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A seated man in orange robes and a gold chain sits on a carved wooden seat before a square fire pit (homa kunda) with a white-and-grey stone border. He holds a ladle over the pit while a silver bowl of offerings sits nearby. Behind him, a deity murti is garlanded with marigold and flower garlands, and a gold-and-jewelled ornament with a tall golden figure is draped in colourful flower garlands. Brass oil lamps (deepa) and a lit candle stand on the floor, with silver plates and vessels scattered in the foreground. The setting is night, with a sacred fire ritual underway.

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A photograph inside a temple at night showing a man seated on an ornate wooden seat, dressed in saffron-orange robes with a beaded necklace, shaved head, holding a lit lamp or camphor flame over a metal vessel as part of a ritual. Behind him, a deity murti is decorated with garlands of marigolds and green leaves, and a second richly adorned deity with a golden crown and garlands stands on the right beside a gold bull-shaped vahana. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha-style vessel, flower offerings and a square stone fire pit with ash sit in the foreground, and a wall sign in a non-Latin script hangs above. The atmosphere is that of an evening puja or homa.2010-11-09Night photograph of a temple shrine during a homa or fire ritual. A man with a shaved head, wearing saffron-orange robes and a beaded necklace, sits cross-legged on a carved wooden seat and holds up a small vessel toward the sacred fire pit at centre-front. Behind him are two decorated deity murtis draped in garlands of marigolds in yellow, orange and green, with brass oil lamps and a metal kalasha on the floor. A large bronze-coloured animal figure with flower garlands sits on a platform at right. Red-painted walls and a white-and-red stepped border frame the scene, with a silver bowl and a small ritual tray in the foreground.2010-11-09November 09 20102010-11-09 +1 copiesA shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes sits on an ornate carved wooden seat beside a square homa fire pit, holding a lit oil lamp and a small brass vessel in his hands. A gold-coloured sacred bull or vahana statue, draped in flower garlands, stands to the right near brass oil lamps and kalasha vessels. Behind them, a deity murti on a golden platform is decorated with marigold garlands in orange, yellow and white, and a red cloth backdrop with decorative fringe hangs on the wall. a person candidate with a gold necklace and orange clothing performs the puja at the fire pit. The setting is a temple-like shrine lit at night.2010-11-09A shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes sits on a carved wooden chair beside a square homa fire pit lined with white stone, pouring or offering from a ladle with a metal bowl at his left. He wears a gold beaded necklace and gold bangles. Behind him are brass oil lamps, kalasha pots wrapped in netting with mango-leaf and coconut tops, and a pink and blue deity murti garlanded with yellow marigolds. Lit string lights and flowers fill the background.2011-10-03A photograph of a homa or yagna at night. A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange robes and a gold bead necklace sits on a wooden chair, pouring liquid from a metal vessel with a long spout into a square fire pit lined with white stone. Behind him stand brass kalashas wrapped in mesh and dressed with mango leaves, a tall brass lamp with a lit flame, and a standing deity murti draped in garlands. Strings of small lights glow in the dark background.2011-10-03A shaven-headed priest in saffron-orange robes sits on a carved wooden seat in a temple hall, his back to the camera, and reaches toward a golden ritual vessel. Behind him a golden kalasha-shaped deity figure stands under a canopy garlanded with red, yellow and green flower chains. Brass oil lamps with lit flames stand on the floor, and a silver bowl and offering dishes sit on a stone platform in the foreground. A black stone deity murti stands at the right against a red wall. The scene suggests a puja or abhishekam in progress.2010-11-09A seated priest in saffron-orange robes, head shaved, performs an evening homa at a temple-style altar. He holds a lit ladle or vessel with flame above a fire ritual. Golden lion and bird-like vahana figures flank the altar, and garlanded deity murti stand behind with floral garlands in red, yellow and green. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha, fruit offerings in silver bowls and a pile of wooden sticks sit in the foreground. Another man in white stands in the background.2010-11-09A shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes sits cross-legged on an ornately carved wooden seat, performing a homa-style ritual at night. He wears a gold-toned beaded necklace and a bracelet, and extends his right hand upward toward a tall brass ladle-like ritual implement. Before him is a stone fire pit with a white bowl of offerings and a small brass vessel nearby. Behind him a golden shrine with a deity murti is garlanded with multicoloured flower garlands. To the right stand tall brass oil lamps, and a dark figure with a deity form stands in the background. A microphone stands near him. The setting has red-and-white striped steps and orange marigolds on the left.2010-11-09A shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes sits cross-legged on a carved wooden seat with a gold-and-red backrest, beside a fire pit lined with black stone. He holds a ladle or spoon over the pit while making an offering, with a ceremonial gold necklace and a bracelet visible. Behind him stand a tall brass oil lamp, a gold-topped staff, a brass aarti lamp, a silver bowl of white offerings, and a brass kalasha-style vessel. The background shows marigold garlands, a red-and-white striped platform and a deity murti. Appearance-based label: a person, seated in a homa-style fire ritual.2010-11-09A photograph of a shaven-headed man in orange saffron robes sitting cross-legged on a carved wooden seat during an evening homa at a temple-like shrine. He holds a small metal ladle or arati-type vessel over a lit flame in a fire pit lined with dark stone. Nearby stand a tall brass oil lamp, a brass lamp stand with a flame, a silver bowl of offerings, and a silver plate. Behind him, a deity murti stands in a gilded frame draped with colourful garlands, and a red and white striped wall runs across the background.2010-11-09A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange robes sits cross-legged on a carved wooden seat beside a stone fire pit, pouring or stirring with a long ladle-like implement over a dark stone homa kund. He wears a gold beaded necklace and a bangle. Behind him stand a tall brass lamp stand, a silver oil lamp, flower garlands, and a gilded peacock-form ornament. A silver bowl and offerings sit on the stone edge, and a faint image of a standing deity appears on the back wall. Probable homa or yagna setting.2010-11-09