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A photograph of a homa ritual before a set of deity murtis at night. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl, wearing a gold necklace and holding a small vessel and a ladle-like spoon, pours offerings toward a fire. A seated priest in white with a gold chain and sandalwood marks on his arms gestures with his hands near the flames. Two young girls in maroon and red traditional dress sit at the fire pit. Behind them stand a large Ganesha murti with a pink body and garlands, a goddess murti in pink and yellow garlands, and a large Durga murti with a lion mount and a crown. Brass lamps and an ornate umbrella canopy frame the scene with string lights overhead. A plate of flowers and brass bowls sit at the base of the fire pit.

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October 16 20102010-10-16A photograph of a Navaratri-style puja in a temple hall. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a red-bordered cloth over one shoulder, stands on a raised platform holding a ritual implement toward the shrine. Beside him a seated man in white with a gold necklace and sandalwood markings on his arms performs the rite, while a small girl in a red-and-gold dress sits near the fire pit. The shrine holds a pink Ganesha murti garlanded in purple, a white-decorated deity murti of the goddess with a lion mount, and a large brass oil lamp. Small children in red dresses sit among brass vessels, flowers and fruit. A small fire burns in a pit in the foreground.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesA temple puja scene in front of a large white-and-blue Durga murti with multiple raised arms holding weapons, a lion mount beside her, and a smaller pink Ganesha murti and a white-framed goddess figure at center. A man in white dhoti and shawl with red border stands at left holding a brass plate of fruit as an offering. Seated before the altar are young girls in maroon and red dresses and a bald man in white with gold necklaces at left. Brass oil lamps, flower garlands, marigold and white decorations, and a small framed deity image on the altar fill the frame. The photo is a Chandi Homa puja in a temple setting.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA ritual worship scene before a shrine decorated with white lace-like backdrops and a lit brass oil lamp. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a red border and gold chain, holds a plate of oranges toward a pink Ganesha murti garlanded with purple flowers. Beside the Ganesha is a white-decorated Devi murti in pink and gold, and a lion-mount figure with a crown-like adornment in the lower right. Three girls in maroon and red traditional dress sit on the floor, one in the centre with gold necklaces. A seated priest in white with a gold chain and sandal marks on his arms sits at left. Brass vessels, a plate of flowers, small bowls and rice are arranged on the floor before the shrine, under a string of red lights and green leaves.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight-time puja at a decorated shrine before large deity murtis with elaborate white and silver backdrops. On the left, a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl holds a lit flame aloft while a kneeling assistant in white beside him tends offerings. A cameraman in white stands at the far left filming. Several children and a young woman in red-and-gold dress sit at the right near the murtis, and a bright lamp burns on the platform. Figures include a pink-faced Ganesha, a blue-skinned goddess with many arms and weapons, and a lion-mounted Durga. Garlands of green leaves hang overhead, and offering plates with flowers and leaves sit in the foreground.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA photograph of a temple shrine during a Devi worship ceremony. A shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with maroon borders stands with his back to the camera, facing a richly decorated image of the goddess with a lion mount, multiple raised arms and a white sequined halo backdrop. Beside her, another goddess figure in pink and white wears a marigold garland. Two girls in maroon and gold dresses sit at the lower right and left, and a second shaven-headed man in white sits at the lower left with a shawl. Brass oil lamps and a small fire, with a brass plate of offerings and lemons, sit in the foreground. Orange and red cloth hangs on the wall behind.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA photograph of a puja at a temple shrine. Two priests in white dhoti and shawl stand at left; one leans over a wooden peetha with a brass vessel. Several young girls in red and maroon outfits sit on the platform; one smiling girl at center holds a small offering. Behind them stands a pink Ganesha murti with a purple garland and a Devi murti in a pink and green sari with a yellow garland. A lion vahana and a brass oil lamp stand at right, with silver and brass plates of offerings and flowers in the foreground. No a person candidate is visibly present.2010-10-16A photograph of a temple puja inside a shrine decorated with white lace-like cutwork and red fabric. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with red border stands at left, extending his arm over the scene. A second priest in white kneels at lower left. Two women seated on the floor in orange and red saris, one holding a pink flower, sit before a pink Ganesha murti with a trunk, garlanded in purple, beside a white-decorated deity murti with a crown and multiple arms holding objects. Brass plates, oil lamps and a smoky haze fill the foreground, and a string of red lights hangs above.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16A photograph of an evening Chandi Homa ritual at a temple stage decorated with large white and silver-embellished deity murtis, including a multi-armed goddess figure with a lion mount and an elephant-headed deity. Two priests stand at left, one in white dhoti with a bare upper body and the other in white with a red-bordered cloth over the shoulder. Several women sit cross-legged in red, orange and maroon saris before a homa area with kalasha pots, fruits, brass vessels, oil lamps and bundles of sticks. A seated crowd of devotees, including children, fills the foreground. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person.2010-10-16 +1 copies