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A photo of a Pongal-style ritual at an outdoor pavilion with red pillars. In the centre, a man in a maroon robe with a red turban, gold necklaces and a white flower garland stands with palms pressed together before a low table laid with a striped cloth, brass bowls, bananas and a flower-decorated altar. Behind him, several men and women in saffron-orange robes hold brass plates of offerings and stand in prayer. A bare-chested man in a white dhoti joins them at left, and small children stand nearby. Brass oil lamps stand at right beside a saffron banner, and a large floor arrangement of yellow marigolds and white petals sits in the foreground beside rangoli-like designs.

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A ritual scene in an open courtyard during a Hindu puja. A man in the centre wears a maroon-red turban, a gold necklace with a white flower garland, and a dark maroon dhoti, with hands joined in namaskar. Behind him, several men and a woman in saffron-orange robes stand with joined hands, one holding a tray of red flowers. Before them a floor altar has a flower-covered mound of yellow and red blossoms with white petals, bananas, coconuts, brass bowls of kumkum, a lit oil lamp and incense sticks on a striped cloth. Brass lamps and a kalasha stand nearby, and a saffron and yellow banner with a bird emblem hangs on a pole at right. Rangoli-like designs decorate the ground.2018-01-14A photograph of a ritual at an open-sided pavilion. A bare-chested man in a maroon-red dhoti with a gold waist ornament, a red turban and a white-and-pink flower garland stands with hands folded in namaskar before a large flower-decorated altar covered in yellow and white marigolds and red roses. Behind him, several men in orange-saffron robes and rudraksha malas hold offerings, one holding a tray of red flowers. A woman in an orange sari stands at right holding a brass vessel near brass oil lamps. Bananas, a pineapple, coconut and brass bowls sit on striped mats in front, with a kolam drawn on the floor. A yellow banner with a bird emblem hangs at right. Several more people in orange and white stand in the background.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A 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.2018-01-14A photograph of an outdoor ritual space with a sandy floor and a white kolam design. A central figure in a rust-red dhoti with a maroon-and-gold turban, a gold necklace and a flower garland stands with palms pressed together in namaskar in front of a large flower-covered platform of yellow marigolds and white petals with red offerings. Around him, figures in orange-saffron robes hold trays of flowers and offerings, and a standing man in white dhoti with hands joined watches. Brass lamps, a kalasha pot, bananas, coconut-leaf decorations and a bundle of sugarcane lie on coloured striped cloths. An orange-and-yellow ceremonial banner stands at right. Several devotees in orange and white watch from the left. The setting suggests a puja at a Pongal-season gathering.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14A photograph of a Pongal ritual outdoors under a open-sided pavilion. A man in a maroon-and-gold dhoti with a maroon turban and a long white flower garland stands center with palms joined in namaskar before an altar. Several people in orange-saffron robes with rudraksha malas stand around; one bare-chested bearded man holds a brass tray of flowers, and another holds a round brass plate. The altar is a large square heaped with yellow and white marigolds and red flowers, with sugarcane stalks, bananas, brass lamps, a kalasha and small brass bowls. Floor rangoli and a yellow-and-red pennant flag appear at right.2018-01-14Pongal 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.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.2018-01-14A photograph of an outdoor Pongal-season puja under a shade structure at an ashram. Several devotees in saffron-orange clothing sit on striped woven mats, with bare-chested men and women in orange cloth and bead necklaces seated at the front. A large floral mat holds marigold garlands, sugarcane stalks lie in a pile, bananas and pineapples are arranged on mats, and clay pots sit beside a kolam drawn in white on the ground. A tall man with a red turban, a long garland of yellow flowers and gold necklaces stands at left, watched by a line of standing orange-clad devotees with hands pressed in anjali. A saffron-and-yellow ceremonial umbrella stands at right beside a brass lamp.2018-01-14January 14 20182018-01-14