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Night outdoor ritual at an ashram, lit by a bright lamp and strings of small lights on a building at right. Two priests in white dhoti and shawl stand at left; the one at center wears a cream turban with a ceremonial gold necklace and bracelets, hands folded in namaskar. He holds a silver tray with a red cloth. Behind them, a seated priest in white with a gold necklace tends a fire-side offering area with silver bowls, yellow flowers and a carved wooden seat with a floral motif. Other white-clad priests stand or kneel at right, and several children sit at the far left. Green leaf garlands and marigold-like flowers hang from a pole with two orange rings above. The scene suggests a homa or puja, though the details are partly obscured.

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October 16 20102010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16Night-time homa ritual at an open-air fire pit with a dark stone-lined homa kund and small flames at its edge. A man in a white dhoti and shawl with a tan turban stands with palms pressed together in anjali, with gold necklaces. Beside him a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti with maroon border and gold necklaces holds a silver bowl. A carved wooden circular peetha with floral relief stands nearby. Behind, a row of seated devotees in white clothes, some with gold necklaces, watch and pray. Flower petals are scattered on the white steps. Orange and patterned cloth hangings and a leaf garland decorate the pavilion, and a wooden trident-like structure hangs above.2010-10-16Night outdoor ritual at a homa or puja site. A man in plain white dhoti and shawl with a tan turban stands at centre with palms pressed together in namaskar. Beside him, a bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with striped maroon border holds a silver bowl. Another bare-chested priest in white with a rudraksha mala stands at right with palms folded, and a seated priest in white with a mala sits near a carved wooden peetha. Brass vessels and a plate sit on a cloth before them. Behind, rows of seated children and adults in white and yellow clothes watch. Mango-leaf garland hangs overhead, and two large ring-shaped wooden structures with a saffron cloth hang in the background.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual on a raised platform beneath a strand of green mango leaves and hanging brass rings. A man in a white dhoti and shawl, with a saffron-coloured turban, rudraksha-style beaded garland and gold-toned arm bands, stands with palms pressed together in namaste. Beside him a bare-chested priest in a white cloth holds a brass bowl, and another priest in white with a beaded mala stands at right with hands folded. A large carved wooden peetha stands on the platform with brass plates, a kalasha-like vessel and offering items in front. Seated and standing children and adults in white and yellow clothes fill the foreground, with some wearing orange and red garments.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photograph of a homa fire ritual at an open pavilion decorated with hanging leaf garlands and a painted cloth banner. A man in white dhoti and shawl with a beige turban stands with palms pressed together in namaskar beside a fire pit with a dark stone slab, marigold petals scattered on the steps. Beside him a bald priest in white with gold beads and a red-bordered cloth holds a silver bowl. Other white-clad priests stand or sit with folded hands, and a carved wooden ceremonial seat stands near the fire. A seated man in the foreground has his back to the camera. Small children in white sit at the left edge. a person is not identifiable from appearance here, so the turbaned man is described by role only.2010-10-16Night outdoor fire ritual at a homa site lit by a bright flame in a stone-lined pit in the foreground. A standing man in white dhoti and shawl with a beaded necklace holds a silver tray with a red cloth on it, while beside him a man in a cream turban and white dhoti with beaded necklaces stands with hands folded. A large carved wooden disc stands on the right, and a priest in white kneels near it. Several seated children and adults in white and orange garments sit on white cloth behind the fire. Strings of green leaves and a painted wooden pillar with blue and orange motifs decorate the scene, with brass plates and vessels around the fire.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual at a homa-style altar. A man in white dhoti and shawl with a tan-yellow turban stands barefoot at the centre, hands pressed together in namaskar. Beside him, a bald priest in white with a gold-bead mala holds a silver bowl, and another priest in white with a mala stands with palms joined at right. A seated priest in white with a mala sits at the carved wooden peetha-style seat on the right. Behind them, a large group of seated children and adults in white clothes, some in orange and yellow shawls, watch. Brass plates with offerings sit on a white-draped table. Strings of green leaves and a tall painted pillar with circular rings form the backdrop.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16Night-time homa at an open-air ritual space with a fire pit in the foreground, its flames lit and marigold petals scattered around its edge. A bare-chested man in a white dhoti with a tan turban and a gold-bead garland stands with palms pressed together in namaste near the fire. Beside him, a shaved-headed man in white with a red-bordered dhoti and gold beads holds a silver bowl. Behind them, more men in white dhotis and gold necklaces stand or sit with hands folded, and a few children sit at the left. A carved wooden seat with a circular lotus-like motif stands at right, and banana-leaf garlands and painted cloth panels hang overhead. Two cloth-wrapped rounds of white fabric lie on the floor. A man in white sits at the bottom right, back to the camera.2010-10-16