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A ritual scene before a large deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms, seated on a lion, with a bright halo and garlands; several other smaller murtis and a crowd of devotees stand behind. In the foreground a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and sacred thread sits with hands folded in anjali at a square white fire pit or homa altar with a dark central tray, brass bowls, oil lamps and scattered marigold petals. Several women in red sarees sit beside the altar, and an oil lamp burns nearby. Strings of lights and ornate decorative canopies fill the background.

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Photograph of a Navaratri puja in a dimly lit temple shrine. In the foreground a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with a red border sits cross-legged on a mat, hands pressed together in namaskar, wearing gold necklaces. Behind a stone altar with brass bowls, lamps and yellow and purple flowers, a large decorated deity murti of the goddess with a lion mount, surrounded by ornate white and silver arches and garlands. Several women in red and maroon saris sit in the background, and additional figures in white stand at the right. Strings of red lights hang on the right wall.2010-10-16Night-time photograph inside a covered temple pavilion during a Devi puja. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and white shawl kneels at the left, holding a brass vessel and a bell-shaped object, while a second priest in white stands behind him pouring from a vessel. Behind them is a large deity murti of Devi with multiple arms and a silver-framed halo, flanked by smaller murtis and decorated with string lights and red-and-white cloth. Several women in red and maroon saris sit in front, some with garlands. A black stone yantra or altar slab sits before the murti, surrounded by brass plates, oil lamps, flowers and kumkum-marked rice.2010-10-16Night photograph of a Navaratri-style puja at an ashram pandal decorated with large white and gold sculpted deity murtis, including a multi-armed goddess figure with a lion, an elephant-headed Ganesha in pink, and other standing deities garlanded in marigolds. Several women in red and maroon silk saris sit on the floor with pink lotus flowers in their hands, while a shaved-headed priest in white sits in front of a wooden stand with brass lamps, bowls and offerings. On the right, an ornate gold-and-red throne holds a seated figure in white, and a man in white with a gold chain sits beside it. Red string lights and oil lamps glow in the background.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesA photograph of a Chandi Homa ritual at night before a tall altar of deity murti, including a large goddess figure seated on a lion and a figure of Ganesha with a garland. Five young women in red, orange and saffron saris sit cross-legged on a raised platform holding pink and orange flowers. In the foreground a bald priest with bare upper body raises one arm toward a fire pit and brass oil lamps, while flower petals and offerings lie on the platform. Strings of lights and a canopy decorate the background, and two white-clad men stand on the right near the altar.2010-10-16 +2 copiesA 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.2010-10-16A photograph of a ritual inside a temple hall before a group of goddess murti images decorated with white floral cutouts, garlands and a lion or tiger mount. In the foreground a bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a red border and gold necklace sits with his back to the camera, near a lit brass oil lamp and flower-strewn steps. Two women seated on a mat in orange and red saris, one with a pink lotus in her hands, are in meditative stillness, while another seated figure in red and orange clothing sits at right. Marigold and rose garlands hang on the deity images, and a decorated umbrella is visible at upper right. The scene appears to be a puja or homa in progress.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +2 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copies