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Night procession of a rathotsavam at a temple, with a large decorated chariot carried through a crowd. A seated figure in orange and red robes, with an ornate crown, holds a trident and a curved sword on a red and gold throne-like seat under a canopy. Wrapped in a leopard-print cloth, the figure is surrounded by marigold garlands. Nearby, a man in white dhoti and orange shawl guides the procession, a woman in a sari offers a plate of offerings, and men carry red and orange flags. Colourful painted pillars with bird motifs frame the chariot under a single bright lamp.

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December 17 20112011-12-17December 17 20112011-12-17December 17 20112011-12-17Night procession photograph at a ratha/chariot festival. A figure seated on an ornate gold-and-red throne-like chariot seat wears an ornate gold crown, orange silk garments, layered gold and red beaded necklaces, and gold armbands and bangles. He holds a silver staff with a ringed top in one hand and a sword-like blade in the other. Behind him, colourful banners with floral and geometric patterns rise. A man in white dhoti and shawl with a rudraksha mala pulls or guides the chariot, and other people in saris and white clothing stand in the background near a lit torch.2011-12-17Night procession of a decorated ratha (chariot) with a colourful patterned canopy in red, yellow and blue, topped by a gold finial and a trident-like staff. A seated figure in saffron-orange robes and a crown-like headdress, with a long gold necklace and a trident, sits on a gold throne over a patterned red and maroon cloth draped with marigold garlands. Behind the chariot is a shrine panel with a deity murti framed by flowers. Men in saffron and white dhotis pull and steady the chariot, while saffron-clad attendants with rudraksha malas walk alongside. Devotees in white and green saris stand with folded hands along the roadside. Orange flags flutter at the sides of the procession under dark night sky.2011-12-17December 17 20112011-12-17February 10 20132013-02-10Night procession with a gold and wooden ratha or palanquin-style chariot decorated with orange, purple and yellow marigold garlands, multicoloured tassels and a striped canopy. A man in saffron-orange robes, wearing a gold crown or headdress and a red-and-white garland, sits on the ornate seat holding a ceremonial sword. An orange flag on a pole stands at left and a feathered fan is held beside the chariot. Devotees in red, blue and orange clothing crowd around, some in white shirts, with a sand-coloured ground carpet beneath.2011-12-15Night photograph of a rathotsavam procession. A seated figure in orange silk with a gold crown, heavy gold necklaces and a sword held upright rides an ornate golden chariot decorated with colourful patterned panels, red and yellow garlands, and a blue-clad figure on a platform above. In the foreground a priest in orange robes and beads holds a lit aarti lamp with flame, while a second priest in orange stands beside him. Devotees in white and orange stand with hands pressed together along the road, and smoke drifts through the dark background.2011-12-17A night procession at a rathotsavam, with a colourfully decorated wooden chariot draped in striped and floral fabric, its pillars wrapped in patterned cloth and yellow fringe. A deity murti sits seated on a gold-and-red throne inside the chariot, with a trident standing beside it. Devotees crowd around in street clothes; a bare-chested man in orange cloth and a white-robed man with a shawl walk near the chariot, and a woman in a yellow saree stands in the foreground. Orange flags and a lit torch are visible in the background under a dark sky.2011-12-17December 17 20112011-12-17Night procession (rathotsavam) with a richly decorated chariot draped in red, gold and multicolored panels printed with blue-and-white birds and floral motifs. A figure in gold-and-red ornate regalia and a gold crown sits on a red throne-like seat holding a sword and a long staff; a red flag on a pole is raised beside him. A man in an orange robe and a bare-chested man in white walk near the chariot, and devotees in white saris and dark clothing line the street, with a garland-draped base beneath the seat. Scaffolding stands in the background.2011-12-17