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A barefoot man in a white kurta is walking across a shallow pit of glowing embers during a fire-walking ritual. He carries a white dish or tray in one hand and his arms are slightly raised for balance. Around the pit, a crowd of devotees in white shirts, white dhotis and saris stands behind a wooden rail, many with hands folded in prayer and some watching closely. A few wear red shawls and rudraksha malas. The ground is bare earth edged with rows of white dots, and a red-roofed building appears in the background. Several men in the crowd also walk barefoot near the pit.

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A photograph of a fire-walking ritual. A man in white kurta and white dhoti, wearing a rudraksha mala and glasses, walks barefoot across a shallow pit filled with grey-black embers and ash. The pit edges are marked with white dotted lines and bounded by wooden poles. Behind the barrier, many devotees in white clothing, some with red and orange shawls, rudraksha malas and identity lanyards, stand watching. A red-roofed building is visible at the upper left.2005-12-31A photograph of a fire-walking ritual on a dirt-banked pit filled with glowing grey embers and ash. A man in a cream-coloured kurta and light trousers, with a rudraksha mala around his neck, walks barefoot across the ash. Behind the pit, a crowd of devotees in white dhotis and shirts, some with red shawls and one woman in a red-bordered sari, stand watching and some clap their hands together. White dots mark the edges of the pit and a wooden pole fence runs along the back. A green-roofed building is visible at the top left.2005-12-31A photograph of a fire-walking ritual. A man in a plain white kurta and white dhoti, with a dark pendant or mala around his neck, walks barefoot across a shallow pit of glowing-grey embers and ash. Along the edges of the pit, devotees in white clothes stand closely packed, some with red and saffron shawls, a few women in white saris with purple borders, and one man in a light blue shirt holding a bamboo rail. White dots mark the pit's border. Behind them a red-and-green roofed building and palm trees are visible. Several people wear identification lanyards. The man walking is visibly the central figure, but no appearance cues for a specific identity are strong enough to name him.2005-12-31A photograph of a fire-walking ritual at an outdoor ashram setting. In the foreground a man in white kurta and pants walks barefoot across a long trench of glowing dark embers and ash. Along both sides of the pit stand a crowd of devotees in white shirts and dhotis, many wearing rudraksha malas and lanyard badges, some holding a long wooden pole as a barrier. A woman in a red sari stands among them. A green-roofed building and palm trees are visible behind. No identifiable a person appears in the frame.2005-12-31A photograph of a fire-walking ritual in an outdoor setting with a rough earthen ground. A barefoot man in all-white clothing walks across a shallow pit of glowing-grey ash and embers. Along the pit's edges, a crowd of white-clad devotees stands watching, many with rudraksha malas and ID lanyards; a man on the left with a purple headband looks on, and a woman in white and an orange-clad man stand among the onlookers. Wooden poles and a metal drum are visible at right, and a small roofed building with red trim sits behind the crowd. Pale dots mark the edges of the pit. The scene is a fire walk during a festival procession.2005-12-31A barefoot man in a white kurta and white loose trousers walks across a shallow pit of glowing grey embers, a fire-walking ritual. He has long swept-back hair and a white shawl draped at his neck. Around the pit, a crowd of mostly white-clad men stand at its edges, many wearing red shawls, rudraksha malas and identification lanyards. Some wear white dhotis and one wears a green-and-white checked shirt. Wooden poles and a rope fence line the right side of the pit, and small white dots mark the pit's border on the sandy ground. The man has distinctive long hair and a shawl, matching the cues for Swamiji (probable) as the figure walking the embers.2005-12-31Outdoor fire-walking ritual at a dirt-floored site. A man in white kurta and white dhoti walks barefoot across a shallow trench of grey ash and embers, wearing a rudraksha mala. Along both edges of the trench stand devotees in white clothing, many with rudraksha malas, some wearing red shawls. Some bare feet are visible on the ground, and a wooden railing lines the trench. A drum is visible at upper right, and an orange-roofed building sits in the background.2005-12-31A barefoot man in white ritual clothes and a white dhoti walks across a trench of glowing charcoal during a fire walking ritual. He has a white tilak on his forehead, holds his palms together in prayer, and wears a rudraksha mala. Along both sides of the trench, a crowd of men and women in white garments stands behind wooden poles, watching. Some wear white shirts, lanyards and rudraksha malas, and a man at the right wears a checked shirt and a saffron-and-white shawl. Dirt banks and white chalk dots line the pit.2005-12-31A photograph of a fire-walking ritual at an outdoor ashram site. In the centre, a man in a plain white kurta and white dhoti, wearing glasses and a pendant on a cord, walks barefoot across a pit of glowing grey embers and ash. Lining the pit, devotees in white clothes stand behind a bamboo barrier, several wearing rudraksha malas and identity badges; one shirtless man wears a red-and-white dhoti. A drum rests at the right edge, and a red-and-yellow flag flies in the background above palm trees and a tent roof. White dotted kolam patterns mark the edges of the pit.2005-12-31A barefoot man in a white shirt and white trousers, palms pressed together in namaskar, walks across a shallow pit of grey ash embers in a fire-walking ritual. Crowds of devotees in white clothes stand on both sides behind bamboo poles. Several men wear rudraksha malas, one wears an orange-and-red sash, and a man at right in white with a red bead mala holds a pole. Dusty earth and small white dots mark the edge of the pit, with drums visible at the right and a tent roof in the background.2005-12-31A barefoot man in a white kurta and white dhoti walks across a shallow pit filled with grey ash and embers, a fire-walking ritual. A small pendant hangs on a cord around his neck. Behind a bamboo railing, a crowd of men in white shirts and white dhotis, many with rudraksha malas and name badges, stands along the edges of the pit, watching. Some hold brass instruments near the top right. White dots mark the path along the pit's sides.2005-12-31July 12 20062006-07-12