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A photograph of a ritual scene at night, lit by string lights and an oil lamp. Several women in silk saris sit on the floor in front of a carved wooden seat with a lotus-like medallion. A woman in an orange-gold sari bends forward toward the seat, and a woman in a maroon sari holds offerings. At left, two men in white dhotis with maroon borders stand, one holding a silver tray. Brass oil lamps, bowls of fruit, limes, flowers and a black stone platform sit in the foreground. Behind them stand pink and white clay murti of Ganesha and a goddess adorned with garlands. No visible person is identified as a person.

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October 16 20102010-10-16A night-time ritual photograph at a temple-like hall strung with small warm lights. Four women seated on the floor in silk saris (maroon, red and gold, and white with red border) hold offerings such as fruit and flowers in their hands. In front of them is a carved wooden seat with a wheel-like pattern, and a stone-edged yantra/homa area with brass vessels, fruits, coconut and a small lamp. On the left, a man in white dhoti with a red border pours or tends from a vessel, and another person in orange and gold kneels nearby. Behind, a pink and white decorated Ganesha murti and a decorated goddess murti stand beside a brass oil lamp and a garlanded arrangement. A decorative umbrella hangs above the altar.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +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.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16A photograph of a Chandi Homa ritual inside a temple hall. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl stands at left, bending over a low white platform. Two women in orange and red saris sit cross-legged before the fire pit, one holding a pink flower and a small bowl. Behind them stand a pink Ganesha murti with a garland and a goddess murti with a lion mount, plus a brass oil lamp with a flame. Fruit, brass vessels, a bell and scattered flowers and leaves lie on the cloth-covered floor. A man in white at right tends the homa. Near the lower right a tall dry-leaf offering sits beside the fire area.2010-10-16Night photograph of a ritual at an outdoor ashram setting lit by string lights. On the left, large painted deity murtis, one with a blue body and yellow garland, stand beside a decorated canopy. A standing man in white dhoti and a maroon-bordered shawl holds a microphone and a tray of fruit. Several women in red, green and maroon saris kneel on a flower-strewn floor before brass oil lamps with lit flames, one woman holding a silver plate. Behind them, a man in a white dhoti and white top with a saffron-and-gold turban sits on a red and gold throne with rudraksha-style beads at his neck. A fire pit with a lit flame sits in the lower right, where a man in white kneels, and a kalasha-style brass vessel and marigold garlands are visible.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16Evening ritual at a homa fire pit before a decorated shrine with a large white-and-pink Ganesha murti and a white-plumed deity figure, strings of red lights behind. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti with red border and a gold necklace kneels at the left pouring liquid from a silver vessel into a brass bowl, while a second white-clad priest stands on a raised platform above. Several women in maroon and red silk saris sit cross-legged in a row, one holding a small pot, along with a girl in a red sari. A brass lamp and offering bowls sit at the fire pit's edge, and an umbrella with a golden finial is visible on the right.2010-10-16