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Outdoor ritual gathering at the base of a large banyan tree with thick hanging aerial roots. In the foreground, a line of devotees in white dhotis and shirts stands with hands folded in prayer, facing a framed portrait of a woman in orange and gold garments placed on a tiled stand. Offerings of fruit and food sit on a plate before the portrait. A bald man in an orange-and-white cloth, bare-chested with a saffron waist wrap, stands among the devotees. Behind them, a man in a dark shirt and jeans walks toward a dark hollow at the tree's base where a small lamp flame glows. Red-and-white barrier tape and a metal railing frame the site.

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A photograph of a rural ritual setting beneath a large banyan tree with aerial roots and a dark cavity at its base holding a small oil lamp. A framed portrait of a smiling man in saffron robes with a garland and beads is set on a cloth on the sandy ground, flanked by a brass lamp and offerings of fruit and leaves on a plate. Several men in white dhotis and shirts stand in a semicircle facing the shrine. A bald shirtless priest in an orange-and-red cloth with a white towel over his shoulder stands at the front, and a woman in white and a woman in a red sari are nearby. A barrier of tape and metal posts surrounds the tree. The printed portrait is a depiction and not a physical person.2014-06-19Outdoor photograph beneath a large banyan tree with many aerial roots and a garland of marigolds and flowers draped around its trunk. A low white-painted circular platform surrounds the tree on sandy ground. A group of men and women stand in a close circle; a woman in an orange sari-style outfit stands at centre beside a man in a checked shirt and a man in white shirt and grey trousers, all with hands folded. On the right, a person in orange robes with a gold-toned bead necklace stands at the edge, and a man in orange holds up a video camera. Several men in white shirts and dhotis stand around the group, some with folded hands. About fifteen people are visible.2009-12-20Outdoors under a large banyan tree with dense aerial roots, a group of devotees stands on a sandy path. In the foreground, a man in an orange robe with a rudraksha mala points upward toward the tree while others around him look up. Beside them, a man in a dark shirt and grey trousers and another in a white dhoti and shirt stand barefoot. Further back, several people in white clothing stand with hands folded in reverence near a stone structure at the tree base. A shrine with a deity murti is partly visible at left.2009-12-20A photograph of a group of people in an outdoor grove beside a large banyan tree with dense aerial roots hanging from its trunk. In the foreground a woman in a bright yellow sari with long dark hair walks toward the tree, her back to the camera. To the right, several men in saffron-orange robes and shawls stand in a line, some wearing rudraksha malas and holding small objects in their hands, one with a grey-streaked beard and orange turban. A bare-chested man in a white dhoti with a striped border stands among them, holding a small white object. Other figures in orange and white stand further back under the trees, and a metal pot sits at the right edge.2007-08-09Outdoor photograph beneath a large banyan tree with many aerial roots and a dirt ground. A man in an orange saffron robe with long dark hair points toward the tree while a group of devotees stands around him; one man in orange and a man in a white shirt and grey trousers lean in, a small child in a yellow shirt stands nearby, and a man in a dark shirt and glasses stands at left. Behind them, several people in white dhotis and white shirts stand in a clearing, and a red-and-white shrine structure with a small deity murti sits at the left edge near a hanging purple cloth. A white stone border curves across the sandy path.2009-12-20December 25 20062006-12-25December 25 20062006-12-25A photograph of six men standing in an outdoor grove beside a large banyan tree whose trunk and aerial roots are wrapped in a garland of white and red flowers. On the left a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold borders and a necklace stands with hands folded, next to a bare-chested man in a white and red-bordered cloth. Beside them a man in a saffron-orange robe with gold border and a mala stands with palms together. To the right, two men in white shirts and white dhotis, one in grey trousers, and a bald man in white dhoti with gold border stand facing the tree, all gazing upward. Fallen leaves lie on the red earth, with a low stone wall curving around the tree base.2011-10-01Outdoor photo beneath a large banyan tree with aerial roots hanging from its spreading branches. On the left, a man in a white shirt and brown trousers stands with palms pressed together. A group of devotees in white dhotis and saris, one in an orange shawl, stand with hands folded in prayer. On the right, a deity murti sits on a red-painted base decorated with garlands of orange and white flowers, with brass plates and offerings in front. A small water pool lies at the left edge of the frame.2006-10-25Outdoor photograph beneath a large banyan tree with thick aerial roots and spreading branches, some hung with strands of cloth. On the right, a man in an orange-saffron turban and orange robe with a white flower garland holds a lit flame or oil lamp in a metal vessel, offering it at the tree. Beside him, a woman in a white sari holds a similar lamp. In the foreground on the left, men in white dhotis and shirts stand with palms pressed together in prayer, and a man with a moustache is at the far left. Other devotees in white stand in the background among the trunks, with a tray or offering on the ground.2005-12-31Outdoor scene beneath a large banyan tree with aerial roots. In the foreground, a man in a white shirt and white dhoti stands with arms folded beside a shallow sandy pit and metal bowls holding offerings and ritual items. Several men in white shirts, a checked lungi and a pale green shirt stand in a semicircle facing the pit. A framed photograph sits on the ground near the bowls. A small fire glows in a dark cavity at the base of the tree, with a lamp on a raised platform beyond. A young woman in white with a pink border stands at the right edge. A red boundary wall and a metal railing frame the background.2014-06-19A outdoor photograph beneath a large banyan tree with aerial roots. In the foreground, a man in an orange saffron wrap with an orange turban and a beaded rudraksha-style mala sits on sandy ground, holding a long stick or wand over a pile of large round stones. Before him sit a brass kalasha-style pot, a brass lamp, a bowl of flower petals and a plate of bananas and fruit. Behind him stand several men in white shirts and dhotis, one with his hands folded in prayer, and women in white saris and a magenta sari. Children watch from the right beside the stone pile. A brass aarti lamp lies at the lower left. The scene appears to be a ritual offering at a sacred stone site under the tree.2003-07-13 +1 copies