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A photograph of an outdoor homa ritual on bare reddish earth. A man with short dark hair and a beard, wearing a white dhoti and white shirt with a dark mala around his neck and a tilak on his forehead, sits on a woven mat and tosses an offering with his right hand toward a small brick fire pit burning with orange flames. Beside him is a brass bowl with a ladle, a small brass vessel, and a steel tray of offerings. Yellow flowers are scattered over the bricks. Other participants in white clothing sit at neighbouring fire pits in the background, with trays of offerings and marigolds. The scene is fenced by brick-lined pits and white chalk markings on the ground.

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A homa ceremony in progress outdoors. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts sit cross-legged on mats in rows behind small square brick fire pits lined with white bricks, with flames burning in the pits. Yellow marigold flowers decorate the bricks. Brass bowls, a brass ladle, incense sticks, a plate of wood sticks and a plate of green leaves sit beside the fires. In the foreground a bearded man with a tilak of white ash on his forehead and rudraksha beads on his neck presses his palms together in prayer. Behind them women in saris, some in red, sit watching. Red and white tarpaulin and bamboo scaffolding frame the background.2010-07-24Outdoor fire ritual on bare earth, with a row of rectangular brick fire pits lit by small flames. Men in white dhotis and white kurtas sit cross-legged on mats in front of the pits, performing a homa; the foreground man in the front-centre holds a brass ladle over a fire with a metal plate of offerings nearby. Other participants sit behind, many wearing white with saffron-coloured shawls or small badges, and plates of fruit, flowers and offerings sit at the pits. Banana plants, a red tent, and a blue tarpaulin frame the background, with a crowd of onlookers standing beyond. A purple logo sits in the upper left corner.2010-07-24 +2 copiesOutdoor homa ceremony under a canopy with banana leaves and a red cloth backdrop. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts sit cross-legged behind rows of white brick fire pits, where flames rise. The man in the foreground, wearing a rudraksha mala, holds a long ladle over the fire. Behind them, women in saris and devotees sit on the ground, and a white-clad man stands at the back. Brass bowls, marigold petals, fruit and coconuts are arranged on trays nearby.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony on bare ground with several rows of white brick fire pits, flames rising from the nearest one. Priests in white dhotis and kurtas sit on mats and low white platforms, holding ladles, brass pots and bowls of offerings; the foreground priest wears a rudraksha-style mala and gold bangles. Marigold petals and orange cloth lie among the altars. Behind them a large audience in white sits beneath a red-draped pavilion with banana leaves and a parked truck. No candidate for a person is clearly visible in the foreground; the scene is a group fire ritual.2010-07-24A photograph of an outdoor homa ceremony on bare ground. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts sit cross-legged behind rows of white brick fire pits, feeding offerings into small flames with long ladles and spoons. Smoke rises from the pits. Metal plates hold leaves, herbs, and bundled wood, and a long cloth-covered table on the right displays bananas, fruit, and red-and-orange cloth offerings. Behind them, rows of seated devotees in white, several women in colourful saris, and a few bright orange and red garments fill the background. Chalk kolam-style patterns mark the ground, with scattered flower petals near the fire pits.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony with several rows of white-washed brick fire pits burning with open flames. Participants in white clothing sit on mats on the ground, some holding brass vessels, ladles and offering plates with flower petals, grains and sweets. A man in the foreground wears a dark rudraksha mala, a white kurta and a wristwatch-style bracelet, holding a small offering dish and a paper sheet. Yellow marigold petals are scattered over the bricks and bowls. Behind them a crowd of onlookers in white and colourful saris stands near a red wall with a blue tarp and a parked green vehicle.2010-07-24Outdoors under a red tent canopy with banana plants, several men in white dhotis and white shirts sit on mats before brick fire pits. Flames burn in the pits, decorated with yellow flower petals, while the seated men pour offerings and hold ladles and brass bowls over the fire. Plates of fruit, leaves and flowers rest nearby. Behind them, a row of seated devotees, including women in saris, watches the homa. The scene is a fire ritual conducted by priests in white.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony with a row of fire pits built from white bricks, with flames rising from the central pit. A bearded man in white dhoti and white shirt sits cross-legged at left, pouring an offering with a long ladle over a fire. Other men in white clothing sit beside brass vessels and offering trays holding bananas, flowers and fruit. Behind them, seated devotees including women in pink and multicoloured saris and a man in a yellow shawl sit in rows. Red fabric draping and banana leaves frame the open ground, with a white-clad standing attendant at the back.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony under a red and white tent on bare ground. Several men in white kurta-style clothes sit cross-legged on woven mats, many wearing yellow or saffron shawls. Small square fire pits made of white brick hold a small flame, with brass vessels and flower petals around them. Metal trays of fruit, flowers, and offerings lie on the ground, and an elaborately decorated stage with a kalasha display stands at right. Around a dozen seated onlookers in the background watch from behind the mats. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony on bare earth under a red-draped pandal. Several rows of seated devotees in white clothes perform fire rituals at brick-built fire pits, with flames rising from the nearest pit. A man in the foreground wears a dark rudraksha mala and gold bracelet, holds a ladle and reads from a printed sheet. Brass vessels, marigold petals, a silver tray and a red offering packet sit on the bricks. Behind them a crowd of people in white and saris watches, and a green truck is parked at the right.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony on bare ground in front of a red tent with banana plants. Rows of white-clad participants sit cross-legged behind low square fire pits built from white bricks, with yellow flowers scattered on the bricks. In the foreground a seated man in white with a rudraksha mala and a blue rosette badge tends a fire, with dry sticks, herbs and a small bowl of offerings on a tray before him. Smoke rises from the pits, and a brass bowl sits on one brick altar. Other participants in white garments and lanyards sit in the background, and a standing attendant in white stands at the right.2010-07-24Outdoor fire ritual at a homa pit built of white bricks and decorated with yellow and orange marigold petals. Two young men in white dhotis and white shirts sit cross-legged at the fire. The man on the right, wearing a yellow shawl and a small lapel microphone, holds a ladle over the flames. The man beside him wears a yellow shawl and a rudraksha mala. A brass bowl sits at the left edge of the pit. Behind them, a crowd of devotees in white and blue sits and watches, including women in white and a woman in a blue sari. No one in the image is clearly identifiable as a person; the visible participants appear to be ritual assistants or devotees.2010-07-24