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A dense crowd of devotees fills a temple hall at night, many with palms pressed together in prayer, some seated on the floor in front. Two large deity murtis are decorated with thick garlands of red, orange and yellow flowers and stand under a tiered, illuminated canopy. Near the center, a bare-chested priest in an orange-yellow dhoti stands at the altar, while other priests in white dhotis and shawls, one bare-chested with a rudraksha mala, assist beside him. A photographer in a red-and-white checked shirt stands at the front. Tall painted pillars with yellow and purple cloth banners frame the scene, with banana leaves and offerings on the lower foreground.

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April 05 20122012-04-05April 05 20122012-04-05April 05 20122012-04-05April 05 20122012-04-05A photograph inside an ornately decorated temple hall with red and yellow striped canopies and tall multicoloured pillars. Two large deity murtis are heavily garlanded with marigold and red flower strands. A bald priest with a bare upper body and a green-and-gold silk cloth performs an aarti with a lit lamp before the central deity. Behind him a man in white dhoti stands at left, and a shirtless man in white dhoti holds a bowl of offerings at the lower centre. Devotees with folded hands crowd the front. A photographer in a red checked shirt films the ritual. Smoke rises from the lamps and the scene is lit by electric bulbs.2012-04-05April 05 20122012-04-05A temple shrine scene during a ritual worship. Two deity murtis are richly decorated with layered garlands of yellow, orange, red and white flowers and gold ornaments, seated before a colourful, gilded shrine canopy with red and yellow tassels. A bare-chested priest in a green-and-yellow dhoti stands centre-left, reaching toward the deities beside a red pillar, while a crowd of mostly bare-chested and white-clad devotees watches from the foreground, one holding a camera. Oil lamps and brass vessels sit near the deities.2012-04-05Photograph inside a temple hall during a worship ceremony before a decorated deity murti shrine. The central deity murti is garlanded with bright flower garlands, flanked by two smaller garlanded murtis, with a tiered colourful canopy and yellow and red decorative hangings. In the foreground, several shaven-headed priests in white dhotis stand bare-chested, one wearing a rudraksha-style necklace, while a young man in a white dhoti stands beside them. A woman in a dark top and a man in a white shirt and a bare-chested figure face the shrine. A brass oil lamp and a bundle of flowers rest on the floor. A large crowd of devotees, many women in saris and men in white and coloured shirts, sits and stands along the sides of the hall. Banana leaves and palm fronds decorate the pillars.2012-04-05A temple interior during a ritual puja. Two large decorated deity murtis with floral garlands stand on a raised platform at the back, flanked by orange and yellow ceremonial banners and banana-leaf decorations. In the foreground, a shirtless priest in a wrapped white dhoti and a rudraksha mala sits before a cloth-covered offering table holding fruit, bananas, flowers and a brass oil lamp. Around him, a large crowd of seated devotees in white, cream, pink and printed saris and shirts watches the ritual. A bare-chested priest stands near the platform to the left, and several standing men in white dhotis and shirts are visible toward the back.2012-04-05Interior of a South Indian temple hall during a ritual. Two shrines stand at the centre, each with a deity murti dressed in garlands of orange and red flowers under a decorated canopy. Priests in white dhotis with bare upper bodies, one with a saffron cloth over his shoulder and one in a yellow-and-green striped waistcloth, stand near the shrine and tend offerings. Dozens of devotees, many women in saffron, pink and red saris, sit or stand in rows on the floor, some holding fans. Tall painted pillars with orange tassels and banana leaves frame the scene, and the setting suggests a puja or abhishekam.2012-04-05April 05 20122012-04-05A temple ritual in a crowded shrine hall with colourful painted pillars and yellow and orange cloth canopies. Two deity murtis are decorated with heavy garlands of marigolds and red flowers. In the foreground, a bare-chested priest in a white dhoti and a rudraksha mala holds a round brass tray with offerings. Beside him, a bearded man in a saffron-orange garment and mala gestures with a raised finger. Another bare-chested man with his back to the camera stands in front of the tray. Behind them, a large seated crowd of devotees watches, many women wearing saris and men in white shirts. A photographer's camera is visible at the lower left, and a priest in a white dhoti stands on a raised platform at the back.2012-04-05