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Night outdoor homa ceremony at a raised orange-painted brick fire pit with an open flame, surrounded by flower garlands, fruit, brass vessels and offerings. A long-haired man in saffron-orange robes and multiple rudraksha-style beaded malas sits at a microphone, his forehead marked with white. Beside him a second man in orange robes and a gold necklace holds a brass plate and pours or offers from it. Behind them a large seated crowd, many with hands pressed in prayer, fills the dim open-air space.

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Night-time homa at an outdoor ritual platform. A fire burns in a yellow-orange brick fire pit decorated with red and pink flower petals, with a white jasmine garland along its edge. A figure in saffron-orange robes with a long, swept-back dark hair, a red-and-white forehead mark and a long beaded orange mala sits cross-legged at a microphone, hands joined in prayer, with an orange cloth beneath him. Beside him a second priest in orange with a maroon headcloth, gold chain and glasses tends the fire, placing offerings into it. Trays of fruit, bananas, apples, pineapple and brass lamps sit at the left, and a brass vessel with a kumkum-marked cloth is at the right. Behind them a large seated crowd in white clothing fills the ground, with a white banner and lights in the background. Probable Swamiji seated at the microphone with long swept-back hair, saffron robes and rudraksha-style orange mala, presiding over the homa.2010-02-12A night outdoor homa at a tiered yellow brick fire altar on a white-draped table, with a flame rising from the centre and garlanded offerings, fruit, flowers and brass vessels arranged around it. A man in orange robes with long dark hair, a red tilak on his forehead and beaded garlands sits at a microphone, raising one hand toward the fire. Beside him a second man in saffron wraps and a turban holds a brass tray of offerings. A seated audience in white fills the foreground and background, with some people with palms joined. Strings of flowers hang from the altar edge.2010-02-12A photograph of a homa or puja at an outdoor evening event under a tent. A sitting man in saffron-orange robes with long swept-back black hair, a red forehead mark and a long beaded gold-toned necklace holds a brass plate and speaks into a microphone. Beside him, a second man in orange robes with long hair and a similar beaded necklace sits behind a low yellow platform. The platform holds banana fruit, orange, scattered flower petals, a small flame, a silver vessel and a decorated kalasha with white and pink garlands. Colourful painted pillars and draped cloth frame the background.2010-02-12Night outdoor fire ritual. A long-haired figure in orange robes with rudraksha malas and a gold chain sits cross-legged, reaching a hand toward offerings and smoke, with a small bowl of white material nearby. Behind, an older bald-headed priest in orange with glasses and a red-and-orange shawl leans in holding a tray. Fruits including bananas, apples and a pomegranate sit on the platform, with brass vessels, a lit oil lamp and a microphone stand at the right. Seated devotees in white clothing with folded hands watch from the left, and a crowd fills the background. a person cues: long dark hair, orange robes, rudraksha malas and gold chain, seated at the central ritual.2010-02-12A photograph of a homa at night. A man with long dark hair and a tilak on his forehead, wearing orange robes and layered beaded necklaces, sits behind a yellow brick fire pit, clapping his hands before a standing microphone. A tall flame rises from the pit, surrounded by flower garlands, bananas, apples, a pineapple and brass kalasha-type vessels with marigolds and petals. Another orange-robed priest sits beside him, and a seated crowd in white fills the background under dark night sky. The clothing and offerings suggest a fire ritual with the speaker leading the gathering.2010-02-12A seated figure in saffron-orange robes with long, swept-back dark hair, a gold-bead necklace and white ash markings on the forehead presses palms together in prayer beside an open fire pit, a homa, with orange flames. Another saffron-robed priest with a red-and-orange head wrap sits behind a bowl, and a seated audience fills the dim background. Fruit, flower garlands and a white garland sit on the altar, and a microphone stands at the right edge.2010-02-12A photograph of a homa-style ritual on a stage. A man with long swept-back dark hair, wearing an orange saffron garment, a rudraksha-style gold bead necklace and a sandalwood-marked forehead, sits on the left and holds a round brass plate over an offering area. Behind him, a second orange-clad person sits with a shaved head. In the foreground, a shaved-head devotee in white sits before a low brick fire pit strewn with bananas, oranges, marigolds and wood sticks. Behind the altar stands a painted mountain backdrop, a golden throne draped with flower garlands, a framed picture and a decorated Shiva linga surrounded by flower garlands and a kalasha.2010-02-12Night-time homa at a brick-lined fire pit, with a bright flame rising from the centre. On the right, a figure in orange-saffron robes with long swept-back hair, a rudraksha mala and forehead markings sits cross-legged at a microphone, holding a bundle of offerings toward the fire. Beside him, a second figure in orange robes sits with palms pressed together in namaskar. Fruit, flower garlands and a kalasha with mango leaves sit near the altar edge, and a dark crowd is visible behind them.2010-02-12January 22 20082008-01-22Night outdoor ritual photograph at a homa fire pit on a white-draped platform decorated with white and orange marigold garlands. Two figures in saffron/orange robes sit behind the platform: one with long swept-back hair holds a flame and a small vessel beside a microphone stand, and another in saffron robes sits nearby with a shaved head and ceremonial gold necklaces. A seated crowd of devotees in white clothes with hands folded fills the left foreground, and a large audience sits on blue mats beyond. Stage lights and a camera on a tripod are visible at left. The fire pit holds a bright flame with offerings, and a kalasha-style brass vessel sits near the front. Swamiji (probable) is the figure with long hair and saffron robes seated at the centre, presiding over the homa.2010-02-12Night photograph of a homa fire ritual at the Kumbh Mela. A brick-lined fire pit blazes in the foreground with a tall flame. Two men in saffron-orange robes sit on mats behind it. The seated man at centre has curly hair and a red tilak, wears a saffron wrap and a beaded rudraksha-style mala, and holds a mala in his hands while tending the fire. The man at right wears an orange turban, a saffron robe and a heavy ceremonial gold necklace, and sits with hands folded. Behind them a crowd of devotees in orange and white sits watching, and brass plates of offerings lie on the mat. a person appears to be the man at centre, identified by his distinctive hair, saffron wrap, mala and ceremonial gold necklace cues, presiding over the homa.A night-time outdoor homa ceremony under a tent canopy. A man with long swept-back dark hair, orange robes, a gold-bead necklace and a tilak on his forehead sits on an orange cushion, holding a long ladle-like offering spoon over a fire, with flames and a yellow offering visible near the fire pit. Beside him a younger priest in orange robes and a gold-bead garland sits with a brass vessel and bowls in front of him. A microphone stands nearby, and a raised platform is decorated with flower garlands, fruits, and a kalasha with marigold garlands at the right edge. Colourful painted pillars and a green curtain frame the background.2010-02-12