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A photograph of a ritual homa at a temple shrine. Two priests in white dhoti and unstitched upper cloth stand at a white stepped fire pit, one bending over it and holding a bowl. A young girl in red and gold traditional dress kneels beside the fire pit. Behind them, a large deity murti of Durga with many arms and a lion mount is garlanded, with a smaller white-clad goddess figure nearby. Brass oil lamps, silver vessels, fruit, and scattered flower petals surround the altar, and a third person in white stands at the left edge.

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October 16 20102010-10-16A Chandi Homa ritual at an ashram shrine before a large deity murti of Durga with multiple arms holding weapons, surrounded by white floral and lace-like decorations. A man in a white dhoti and white cloth at the top of the frame, bare-chested with a thin shawl, stands at left offering a fruit onto a fire-pit or offering table lined with white stone steps, while a young girl in a red and gold dress reaches to place an orange. Another girl in a red outfit sits at right, and a seated priest in white dhoti with a yellow cloth, bare-chested, tends the offerings with dried sticks and flowers in brass plates. Brass oil lamps, flower garlands and marigold petals fill the foreground, and a figure in orange at far right is partly visible.2010-10-16 +1 copiesIndoor ritual scene at a Chandi Homa with a shrine of deity murtis. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti leans over a white altar-platform, offering a red apple toward a woman in orange sari who kneels and holds a small plate. A woman in white sari stands at the left holding a tray of apples and fruit. Several women in orange and red saris sit around the altar with flower offerings. Behind them stand a pink Ganesha murti garlanded with purple flowers, a white-clad goddess figure with a green and yellow garland, and a large Durga murti with multiple arms holding weapons, riding a lion. Brass oil lamps burn and brass vessels, bells and a pile of dried sticks sit on the altar. A coloured canopy hangs above.2010-10-16A temple puja scene before a large multi-armed deity murti of Durga with a red-and-gold figure on a lion-like mount, flanked by additional goddess figures in white and red adornments. In the foreground a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and white shawl kneels at a low white altar, pouring offerings from a small vessel, with a small silver-and-red decorated image on a peetha. Oil lamps burn on brass stands, and a standing attendant in white dhoti holds a lit lamp. Three young girls in red and maroon saris sit to the right, with garlands of flowers and marigold petals scattered on the altar. Dried twigs and offering plates lie in front.2010-10-16A photograph of a Devi puja at a temple shrine with large painted and sculpted goddess images behind, including a lion-mounted multi-armed Durga figure and a white-clad goddess murti garlanded in yellow flowers. Seated on the floor in the foreground, a bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with a yellow border and gold chains gestures toward brass oil lamps and a stand of offerings. Three young girls in red and maroon saris with jewelry sit beside him, one holding an orange. At right, an older man with white-marked bare torso and a saffron-orange garment performs a gesture near a red-cushioned seat, and a standing figure in orange robes is partly visible at the edge. Scattered flower petals, plates of ash-like material and a silver tray lie on the mat. Four to five visible people, seated devotees and priests in ritual dress.2010-10-16A 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.2010-10-16Photograph of a Navaratri puja before a multi-armed Durga murti with a lion mount, flanked by a white lacework backdrop and a goddess figure garlanded in yellow flowers. A bald priest in white dhoti and white shawl sits on the floor with an oil lamp, marked with an ash-white forehead, while a second devotee in orange-pink dhoti with white tripundra sits on a white cushioned seat with folded hands. Four young girls in maroon and red traditional dress sit beside them holding oranges and fruit, and a metal kalasha and brass lamp are placed on the floor. Small peetha stands, scattered flower petals and a red and green umbrella canopy frame the altar.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16Photograph of a nighttime puja at a shrine with a large white-and-pink Ganesha murti wearing a garland, beside a figure of a goddess in pink and yellow with yellow garlands and a lion figure at right. Two priests in white dhoti and bare upper body stand at left, one holding a small lamp or offering. Several young girls in red and maroon traditional dress sit on a white-covered platform before brass plates, a silver bowl, a kalasha-style vessel and a standing brass lamp. Dried leaves and marigold-like flowers lie on the cloth. The scene is a puja or aarti with deity murtis.2010-10-16Night photograph of a Devi puja at an outdoor stage. A large goddess murti with many arms, dark flowing hair and a lion mount stands at the centre, framed by white floral arches, garlands and a canopy of green leaves. Several smaller murtis flank her. In the foreground a bare-chested priest in white dhoti holds a brass vessel and raises one arm toward the altar. Another white-clad priest kneels at the platform, and a seated man in orange robes with white markings sits to the right, his palms together. Young girls in red and maroon clothes sit among the worshippers, and oil lamps and brass vessels stand on the white platform steps, with flower petals scattered across the cloth.2010-10-16A night-time ritual in a decorated temple pavilion with a large goddess murti dressed in white and red, framed by an ornate silver arch and surrounded by smaller deity images and oil lamps. In the foreground a man in white ritual cloth sits cross-legged before a black square fire pit or yagna altar with brass vessels and marigold petals. A man in white with a turban holds a silver tray, while a standing man in a saffron-orange robe and a shaved-headed sadhu with white-painted markings and a bare upper body hold a flame, consistent with a homa or aarti. Several young boys in white sit on the left near the deity. Red and multicolored hangings and string lights decorate the background, and a cream armchair stands at right.2010-10-16A night-time homa or yagna at a temple shrine decorated with red string lights and a large ornate deity murti of a goddess in the background. In the foreground, a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and sacred thread kneels on the left with hands folded in prayer, while a standing priest in white robes and a shawl holds a lamp or ritual implement beside a square black homa pit lined with white marble and scattered flower petals. Brass bowls, a kalasha-like vessel, fruit and oil lamps sit on the platform. Several young boys in white and seated devotees with folded hands are visible, and a canopy with fringed edging hangs above the shrine.2010-10-16