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Evening Chandi Homa ceremony at an open-air shrine decorated with white and green leaf festoons and colourful canopies. Behind the altar stand several large deity murtis, including a female goddess with a sword and a pink-faced Ganesha figure at left, framed by white lace-like arches. A bald priest in white dhoti with a red-bordered shawl stands at a raised wooden stand, while another white-clad man sits cross-legged at the altar with folded hands. Women in red, orange and saffron saris sit beside the altar holding brass lamps and offering trays. At right, seated men in white and red-robed figures watch from a raised platform, and a bald man in orange near the front right appears to be a devotee. Roughly 20 to 25 people are visible, mostly seated devotees in the foreground with heads and shoulders at the bottom edge. A banner behind reads Vijaya Dasara and Navaratri 2010 dates.

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October 16 20102010-10-16Photograph of a night Chandi Homa ritual in a decorated temple pandal. A bald priest in white dhoti and shawl stands at centre, raising a hand toward a shrine. A seated priest in white holds a bowl and a devotee in white kneels at left. Women in orange and red saris sit in rows, and a seated man in white with a white turban and a man with a red shawl sit at right on a raised dais. Behind them stand large white floral arches framing deity murtis, including a multi-armed goddess with a sword and a pink Ganesha figure at left. Bronze lamps, brass vessels and flower-decorated offerings fill the platform. Devotees in white and orange sit in the foreground. A banner with Kannada text hangs at upper right. Only the seated and standing people on the dais and in the foreground are physically present; the murtis and the banner portrait are not counted.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA nighttime homa ceremony on a raised stage decorated with a fringed umbrella, leaf garlands and a banner in Kannada. A standing priest in white dhoti with red borders holds a flaming ladle over a fire pit. Behind him are large white-and-blue deity figures and a pink Ganesha idol. Seated on the right, a man in an orange robe and turban and an older man with a white beard and saffron-orange robe sit on a raised seat; a seated attendant in white is nearby. Women in red and orange saris sit on the left, and a crowd of devotees fills the foreground.2010-10-16 +1 copiesPhotograph of an evening Chandi Homa ritual on a raised stage decorated with orange and maroon drapes, banana leaf swags and white floral arches framing painted deity murtis. A bald priest in white dhoti and a red-bordered shawl stands at centre facing the homa area, where brass pots, kalashas and offering bowls sit on the platform. Several women in orange, red and maroon saris sit in rows, and a man in white sits at lower left. At right, a seated figure in saffron clothing and a turban sits beside a bearded elder in orange robes with white tripundra markings. Lower foreground shows a crowd of devotees seen from behind, many bald or dark-haired, in white clothes. A hanging banner at upper right is partly legible.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photo of a Chandi Homa ceremony at an outdoor stage decorated with a white floral canopy, orange and green streamers and a large umbrella. Several white-clad priests sit and stand around a ritual area; a central priest in a white dhoti and bare chest holds a lit flame near a deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms, flanked by white floral arches and a pink and white elephant-headed deity. Women in red and orange saris sit on the stage, and a bald priest in white kneels at the right holding a plate. Brass vessels, oil lamps, kalasha-style pots and offering plates fill the foreground, with a dense crowd of devotees seated below. A banner on the right is printed with dates and text. No visible candidate for a person is present in the scene.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +2 copiesNight photograph of a Navaratri ritual stage at an ashram. A priest in white dhoti and shawl, bare-chested, stands before a tall white decorated backdrop holding a lit lamp and ritual implements near a golden deity figure. A kneeling priest in white garments assists beside a fire pit and brass vessels, and a man in white with orange-trimmed clothing sits on an ornate red-and-gold throne at the right. Young girls in red and maroon dresses sit on the stage, some with flowers. 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