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Night photo of young boys performing a Mallakhamb-style pole display against a black sky, with a wooden pole rising through the centre. A boy in blue shorts hangs upside down near the top, while others in dark shorts hold poses with arms raised and bodies arched around the pole. Below, shirtless boys with shaved heads and white or sandalwood markings on their foreheads watch intently, and an adult man in a white shirt stands at the right. A small purple logo appears at lower left. The scene is lit warmly by artificial light against the dark night.

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Night photograph of a Mallakhamb-style pole display: several shirtless young boys in shorts climb and balance on a tall vertical wooden pole against a black sky. One boy in blue shorts is inverted at the top, legs hooked over the pole, arms reaching out. Below, others grip the pole with hands and arms, one bent forward with head near the pole, and a shaved-headed boy in the foreground watches. Warm lamplight highlights their bare skin. No ritual, deity or figure resembling the spiritual leader appears in the scene.2012-06-03June 03 20122012-06-03Night photograph of two shirtless young boys in dark blue shorts performing a pole climb against a black sky. The upper boy stands atop a tall wooden pole, gripping it with both hands and one foot raised. The lower boy hangs upside down from the pole, gripping it with his hands, with his legs extended upward. Two partially visible heads appear at the bottom edge of the frame. Warm lamplight illuminates the performers. No a person candidate is visible.2012-06-03June 03 20122012-06-03June 03 20122012-06-03June 03 20122012-06-03Night photograph of a group of shirtless boys performing a gymnastic pole display on an outdoor stage. Two boys in navy shorts balance and spring on a vertical wooden pole, one with arms and legs extended in mid-air. Boys below form a human pyramid and stretch across striped cushions, some with palms pressed together. A man in a yellow shirt and blue track pants stands at left watching, with a speaker and microphone stand nearby and an illuminated stage floor behind.2012-06-03Night photograph of a Kalari-style human pyramid performed by young boys in shorts on an open ground. A shirtless boy stands at the top, gripping a wooden pole, with others braced on the pole and on shoulders below. A youth in a yellow and black sports shirt and navy track pants stands at left with palms pressed together in greeting, beside a person in white clothes. Spectators sit in rows behind a low wooden railing, and bright floodlights glow at right.2012-06-03June 03 20122012-06-03Night photograph of a Mallakhamb-style acrobatic performance on an outdoor stage lit at night. Several shirtless young boys in black, blue and red shorts form a human pyramid around a wooden pole, with one boy hanging upside down at the top while others extend their arms overhead. A boy in a yellow and black shirt and blue trousers stands at the left, clapping, beside a woman in white sari-style dress with hands folded. Spectators sit in rows behind the stage, and two men in white shirts and white dhotis watch at the right edge. Wooden poles and a bamboo frame frame the performance.2012-06-03A night-time photograph of a Mallakhamb-style pole performance: several shirtless boys in shorts climb and balance on a tall wooden pole, one at the very top arching backward with arms raised, others gripping the pole at mid-height and braced on the shoulders of those below. In the foreground, two boys lie horizontally on the base, supporting the human pyramid, while a younger boy in the right foreground watches and holds the structure. Shorts are navy, blue, black with yellow stripes, and maroon. A man in a white shirt stands at the lower left near a white-covered table and speaker. Warm stage lights and dark trees form the background.2012-06-03Night-time outdoor performance of a human pyramid and gymnastics display on a raised stage beside a bamboo frame. Several shirtless young boys in dark shorts and red or blue briefs form the base and upper tiers; one boy hangs upside down from a vertical pole at the top with arms extended, while others balance with arms raised. Behind them a yellow-shirted instructor in blue track pants gestures with raised hands, and a woman in white sari and a man in white shirt stand at the edge. A large crowd sits in the dark background under string lights.2012-06-03