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May 06 2018

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May 06 20182018-05-06A photograph of a ritual gathering on a stage with dark draped curtains. In the foreground a young brown calf with a white-marked face and a decorated halter stands at left, with a small garland. A bare-chested man with long dreadlocks and a red beaded necklace, seen from behind, extends his arm toward the group and holds a long rod or microphone stand. Several men stand in the background wearing only white dhotis, bare-chested, with yellow and white body markings and red-and-yellow face paint; one holds a white cloth and another a folded paper. Counts: about five to six clearly visible people.2018-05-06Photograph of a ritual scene with several people in traditional dress. A bare-chested man with long matted dreadlocks and a red beaded mala sits at the right, eyes lowered, with a red cord at his shoulder. Beside him a young woman with bunched hair, a red bindi and a long beaded necklace leans forward and touches the forehead of a calf marked with red kumkum on the lower left. A man in white dhoti with yellow-and-green painted face holds a folded paper, and another man with a red headband and sacred markings stands at the top right. A woman in a cream sari is at the far left. The background is a dim red curtain, with a bulbous wooden post at the far right edge.2018-05-06May 06 20182018-05-06January 16 20192019-01-16January 15 20182018-01-15 +1 copiesJune 19 20172017-06-19January 16 20192019-01-16Night outdoor ritual at Mattu Pongal in Tiruvannamalai. A brown cow and her calf stand on a striped mat, decorated with yellow and white flower garlands, a green leaf garland, and red and yellow turmeric-kumkum markings. A kneeling young man in white dhoti holds the calf's rope and garland. A bald man in a white shirt and dhoti stands beside the cow, guiding it. Behind them, several men in orange and saffron cloths and white dhotis with rudraksha malas stand with hands folded in prayer; one holds a brass bell. A devotee in a striped turban watches from the crowd.2018-01-15A photograph of a ritual initiation scene. In the foreground right, a bearded man with long matted dreadlocks, bare-shouldered and wearing a red-orange cloth and rudraksha mala necklaces, extends his right hand toward a woman on the left who has a red tilak on her forehead and her hair tied up. Behind them, several men in white dhoti cloth and bare upper bodies sit with dreadlocked or tied-up hair and beaded necklaces; one younger man in the centre wears a red bindi and a large rudraksha mala. A dark red curtain hangs at the back. A metal staff or rod runs diagonally across the lower right. The scene appears to be a darshan or deeksha blessing among devotees.2018-05-06December 29 20102010-12-29January 15 20182018-01-15