Temple festival in 2004. The picture on the left illustrates the great care taken by the priests to render the festival as luxurious and beautiful as possible, starting with the richly decorated flag post, the heavy flower garlands adorning the Kamakshi icon, and the colorful rows of tiny lamps beautifying the central sanctum. The picture on the right shows the priest Arikaraputhira Mathivani Iya doing circumambulation with a jar containing the sacrificial water for abhisheka. During the festivals lay people and sponsors take on ritual roles too, such as carrying the ceremonial umbrella as seen on the picture. Photo left and right: 26.6.2004.