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A night homa ritual at a square white fire pit filled with reddish-orange offerings, bordered with scattered yellow and pink flowers. A bald priest in white dhoti and shawl, wearing a gold-beaded mala, sits on the left and pours from a metal ladle beside a silver bowl. Behind him young girls in red and maroon dresses sit near a brass lamp and burning oil lamps. Colourful string lights glow in the background, and a large deity murti with a lion face and a figure with a ganesha-like head stand near a decorated chair draped in red and white garlands.

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October 16 20102010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 08 20102010-10-08Night photograph of a homa or yagna ritual before a large decorated deity murti with a golden crown and multiple arms, flanked by smaller figures. A priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a rudraksha-style bead necklace, holds a lit lamp or flame aloft at left. Seated devotees in white clothes at right and centre have their hands folded. In front is a white marble-edged square fire pit with a dark central opening, scattered flower petals, brass vessels, a kalasha, fruit and offerings. Strings of red fairy lights and a fringed canopy frame the scene, with smoke rising in the air.2010-10-16A night homa at a temple, with a white square fire pit filled with dark ash or embers and smoke rising. A priest in a white dhoti with red-bordered cloth pours an offering from a silver vessel into the pit, while another priest in white holds a lamp and a bowl near the pit's edge. A third man in a white dhoti with a yellow waistcloth sits cross-legged on the right, hands together. Behind them stands a decorated deity murti with a silver-white arched backdrop, flanked by women in red and orange saris and a pale kalasha-like figure, with red and gold lights strung in the background.2010-10-16A photograph of a homa fire ritual at night in a temple hall lit by string lights. A large fire burns in a square stone fire pit at centre, with yellow and white flower petals scattered around its rim and a silver bowl on the front edge. A seated priest in white dhoti and shawl with a yellow waistcloth sits at the right, holding a ritual implement. Several young girls in red and maroon clothing sit near the fire, and a standing man in white is behind them. Behind the fire, large colourful deity murti are decorated with white and gold garlands, with a figure in red holding a trident-like staff, and oil lamps on brass stands stand in the foreground. A red and gold throne with a garland-wrapped portrait is at the far right. Several people are visible in the background.2010-10-16A priest in white dhoti with a bare upper body and a gold chain sits cross-legged on a mat before a square white marble homa fire pit, holding a ladle or spoon over it. Behind the pit stands a large deity murti of Durga, with multiple arms holding weapons, riding a lion, framed by white lace-like arches and flanked by smaller murtis of Ganesha and other deities. Brass lamps, a kalasha, bowls and a tray of offerings sit on red cloth. Strings of small lights and red-and-gold hangings decorate the hall, and smoke rises through the scene. Another white-clad priest sits at right, and a few more devotees are partly visible in the background.2010-10-12Night outdoor homa at a fire pit before a large white-and-silver Devi murti with a lion mount. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with red border and gold necklace stands at center, raising his hand over the flames while a kneeling priest in white holds a silver bowl. Smoke rises across the frame. Women in red and orange saris sit in rows on the right, and red and white flower garlands decorate the murti. Marigold petals scatter the stone platform, with brass lamps, a bell and fruit offerings in front. String lights glow behind the scene.2010-10-16A dim temple hall during a night puja. In the foreground, a bare-chested young man in white dhoti sits with folded hands before a white marble yoni-shaped altar set with flower petals and brass vessels. Standing behind it, a priest in white dhoti and sacred thread holds a lit flame on a brass lamp, offering aarti. Strings of red fairy lights and a rounded peetha backdrop frame the scene, with clay deity murtis dressed in white and red garlands and a decorated umbrella canopy above. Smoke hangs in the air. Several other white-clad devotees sit in the background near the murtis.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photograph of a Chandi Homa ritual at an ashram shrine. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a rudraksha-style necklace, holds a flaming lamp over the fire pit area near a white-tiled raised altar. Seated priests in white clothes and bead necklaces are at left and right, with a shaved-head devotee in white at the right edge. Behind the altar are large colourful deity murtis, including a multi-armed goddess with a lion and a Ganesha figure, decorated with white and silver tinsel-like ornamentation, marigold garlands and an ornate umbrella. Strings of fairy lights, hanging coloured cloth decorations and a tiled floor with flower petals complete the scene. Several young boys in white sit in the background.2010-10-16 +2 copies