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Outdoor night ritual at a homa or puja site with a raised white platform strewn with yellow flower petals. A man in white dhoti with a gold and bead necklace and a yellow-orange turban stands at the centre-back, smiling with hands folded near a red and gold throne. A man in white with a shaved head and sacred thread-style cloth stands at left, and an elderly ascetic with white-painted forehead and body, grey beard and orange-red cloth sits at right with palms joined. A seated man in white with palms pressed together kneels at the platform's front. Young girls in red and magenta dresses sit at left beside brass lamps and a metal pot. Leafy garlands hang overhead, with a wooden pillar and a large wooden drum-like piece at right. Smoke rises in the background.

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October 16 20102010-10-16Night-time ritual scene under a canopy of mango leaves with a ring-shaped arch above. A large red and gold throne stands empty at center. A bearded man with sandalwood and white markings on his body, wearing orange cloth and beads, holds a plate at the right, while a man in white dhoti with a yellow turban and gold necklace stands with hands folded beside the throne. A bare-chested man in white cloth kneels at a raised fire-altar platform with brass vessels and flower petals. Girls in red and maroon dress sit at left, and a robed attendant in orange carries a tray of flowers. A wooden drum-like object stands at right and smoke rises behind the platform.2010-10-16 +2 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +2 copiesNight-time outdoor ceremony under a dark sky with hanging circular rings and a string of green leaves strung across the top. A standing man in white ritual dhoti and shawl with a turban and beaded necklaces stands with palms pressed together in front of an ornate red and gold throne. Beside him a man in orange robes holds a silver tray, and an elderly bearded sannyasi in orange-red cloth with white body markings and a turban holds offerings. Another man in white with a mala sits below near a fire pit with flowers, and a figure in white stands at the right edge. Two colourful painted pillars frame the stage, with women in red and pink saris seated at the lower left.2010-10-16 +2 copiesNight photograph of an outdoor homa ritual under a decorated pandal. A central man in white dhoti and cloth, wearing a light turban and beaded mala, raises both hands in blessing beside a red and gold throne. Behind him stands an elderly bearded man with white-painted body markings and a saffron-brown cloth, pressing palms together. A younger man in white kneels at a fire pit, and a man in white on the left holds his hands in prayer. A woman in red sari holds a tray of offerings near a wooden drum, and a kalasha and flower petals sit on the stone platform. Green mango-leaf garlands and orange and striped cloth hang from the pillars, with a circular gold ring frame above.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual at a homa fire pit on a white-tiered platform strewn with petals, with smoke rising. A man in a white dhoti and a red-cushioned gold throne sits behind the fire, wearing a turban, long hair, and a gold necklace, smiling with hands folded in namaste. Beside him a priest in a saffron-orange garment holds a brass plate, while another priest in an orange robe with white body markings and a turban stands with palms joined. Two shaved-head men in white garments with gold beaded necklaces sit at right with hands folded. Painted wooden pillars with floral and bird motifs, a garland, and a wooden drum-shaped piece frame the scene. Brass vessels, a kalasha, and flower offerings sit on the platform in front, and young girls in red and pink dress stand at lower left.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual with smoke in the air beneath a canopy of green leaves and marigold garlands. A standing man in a white dhoti and a golden-brown turban raises one hand in blessing while holding flowers, wearing a long rudraksha-style mala and gold bead necklace. A seated white-clad priest with a shaved head and a mala leans over a stone altar strewn with flower petals, next to brass oil lamps and a silver vessel. Behind, a red and gold throne stands empty of other occupants. Several young girls in red and pink dresses sit at the left, and a shaved-headed priest in white with maroon borders stands at right beside a wooden drum.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor fire ritual (homa) at an ashram. A standing man in white dhoti with an orange-and-gold turban and a gold-bead necklace presses his palms together beside an ornate red and gold throne. A seated priest in white with a gold necklace tends the fire pit, which has white-edged platforms and flower petals. On the right an older sadhu with long white beard, white forehead markings, rudraksha beads and a reddish-orange cloth stands with hands folded. Children in red and magenta silk dresses with braided hair sit at the left edge with offerings. Painted wooden pillars, leaf garlands and a wooden yoke-shaped board frame the scene, with a bright blue-and-white emblem at the top left.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +2 copiesA night-time ritual at an outdoor ceremony. In the centre, a man in a white dhoti and a saffron-and-white turban stands beside an ornate red throne with gold trim, wearing rudraksha-style beaded necklaces. A bare-chested man kneels at a white stone altar decorated with yellow flowers and brass vessels, while a bearded sadhu with white-painted markings and a red-orange cloth stands at right. Several girls in red and maroon silk dresses with flowers in their braided hair sit in front. Decorative pillars with coloured patterns, mango-leaf garlands and a large wooden drum stand behind them, with ritual brass items in the foreground.2010-10-16 +1 copies