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Outdoor photograph of a fire-walking pit prepared in dry earth. A shallow rectangular trench is filled with grey-white stones, bordered by lines of white dots and a drawn lotus-like motif at its near end. Wooden poles tied with rope fence the pit. Behind it a large crowd of devotees, mostly dressed in white, sits and stands on the ground. A small red building with a green corrugated roof, palm trees and a flag pole stand in the background, with a few brightly coloured tents or canopies at right. Several figures in white robes and saffron-trimmed clothing are seated near the front, though none can be identified with confidence.

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Outdoor fire-walking ritual pit at an ashram with a rectangular trench of grey embers and white stones, bordered by bamboo poles and small white dot patterns. Men in white dhotis and white shirts stand at the edges with hands folded in namaskar. A large crowd of devotees in white clothing stands and sits behind a bamboo barrier, many with hands raised or pressed together. Behind them stand a green-roofed orange building, palm trees, a red flag on a pole, and a decorated canopy with colourful drapes and an ornate float at the right. A small metal bucket sits at the lower right corner. Visible people number roughly 40-60 counting the crowd.2005-12-31Outdoor ritual scene at an ashram-style compound with dry earth ground, palm trees and a red-walled building with a green roof. A large crowd of people dressed mostly in white stands and sits in front of a shallow rectangular fire pit edged with wooden railings, where a fire walk appears to be prepared. Near the front right, a seated figure in orange robes and an orange head wrap sits on an ornate brown cushioned seat on a red mat, facing the pit. A decorated float or chariot with orange and gold draping and a truck stands at the back right, and a colourful rangoli design is laid on the ground. A red flag flies on a pole at the centre left.2005-12-31Outdoor fire-walking preparation at a rural ashram. A long rectangular pit of glowing embers and grey ash lies in dry earth, with smoke rising. Crowds of devotees in white clothes stand around its edges; a man in white with rudraksha around his neck pushes a long pole across the embers, and another man in white leans forward. Women in orange and white saris and children in white and light clothing watch. Behind them stands a small red building with a green roof, palm trees, and a red-and-white flag on a pole.2006-07-12July 12 20062006-07-12Outdoor photo of a large crowd seated on bare red-brown earth beside a fire-walking pit, with a mound of dug soil and wooden poles in the foreground. Most people wear white and cream clothing; several women in the left foreground wear white saris with cream shawls, and a woman on the left raises one arm. Behind them a row of men in white shirts and dhotis stands near a small red building with a green corrugated roof, under palm and leafy trees. A child in an orange-and-brown striped shirt sits in the front.2005-12-31July 12 20062006-07-12July 12 20062006-07-12Outdoor photograph of a fire-walking ritual at an ashram in a sandy courtyard. A large crowd of devotees dressed mostly in white stands and sits along the background, with some in orange and saffron. In the foreground, a seated figure in orange robes and an orange head wrap sits on a patterned cushion over a red mat on the left, appearing to be a sannyasi or priest rather than an identifiable individual. A standing man in white clothing faces a rectangular fire pit filled with grey stones, while a man in a white shirt holding a camera bag stands to the right. A colourful rangoli mandala decorates the ground in front of the pit. A red-roofed building with a green roof and a flag appear in the background among palm trees.2005-12-31July 12 20062006-07-12July 12 20062006-07-12Outdoors among palm trees, a large rectangular fire pit lined with red earth is filled with white ash and sprinkled with yellow flower petals. Behind a white rope barrier, a crowd of devotees stands with hands pressed together in namaskar, many women in white and pastel saris and men in white dhotis and kurtas. A few figures in saffron or orange robes stand near the pit, and one man in saffron kneels at its edge with ritual items, while a man in white stands beside him. Piles of charred logs lie to the right, and white kolam or rangoli lines mark the ground around the pit.2008-12-31A photograph of an outdoor fire-walking ritual pit: a rectangular trench filled with glowing embers and ash-grey stones, bordered by wooden stakes and white rangoli kolam designs with pink and white floral patterns on the ground. A large crowd of devotees dressed mostly in white, with some in colourful saris, stands in a wide semicircle around the pit beside a red-walled building with a green roof and a red flag on a pole. On the left foreground, a figure in an orange-saffron robe and orange head wrap sits on an ornate cushioned seat draped with a red cloth, facing the pit. Palm trees and foliage surround the open dirt courtyard.2005-12-31