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Night-time ritual at an outdoor pandal decorated with orange and yellow hangings and small fairy lights. Several young men in white dhotis with red-and-white borders kneel and bow on an orange-draped platform before a large clay-and-wood kalasha or pot set on a stand. Behind them a ceremonial deity murti with a red, gold and blue ornate backdrop stands among flower garlands and fruit offerings, with a Ganesha figure at left. Brass plates with flowers, fruit, betel leaves and grains sit on the platform. A man in white and gold stands at right with a long-handled ladle near the vessel. A crowd of devotees watches from the dark background, and a photographer's camera is visible at the left edge. Smoke rises from the ritual area, consistent with a puja or homa.

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October 16 20102010-10-16Night photograph of a Chandi Homa ritual under a temporary pandal. On the left, a large decorated deity murti of Durga with a lion and a figure of Ganesha stand on a white and gold altar draped with garlands. In the centre, a priest in white dhoti lies stretched out on an orange-draped platform beside a copper-brown vessel with a golden crown-shaped top, with offerings of fruit, flowers and brass plates before him. Several young boys in white dhotis sit on the platform and mats, and a standing priest in white attends the fire, where smoke rises. Devotees sit in rows in the foreground on the right, watching. Strings of lights and garlands decorate the tent.2010-10-16Night photograph of a homa or yagna ritual on an orange-draped raised platform with white-and-maroon striped edging. A priest in white dhoti with a maroon-bordered cloth kneels at the right beside a wooden yoga-style seat with a golden crown-shaped top, while another man in white lies prostrate in the foreground. Several young boys in white dhotis sit on purple cloth at left, one playing a small instrument. Brass plates hold fruit, flowers, rice and vessels, and a fire pit smokes in the centre. Behind, an elaborately decorated deity murti of the goddess with multiple arms, red and gold garments and a lion vahana is lit with string lights, with a crowd seated in the background.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16Night ritual scene at a temple shrine lit by warm light. On the left, a large deity murti in red and gold with a crown and multiple arms stands beside a figure in white and pink, with a garland on her shoulder. On the orange-draped platform, several boys in white dhotis and shawls sit cross-legged, one holding a conch-like object while others chant or assist. A man lies prone on the platform at the front, legs extended, wearing white with a red-bordered cloth. Brass plates hold fruit, flowers, rice and offerings, with a kalasha and lamps nearby. Behind the platform, a homa or yagna fire pit emits smoke, and a few seated priests in white attend the ritual. Coloured string lights and hanging decorations fill the background, with a small crowd of onlookers visible at the right edge.2010-10-16Night-time puja on an orange-draped raised platform in front of a large deity murti with a decorated face and multiple arms, lit by strings of red lights. A shaved-headed young priest in white dhoti and shawl with red borders kneels in the foreground. Other white-clad boys and young men sit on the platform among fruit, flowers, brass plates and a kalasha, with a dark wooden peetha or throne behind them. A man in white with a gold necklace sits at the right edge. Hanging decorations and green leaves fill the upper frame, and the seated audience is at the right.2010-10-16Night ritual on an orange-and-white raised platform under a canopy strung with green leaves and hanging tassels. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with red borders stands with palms pressed together in namaskar beside a large wooden yajna vessel with smoke rising from it. Several young boys in white sit cross-legged on the left before a purple cloth covered with flower petals, fruit, brass plates and small oil lamps. To the left stands a large ornate deity murti of a goddess in red and gold, with a decorated arch and fairy lights behind. A rows of seated devotees in orange and red fill the right side, and a cameraman is visible at the far left edge.2010-10-16A night-time puja on a raised orange-and-white platform under a tent with hanging green leaf garlands and tassels. A bald man in white dhoti and shawl with maroon-red borders stands with palms pressed together in namaskar, facing a large ornate deity murti and decorated backdrop on the left. Children in white sit to the left near brass plates of fruit, a kalasha-like vessel and offering trays on a purple cloth scattered with flower petals. A wooden seat or stand sits centrally. Seated devotees in white and orange fill the lower right, and a cameraman in the left foreground films the ceremony. Hazy smoke and warm lights glow in the background.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16A 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.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photograph of a puja ceremony under a canopy strung with lights and bunting. Several shaven-headed priests in white dhotis sit cross-legged on a mat in front of a decorated deity display of multiple painted murtis and ornate white-and-silver backdrops. A standing priest in white holds a lit oil lamp, an aarti gesture. Brass lamps, metal plates of offerings and red flowers or petals lie on the mats. Red cushions and an orange cloth sit at the right edge. No one is clearly identifiable as a person in the visible frame.2010-10-16