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Night 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.

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A night-time ritual scene in a temporary pandal decorated with strings of lights and hanging cloth. A man with a shaved head and bare chest, wearing a white dhoti, stands holding a lit oil lamp aarti. Around a low square fire pit or altar, several shaved-headed men in white dhotis sit on a mat, some wearing yellow cloth and necklaces, with brass pots, plates of offerings and flower petals placed nearby. Behind them stands a decorated deity murti with a silver halo and a tall ornate backdrop, with additional murtis and garlands to the right. Red sofa-like seating is at the lower right. This appears to be a puja or homa in progress.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA night-time ritual at an outdoor shrine decorated with fairy lights and colourful pennants. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl holds a lit flame or aarti lamp toward a large deity murti adorned with white flower garlands, a lion mount and a crowned goddess figure with multiple arms. Seated devotees in white dhotis, some with rudraksha malas, surround a square fire pit with smoke rising, and brass plates of offerings, fruit and red flowers are arranged on the ground. A red and orange sofa-like seat with orange cloth stands at the right edge. a person is not visibly identifiable among the people present, so no candidate is named.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +2 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesA night-time outdoor puja under a temporary pavilion decorated with orange and multicolored pennants, hanging tassels and strings of lights. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl, with rudraksha-style beads, holds a lit lamp before a decorated deity murti area with tall white floral arches, a lion mount and goddess figures garlanded in marigolds. Several seated men in white dhotis and bare shoulders sit on mats around a brick homa/yagna pit with brass vessels, lamps, flower offerings and plates of food. A red cushioned seat and orange cloth sit at the right. No clearly visible face of a person candidate is identifiable from the described cues, so the figure is described only by role.2010-10-16 +2 copiesNight ritual at a Chandi Homa outdoors under a canopy, with a fire pit blazing in the foreground. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti stands at center holding up a lit aarti lamp toward the fire. Around the homa, about ten seated men in white dhotis and garlands, some with rudraksha malas, sit on mats with brass plates of offerings, fruit and flowers. To the right, a richly decorated deity murti of the goddess stands with a lion mount, surrounded by white floral decorations, lamps and fruit. Strings of coloured lights and hanging festoons decorate the canopy and posts. Smoke rises in the dark air.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight ceremony at an outdoor homa pit, with a fire glowing in a rectangular sunken fire pit lined with flower petals. A priest in white dhoti and shawl raises a lit lamp or torch high on the left. Around the pit, several seated ritual participants in white cloth and some in yellow dhotis hold offering plates of flowers, grains and red items. Behind them stands a decorated shrine with a large white-and-silver figure of a goddess, a lion mount, a deity murti with a garland, and bright string lights and a canopy. Brass oil lamps and banana-leaf decorations frame the scene.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight-time outdoor puja at a shrine decorated with a Durga-style deity murti, its golden crown and garlanded figure with multiple arms and a lion beside it. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl holds a lit flame aloft toward the deities. Around the raised platform, several seated men in white dhotis and shawls, some with beaded neckwear, sit with brass plates of fruit, flowers and offerings. Oil lamps burn on brass stands, and string lights and paper bunting hang in the background. A bearded seated man in white and a shaved-headed priest in white are visible among the group. Silver-decorated arches frame the murti. The scene reads as an aarti during a Chandi Homa-style worship.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight ritual homa at a temple pavilion. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti stands at left holding a flaming ladle over a square fire pit of blazing wood. Around the fire, about a dozen seated men in white dhotis and cloths, some wearing gold-bead necklaces, sit on mats with brass plates of offerings, fruits and flowers. To the right, large ornate deity murtis in white and silver decorations, including a figure with a crown and weapons, stand beside brass lamps and strings of fairy lights. Hanging banners and painted pillars frame the scene.2010-10-16 +1 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.2010-10-16Night ritual homa at an outdoor pavilion with a square fire pit at the centre, flames and smoke rising. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl holds a lit flame or ritual lamp aloft. Around the pit, several shaven-headed men in white dhotis sit on mats with brass plates of offerings, flowers and fruit. Behind them stands an elaborate deity tableau with large murtis, including a lion-mounted goddess with multiple arms, and white ornate decorations. Strings of fairy lights, orange and multicolour festoons and a fringed canopy frame the scene. Red and orange cloth lies on the ground near brass lamps.2010-10-16 +1 copies