Fire sacrifice for Shankha-abhisheka during a three-day ceremony at the 2003 Tamil New Year (picture right). The ritual takes place in the adjoining room for special rites (picture left). On the first day of the ceremony, a special altar is erected around which one thousand shells containing auspicious water are arranged in all directions. In the evening of the second day, the thousand names of the Goddess (Lalitasahasranama) are recited, whereby each of the thousand shells is worshipped and adorned with a red flower petal. On the third day, shricakra-puja is performed and the following fire sacrifice is shown in the picture. After this (very copious) fire sacrifice there is the ablution of Kamakshi Devi in the main sanctum with the sacrificial water from the jar and the shells, whereupon ablution of the other temple deities also takes place. For a detailed study of the ritual see Wilke, Die Goettin Kamakshi und ihr jahrlicher shricakra-Ritus, in: Baumann/Luchesi/Wilke (eds.), 2003, documenting the Tamil New Year ceremony in 2001, which took place in the much smaller old Kamadchi temple in Hamm-Uentrop. Photo left and right: 14.4.2003.