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A photograph inside a temple-style hall during a monastic initiation or training session. Seated devotees in saffron-orange robes, with shaved heads and some with rudraksha malas, face a raised shrine. Behind them stands a red-cushioned throne backed by a golden arch and a small golden parasol, flanked by golden deity murti statues and draped purple curtains. Gold and red colours dominate. A standing figure in a flowing saffron-orange robe, with long curly dark hair, gestures toward the seated group at the right edge, and a few women in saffron robes sit in the background. Rose petals and offerings lie on the platform, with a silver kalasha-like vessel at centre. Decorative yellow and blue striped panels hang on the pillars.

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August 22 20062006-08-22A ceremonial initiation scene in a temple-like hall with purple drapes and gold-framed deity figures. A standing man on the right, with long swept-back hair and orange-saffron robes, raises one arm toward a seated group. Rows of seated monastics in orange robes face a red-cushioned throne with a golden umbrella and a central ornate arch. Several seated women in orange saffron clothing sit at right, and a fire-like spray of sparks or flower petals rises in the upper centre. Ceremonial items, including a brass lamp and small silver dishes, sit on a low altar in front. Colourful hanging cloth banners hang from the ceiling at upper right.2006-08-22Indoor ritual session in a temple-like hall with purple drapes and a red-cushioned golden throne backed by a gilded frame. Around the altar are gilded deity murtis, including a dancing figure and a seated deity with a trident-like emblem. A standing man with long dark hair and bare chest, wearing an orange cloth, holds a small ritual object at the altar, while a younger man in orange robes with a red-beaded garland stands beside him holding a tray of red flowers. Several shaved-headed monks and young disciples in orange robes sit cross-legged on the floor facing the altar. Brass vessels with yellow flowers, a gilded kalasha-style pot and a small golden shrine stand before them. Colourful banners hang from the ceiling. The standing man has distinctive long hair and bare-chested adornments, so he may be a person leading the ritual, but this is uncertain.2006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22Indoor ritual in a temple-like hall with purple drapery and a golden throne-style seat with red cushions. Several people in saffron-orange robes sit on the floor facing the altar, many with shaved heads or long hair, some wearing rudraksha malas. A standing man on the right, with curly shoulder-length hair and saffron cloth, holds a brass bell and a lit oil lamp over a tray near brass pots of flowers and mango leaves. Golden deity statues, including a dancing figure with a flute and a standing figure, decorate the altar, and incense smoke rises. A visible kalasha-style and padapuja-style offering arrangement with yellow flowers and petals sits on the floor. The lamp and bell suggest an aarti or puja.2006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22August 22 20062006-08-22A photograph of an initiation or brahmacharya training session with rows of seated monks in saffron-orange robes, several with shaved heads, sitting on a low wooden platform before a maroon curtain. On the right, a long-haired man in orange robes stands beside a gold-and-red throne with a canopy, holding a silver plate or offering tray; a second younger man in orange stands next to him. Gold and silver deity murtis, including a standing figure with a flute and a female deity figure, sit among the seated monks, with a silver arch-shaped lamp stand and brass vessels, flower petals and a plate of fruit in the foreground. a person: the long-haired figure standing beside the throne wears orange robes and has long, swept-back dark hair, but the cues are not distinctive enough to confirm his identity.2006-08-22Photograph of a Kailaasa monastic initiation or brahmacharya training session inside a temple hall with a shrine of gold deity murtis, a red velvet-backed throne and purple curtains. Numerous people in saffron/orange monastic robes sit in rows on a raised platform, most with shaved heads. A standing figure at right in orange robes with long curly hair and a bare upper body stands before the platform, with a tray of offerings nearby. Brass kalasha-style vessels with yellow flowers and banana leaves sit on the platform, and rose petals are scattered on the steps. A golden stupa-shaped object and a silver lamp stand on the left.2006-08-22A photograph inside a temple-style hall during a ritual. In the foreground a young man with long, swept-back dark hair wears a saffron-orange draped cloth over his shoulders and holds his hands out over a brass offering; a second young man in orange stands behind him holding a small tray. Several shaven-headed monks in orange robes sit on a raised platform with their backs to the camera, facing an ornate golden altar with a red velvet niche, lion figures, a gilded deity murti and a standing statue in orange robes. Brass pots holding yellow flowers and green leaves sit on the platform in front, and purple curtains hang in the background.2006-08-22A photograph of a ritual abhishekam on a stage draped with purple curtains. A figure in long flowing orange robes with dark, shoulder-length hair pours water from a white vessel in an arc, spraying droplets over a group of shaved-headed monks seated on the floor in orange and saffron robes. Behind the pourer, a gilded ornate throne with a small canopy stands beside a silver and gold deity murti and a clear crystal-like pedestal holding offerings. A second orange-robed attendant stands at right, and white dishes with offerings sit in the foreground. A hanging yellow and patterned banner is visible at upper left.2006-08-22