red roses, with silver necklaces and blue cloth. A fruit plate with bananas and limes sits on the chariot in the foreground. Behind, a line of school children in blue uniforms stand watching under green trees and a play area. The man appears to be performing aarti at a ratha yatra.2006-10-31October 30 20062006-10-30Outdoor photo beneath a large banyan tree with spreading aerial roots. On the left, a deity murti of Dakshinamurti seated on a golden base is heavily garlanded with yellow and red marigold and white flower strands, with a white turban and a cobra-hood style floral arch behind it. On the right, a man with long dark hair in a white robe with a yellow-gold shawl raises a white cloth and a small lamp above the murti, performing an aarti-style offering. In the foreground, two shaved-head men in saffron-orange robes, seen from behind, watch, with a few more people in white clothing standing among the crowd beneath the trees.2006-01-01March 08 20052005-03-08December 23 20102010-12-23October 21 20152015-10-21 +1 copiesA woman in a white sari with a gold border stands barefoot at a shrine, applying orange kumkum or turmeric paste to a deity murti dressed in an orange silk cloth and adorned with red, yellow and white flower garlands. Behind her, several people in white dhotis and saris stand in a courtyard amid smoke or incense haze, one man in white wearing a rudraksha-style necklace. Brass lamps, a plate of offerings and a microphone stand sit on the lower left, with a red-walled building and a gold kalasha in the background.2010-11-12Outdoor ritual beneath a large banyan tree at the Dakshinamurti shrine. A golden-and-white deity murti of Dakshinamurti sits on a cobblestone base, adorned with garlands of yellow marigolds and red and white flowers. A long-haired man in a cream-white robe with yellow-gold draping stands at right holding a ritual lamp toward the murti, with garlands around his neck, apparently performing aarti. In the foreground a young man in a saffron-orange robe looks back over his shoulder, and a bald man in orange stands at lower right. Seated devotees in white clothes fill the background, and a photographer with a camera is visible at upper right.2006-01-01Outdoor ritual scene under a canopy of tall trees. A shrine holds a black Shiva linga-like deity murti dressed with marigold garlands and a white cloth, set on a mound of red offerings with a silver arched frame. A man in white dhoti and shawl with long hair and beaded necklaces stands at the center holding a small bell-like vessel, beside a small oil lamp burning at a tree base. Beside him, a man in saffron-orange robes with a shaved head and beaded necklaces stands barefoot, and women in white saris with red shawls and a yellow sari press palms together in prayer behind them. A dark polished stone floor with white kolam-style floral designs lies in the foreground.2010-12-21