Here the priest is using a leaf to pour one of the ingredients over the gold lingam in the center of the photo. As is traditional for those who follow the traditions of the Shankaracharya, in addition to the Shiva lingam you will also see in rear of the photo a crystal Meru; the home of the gods, to the immediate right of the lingam is Annapurni a form of the goddess who feeds the worlds, to the right of her is Subramanyam (Shiva's son), and in the right fron of the photo is a black stone called a shaligram which is associated with Vishnu. To the left of the lingam is a special stone that represents the Sun, and behind it is a crystal Ganesha.
In the following photo they are shown after a portion of the yagya has been completed. The lingam has been decorated with a bilva leaf, the favorite plant of Shiva.
An Abishekam is a special kind of yagya where the offerings are poured over the deity; water, yogurt as in the following photo, milk, sandalpaste, etc.
There are 11 forms of Shiva (called Rudras) and each one has a kalasam (water pot) topped with a coconut and filled with water. The vedic tradition says that the purifying influence of the mantras is concentrated in the water, which is used at the end of the yagyas series for the final Rudra Abishekam.
