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A seated group of devotees performs an evening lamp ritual indoors on woven mats. A central man with long swept-back hair wears a white dhoti with gold border and a white upper cloth, holding a small brass oil lamp and a bell-like brass vessel. Around him, dozens of people in white and mixed casual clothes hold lit oil lamps and diyas, and brass plates with flowers, fruit and vessels sit on the mats in front. Two men flank him in white dhotis with rudraksha malas. Some boys wear rudraksha beads and t-shirts. The scene reads as a puja or aarti gathering.

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A large seated congregation fills a hall with polished floor, many people in orange or saffron shawls and white clothing. In the foreground, a bald priest in white dhoti with gold border sits with eyes closed, brass pooja vessels, a kalasha-style brass pot, fruit, flower petals and small oil lamps arranged on a mat before him. Beside him a middle-aged man with glasses and a rudraksha mala sits in a white dhoti with gold border, hands folded. Behind them rows of boys and young men sit on mats and prayer cloths, some with tilak marks, and orange bags lie along the floor. A fresh-faced foreigner in white clothes sits at the right edge. The setting suggests a satsang or puja gathering.2012-05-01July 23 20112011-07-23A seated group of men in a plain indoor hall performs a puja with small oil lamps and brass vessels set on a mat. Most wear white dhotis with gold borders and bare upper bodies, some with white forehead marks, and several hold lit lamps or spoons aloft. A man in an orange robe with a rudraksha mala sits at lower right with hands folded, and a few younger boys sit in the background. Offerings of fruit, flowers and a small book lie on the mats, and a red curtain hangs behind them.2011-10-15A photograph of a seated group of white-clad men and boys performing a ritual with oil lamps and brass plates. In the centre, a shaved-headed man in white dhoti and shawl with gold borders, rudraksha mala and a vertical white and red forehead mark holds a lit lamp aloft in his right hand, while his left hand holds a small bell or ritual implement over a brass plate. Around him, boys in white and a boy in a blue shirt hold lamps and sit on orange mats near brass bowls, a pink container, and a blue lidded box. Hindu ritual setting with aarti and puja elements.2011-12-01November 07 20112011-11-07A photograph of a large group of devotees seated cross-legged on mats in a hall during a ritual, with brass plates, small oil lamps and metal cups arranged on the floor before them. Most men wear white dhotis with gold-bordered orange shawls and sacred ash markings on their foreheads and arms; the front-row men wear rudraksha malas and gold bangles, and several have shaved or tonsured heads. Younger boys in dark shirts and maroon-and-orange clothing sit among them, and a boy in glasses on the right holds a small notebook. The front-row man with folded hands is closest to the camera, and a printed booklet lies on the floor at lower left. Some devotees have eyes closed in meditation, and there is no visible throne or figure singled out as a person.2013-02-04A large seated gathering of devotees performs a lamp ritual inside a hall. Many men in front wear white dhoti-style cloth with red-striped borders and rudraksha malas around their necks. Several hold up lit oil lamps or diyas, with flames visible in multiple hands, and brass plates with offerings sit on mats in front. Behind them, women in white and coloured saris and salwar kameez sit in rows, also holding small lamps. The lighting is warm and dim, with glowing flames throughout the room, and the atmosphere suggests a collective puja or aarti.2010-12-28December 05 20112011-12-05December 05 20112011-12-05April 03 20122012-04-03A crowd of seated devotees performs a lamp ritual indoors. In the foreground, shaved-headed men in saffron-orange cloth hold brass oil lamps with flames near their faces, wearing rudraksha malas and white forehead markings. Behind them, men in white dhotis with gold borders sit with their hands joined or holding lamps, and boys in maroon and orange cloth fill the room. Small brass plates and offering items sit on mats. Several people are visible, roughly twenty or more, and no one is identified as a person.2013-01-17 +1 copiesNovember 28 20112011-11-28