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Night outdoor ritual at an ashram with strings of coloured fairy lights on a wall behind. A bald priest in white dhoti and shawl with a beaded mala stands centre, holding a flaming aarti lamp toward a row of tall burning sticks. Seated priests in white flank him; one at right holds hands folded in prayer and wears a garland, another at left holds a metal vessel. Brass bowls, fruit, red flower garlands and lit oil lamps are arranged on the floor. A deity murti with a green-and-gold garment appears at right.

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October 16 20102010-10-16October 15 20102010-10-15Night outdoor fire ritual, a homa, beside a brick-lined fire pit. A priest in white dhoti and shawl, with gold beaded necklace, stands at the centre holding a silver tray of offerings. Seated priests in white clothes and beaded necklaces sit around the pit, one with hands joined in prayer, another tending the fire with a ladle. A cameraman in white stands behind. Behind them, a deity murti garlanded with red flowers and a decorated backdrop of string lights and a banner. Brass lamps, bowls of fruit and oil lamps are arranged on a cloth at right, with a lit lamp in the foreground.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 15 20102010-10-15Night outdoor puja beside a fire pit at a festival setting strung with multicoloured fairy lights. A bald man in white dhoti and shawl, with a beaded garland, stands holding a flaming lamp in front of a fire pit. Nearby, a seated devotee in white with a beaded mala presses palms together, and a woman in yellow sari kneels in prayer. On the right, a pink-bodied Ganesha murti is decorated with garlands and a golden crown, beside fruit, flower offerings and brass lamps. Painted banners hang overhead. a person may be the standing priest, but the appearance is uncertain, so he is described only by role.2010-10-15Night-time outdoor ritual at a square stone fire pit (homa/yagna) with a lit flame rising from it. A standing priest in white dhoti with a gold necklace holds a lit oil lamp or ritual flame aloft. Around the pit, several shaved-headed men in white dhotis and rudraksha malas sit with plates of offerings, flowers and grain, and some have palms joined in prayer. On the right, decorated deity murti of Ganesha and a lion-mounted goddess stand under garlands, with a lit torana of coloured lights and hanging green leaf garlands overhead. Ceremonial brass lamps and kalasha-style vessels sit on the floor.2010-10-15Night outdoor fire ritual at a homa pit, with flames rising from a raised square fire pit. A standing priest in white dhoti and cream shawl with a beaded necklace holds a small lamp and a ritual item near the flame. Several seated priests in white clothes sit around the pit, one with a beaded necklace and one in an orange-toned wrap. Brass plates of offerings and nuts sit on a cloth in the foreground. Behind them a decorated shrine has a ganesha murti with a bright yellow-orange trunk and flower garlands, a brass lamp stand with lit wicks, and strings of red and white lights. Tall decorated poles with colourful bands and green leaves frame the scene.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual at a yagna or homa setup. A bald man in a white dhoti with an orange-red border and a long beaded mala stands centre, holding a lit flame in his right hand and a small bell in the other. Strings of green leaves and hanging banners in red, yellow and blue decorate the open pavilion above him. In the foreground, a brass lamp with a burning flame and a brass kalasha-style vessel rest on a white platform, beside a flower garland and a green silk-wrapped deity murti. Seated devotees in white clothes with mala beads sit with hands folded in prayer on the left and right. Mats, metal plates and offerings are spread on the ground.2010-10-15October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 15 20102010-10-15Night outdoor ritual photograph. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with red-bordered edges, wearing a beaded necklace, stands centre holding a lit flame in a brass vessel while waving it before him. Around him, seated devotees in white clothing with palms pressed together face the scene; one has a shaved head and tilak markings, another wears a gold necklace. In front, brass lamps, bowls of offerings, marigold garlands and a green and purple cloth sit on a low platform. Palm fronds, bamboo-hung leaf garlands and a decorated banner hang overhead, with circular metal hoops above. The scene suggests an aarti or homa-style puja.2010-10-15