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Pongal celebration outdoors under an open pavilion at a temple site. A man in a maroon-brown dhoti and a red-and-white turban stands with palms joined in namaskar, wearing a long white flower garland and heavy gold-toned necklaces. Behind him, a line of devotees in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas stand with hands folded, and a white-clad man and women in colourful saris also join. Two women in orange saris on the right hold offering plates. On the ground, a kolam of white rangoli patterns is outlined in yellow marigold garlands. Clay pots filled with flowers, a pineapple, bananas, a brass lamp, and trays of rose petals and fruit sit on striped mats. Three stacked clay-brick hearths with sugarcane and flower decoration form the Pongal cooking area. Drummers in orange stand behind, and a striped ceremonial umbrella stands at the top. Roughly 25 to 30 people are visible.

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January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A Pongal ritual in an open-sided pavilion at an adheenam. On the sandy floor, clay pots with brass lids and yellow marigold garlands sit beside a white kolam rangoli design. A clay stove with a bronze pot is ringed by flowers. A standing man in a maroon dhoti and maroon shawl, wearing a long garland and gold necklaces, holds his hands together. Men in saffron cloth and rudraksha malas stand at the right, one tending brass lamps. Leaves on the left hold banana, fruit and sweets offerings. Women in saffron and white and children stand at the left edge. A saffron flag hangs on the right pillar.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided hall with a dirt floor. In the foreground, earthen pots (pongal pots) rest on banana leaves, decorated with marigold garlands and set within a white rangoli kolam outlined with yellow flowers. Two men in saffron-orange robes stand at a fire pit, one kneeling and tending the flame while another in orange with bare upper body and rudraksha beads stands nearby. A man on the left wears a red-brown dhoti, garlands and an ornate headwear, with hands folded in prayer. Behind them, several people in red and orange robes stand near drums. An altar holds fruit, flowers, brass lamps and bananas. Orange and yellow flag banners hang from the rafters.2018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided pavilion. Saffron-robed sannyasis and women in orange saris stand on a red mat around a clay pot sun offering, with a kolam of white rice flour and flower garlands on the ground. A man in a maroon robe and gold-bead necklace, with a red turban and flower garland, stands at left with hands joined. A bare-chested sannyasi with rudraksha beads stands with palms together, while a woman kneels to arrange brass plates, bananas, sugarcane, and offerings on a striped cloth. Clay pots, a brass lamp stand, and a saffron banner with a bird emblem complete the scene. Visible people number about ten.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal celebration in an open-sided pavilion with a dirt floor. A standing man in a reddish-brown dhoti and a red-and-orange turban, with a flower garland and a shawl, stands with palms joined in front of a decorated pot. Women and girls in orange and red saris and salwar kurtas stand nearby, several holding hands together in prayer. Clay pots garlanded with yellow flowers stand on a kolam drawn in white powder, with sugarcane stalks, bananas, plantains and banana-leaf plates of food laid on striped cloths. A brass lamp and a large display of marigolds and offerings are set at the right, and an orange ceremonial banner hangs at the right edge.2018-01-14Outdoor pavilion with a red floor cloth, leafy bamboo and mango-leaf decorations, and a mud-plastered ground. A man in a maroon-brown dhoti with a saffron-red turban and a marigold garland stands at left, while saffron-robed attendants and a bare-chested man in orange cloth tend the ritual area. Several clay pots with leaf-wrapped rims sit on flower-strewn mud platforms beside a white kolam design and bananas, fruit and offerings on banana leaves. At right, a decorated altar holds flowers, oil lamps and a row of silver-toned items, with saffron-and-white triangular banners hanging on the posts.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14Outdoor Pongal ritual at the Tiruvannamalai Aadheenam under a canopy. Several people in saffron-orange robes stand and kneel around a white kolam decorated with yellow marigold garlands. Clay pots with leaves and bananas are arranged on the ground, and a woman in a blue sari pours or arranges items near a clay pot. A standing sannyasi in saffron holds a small brass vessel and a bell, and another kneels at a tray of flowers, kumkum and offerings. Behind them, a row of devotees with palms pressed together watches the ritual. Concrete steps and a red-striped sun umbrella frame the scene.2018-01-14Outdoor-style pavilion Pongal ceremony on a dirt floor decorated with a white rangoli kolam and yellow marigold garland borders. Two clay pots (pongal pots) with garlands and a pineapple sit at the centre, with bananas, sugarcane and offerings on banana leaves at left and a flower-covered altar at right. A man in a rust-brown dhoti and shawl, with a colourful headwrap and long garlands, stands with palms joined. Several women in orange and red saris perform a ritual near a clay stove and a flame, while a line of standing devotees in orange and red watch and fold their hands. Drums are visible in the background.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14