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Night ritual at a covered open-air pavilion with a corrugated metal roof. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl stands at right, scattering orange flower petals or grain from a metal bowl over a fire pit (homa kunda) with smoke rising. Two other white-clad priests kneel and sit at the left and centre beside brass vessels, fruit, tomatoes and offering plates on a patterned cloth. Behind them stand decorated deity murti figures, including a large goddess image with a white floral backdrop and a white parasol-shaped canopy. A red-and-gold throne stands empty behind the fire, and a cream chair is set to the right. Hanging mango leaf festoons and colourful tasselled bunting decorate the structure. A few devotees in red and orange clothing stand at the far right.

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October 16 20102010-10-16A night puja scene in a open-sided pavilion decorated with hanging tassels, triangular pennants and red fairy lights. On the left, a large painted deity murti of a multi-armed goddess stands among smaller figures, with brass oil lamps (diya) and offerings of red kumkum and flowers on a cloth-covered altar. A devotee wearing a cream turban and white dhoti-style garments with a bare chest stands with palms pressed together in namaste near an empty ornate red and gold throne with a wooden peetha in front. Yellow flower petals are scattered in the air. Other men in white ritual clothes and an orange-clad person stand in the background, and a bronze kalasha sits nearby.2010-10-16A night-time homa or puja at a temple shrine with a large deity murti of Devi, multi-armed and adorned with white floral decorations and a garland, under a white canopy. In the foreground a priest in white dhoti and shawl with red border, gold chain and tilak, pours grains or offerings from a silver plate into the fire pit. Another priest in white kneels beside him, and a standing figure at right tends a brass lamp. Small oil lamps and flower petals surround the altar, with red fairy lights behind the left side.2010-10-16Night ritual at a homa fire pit beside a large decorated deity murti. Three priests in white dhotis and shawls stand and kneel around a square white-tiled fire pit with red flower petals and brass vessels. The central figure, a goddess with multiple arms holding weapons, is adorned with garlands and a silver and white halo-style backdrop, flanked by a lion mount and other smaller murtis. Brass oil lamps and kalasha-style vessels sit on purple and red cloths, under fairy lights and a decorated ceiling with hanging banners. A shaven-headed priest kneels at the front in the foreground. Two figures stand at left with hands folded in prayer. No one in the scene is identifiable as a person by the visible cues.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA night-time photograph of a homa ritual at a square white fire pit with a dark central well, sprinkled with flower petals and surrounded by a dotted line of petals. Two priests in white dhotis stand and sit at the altar: a standing priest on the left holds a metal vessel and a ladle-like implement over the pit, while a second priest on the right, shirtless and wearing gold chains, pours from a bowl. A third man sits cross-legged in the foreground feeding sticks or twigs. Smoke rises from the pit. Behind them, a large decorated deity murti with silver ornamentation and a white arch stands beneath a canopy with a fringed top, flanked by smaller figures, with lit oil lamps and a string of red lights in the background. Women in red and orange saris sit to the right watching the ritual.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight ritual inside a temple hall decorated with a goddess murti in an elaborate silver and white arch, with painted deity images and red-and-gold hangings. A small white-clad boy sits at left, and a row of seated young boys in white garments watches. In the centre, a man in a white dhoti kneels at a white puja platform with brass bowls and flower petals. A standing man in an orange robe and a woman in a white sari hold a brass plate, while a bare-chested sadhu with white sandalwood markings and rudraksha malas holds a lit oil lamp aloft. Other standing figures wear saffron and white. Marigold petals, a small dark mat, and a bowl of offerings lie on the floor, and strings of coloured lights glow in the background; this appears to be an aarti during a festival.2010-10-16A night-time homa ritual before a large deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms, decorated with white floral backdrop and a canopy above. In the foreground, a priest in white dhoti and shawl raises his arm beside a square fire pit with a dark ash surface, brass pots, oil lamps and scattered flowers. Smoke rises through the frame. Seated to the right, a man in white with a yellow shawl and bead necklace sits on a red and gold throne-like chair holding a tray, while beside him a man in orange robes with white markings on his arms and forehead sits on a cushion. Several other seated figures in orange and red clothing face the fire, and string lights glow in the background.2010-10-16October 15 20102010-10-15 +1 copiesNight-time ritual photograph inside a decorated hall with a large elaborate deity murti of a goddess with a crown, lion mount and silver halo at left, and small figures seated near it. A man in white dhoti with white ash on his body sits cross-legged before a black stone yajna or homa fire pit strewn with petals and flanked by brass vessels and oil lamps. Standing at right, a man in orange robe and a bare-chested man in red-brown dhoti with white markings hold their palms together in prayer near a throne-like seat. A bearded man in white with an orange turban stands holding a silver tray. Smoke rises and strings of lights glow in the background.2010-10-16Night ritual outdoors under a tin-roofed pavilion with a large fire pit (homa) at centre, smoke rising. Behind it stands a standing woman in a red garment with a red-and-white beaded necklace, holding a small offering. A large ornate red-and-gold throne is to her right. On the left, a shaved-headed man in white dhoti and white shirt sits cross-legged on a mat before the fire, hands pressed together; a woman in white sits in the lower-left foreground. At right, a man in saffron-orange robes holds a tray. A deity murti with a red-and-gold crown and a sculpted figure sit in an altar of marigolds and brass lamps, with a large white decorated umbrella overhead. Tables hold bananas, apples, limes, coconuts, bowls of flowers, firewood and offerings.2010-10-11 +1 copiesA nighttime Chandi Homa ritual under a open-sided canopy strung with orange triangular flags and multicolored hanging tassels. On the left, a large clay deity murti of the goddess with multiple arms and a red-and-white ornate backdrop, flanked by a lion-like figure and fruit offerings including watermelon and bananas on a red cloth. In the foreground, several young women in maroon and red sarees sit cross-legged on a orange cloth-covered platform, one holding a flower. A bald man in white dhoti and shawl stands at right, lifting a ritual implement above a wooden homa altar with smoke rising. Behind them, a seated figure in orange robes sits on a white throne-like seat beside a few other seated people, with an audience of several dozen devotees in the background.2010-10-16 +1 copies