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A night-time photograph of a Chandi Homa ritual under a open-sided canopy strung with garlands, paper triangles and lights. A fire pit with a lit flame sits on a white-draped platform; in the foreground a bald priest in white dhoti sits and tends the fire. Standing behind him, a man in a white dhoti with a red-edged cloth and a rudraksha-style necklace holds a silver tray, while another standing figure in a white dhoti and yellow turban stands with palms joined. A large decorated deity murti with a lion mount, a female goddess form with raised arms and a silver-and-white arched backdrop is on the right, with brass oil lamps and offerings arranged around the platform. Several seated children in white are at the left edge.

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October 16 20102010-10-16Night 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 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight-time homa performed outdoors under a decorated canopy with a deity murti on the right, adorned with white floral garlands and a red-and-gold ornamented background, plus a lion figure beside it. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl with beaded garland holds a lit flame over a square fire pit, while seated priests in white clothing and gold-bordered cloth, several with bare heads and beaded necklaces, sit around brass plates heaped with red chillies, flowers and offerings. Strings of coloured lights and tall decorative pillars with orange and red banners frame the scene. Roughly a dozen people are visible, including boys seated at the left edge.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +2 copiesA night-time homa at an outdoor ritual pavilion. A fire pit with burning flames sits on a white flower-strewn platform in the foreground. Priests in white dhotis and shawls stand and sit around it: one standing man on the left in a white dhoti with a beaded necklace holds a silver tray, and another in a white dhoti and white turban stands with palms joined. A seated priest in the foreground right tends the fire area with a brass vessel. On the right, a decorated deity murti of a goddess with a lion mount, multiple arms and a garland of flowers is set up beside brass oil lamps, fruit offerings, and a red-and-green cloth. Fairy lights and hanging ornamental banners frame the scene. Several other figures in white stand in the background.2010-10-16 +2 copiesA night-time homa ritual at an open-air ashram pavilion. In the foreground, a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti sits cross-legged facing a fire pit on a white tiered platform, with flames burning inside and petals scattered around it. Several white-clad priests stand in the background with palms joined, one holding a brass vessel. To the right, a large deity murti with multiple arms and a red face, adorned with a garland and a flowing dark cloth, is framed by decorative white lace and blue panels, with brass oil lamps and fruit offerings set before it. Strings of lights and hanging festoons decorate the tent above. The priest and standing priests are wearing rudraksha-style necklaces and no identifiable a person figure is visible.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16Night 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 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight-time outdoor homa at a Chandi Homa. A raised white stone fire pit with a large open flame sits in the foreground, surrounded by marigold petals, with a brass lamp and a round bronze plate nearby. Three men in white ritual dhotis stand behind the fire: the one on the left holds a flaming torch and wears a white head covering with bead necklaces, another stands in a white dhoti with a bare upper body, and a third in a white shawl stands beside them. A woman in white sits with hands folded at the lower left. Behind them, additional people in white stand and sit. To the right stands a large deity murti of a goddess with a lion mount, adorned with garlands, a crown and a decorated backdrop; brass oil lamps and trays of fruit and offerings are arranged on purple and gold cloths. Strings of lights, saffron pennants and banana leaf decorations hang overhead.2010-10-16 +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 copies