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A night-time homa fire ritual in an open courtyard. A large square brick fire pit with stepped stone edges blazes at centre, flames rising high. A priest in white dhoti and a white head wrap, with a gold necklace, stands at the pit feeding it with a long ladle. Beside him a man in white dhoti with a beaded mala holds a brass plate of offerings. Another attendant in white stands further back, and seated devotees in white fill the left background. In the foreground lower left, a bald person in white sits facing the fire. Scattered flower petals line the stone platform, with brass oil lamps and a garlanded brass vessel at lower right. A round carved wooden shield-like panel stands behind the pit, and yellow-green leaf garlands hang overhead.

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October 16 20102010-10-16Night photograph of a Chandi Homa fire ritual in an open outdoor area. A tiered white stone fire pit blazes at center. A woman in white garments with a yellow-orange head wrap leans over the flames, while a standing priest in white dhoti and shawl with a gold-toned necklace holds a brass tray of offerings. A seated officiant in white kneels at the lower left and another in white stands at right. Behind the pit, a row of seated devotees in white clothes watches. Strings of green leaves hang overhead, and brass oil lamps, flower garlands and offering plates sit at the right edge. A wooden yagna vessel stands near the fire. No candidate for a person is distinctly identifiable.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA night homa ritual at an open-air ashram ground beside a square brick-and-stone fire pit with large flames rising from it. A woman in a white sari with a white head wrap and beaded necklaces leans over the fire, while a man in white dhoti and shawl with gold-coloured necklaces holds a brass vessel and pours offerings into the blaze. Another man in white clothes with a necklace stands at right. Behind them, a row of seated devotees in white and saffron fills the background, a round carved wooden or stone object stands near the fire, and a brass oil lamp and flower garland sit on the platform at right, with a string of leaf festoons overhead.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA night homa fire rises from a stepped stone fire pit in an open courtyard strung with leafy banana-leaf garlands. Two priests stand at the fire: the nearer one wears a white dhoti and a saffron-yellow turban, carries a brass plate of offerings, and wears a beaded rudraksha-style mala; the other, bald and bare-chested, wears a white dhoti and mala and holds offerings over the flames. A seated priest in white with a mala is in the lower left foreground. Round brass kalasha pots, brass lamps, flower petals and a large carved wooden drum-shaped disc sit around the fire. Seated devotees in white and orange clothing watch from the left, and more people stand in the background.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesA night-time homa at an open-air fire pit lined with brick and stone steps. A central figure in a white dhoti and white shawl, with a white turban, holds a burning ceremonial torch above the fire and smiles. Beside him, a bald man in a white cloth wears a beaded mala and holds a small offering. To the right, a younger priest in white with a gold-toned mala holds a brass plate of offerings. Another white-clad devotee stands with palms joined at the far right, and a seated audience in white and orange clothes watches from the left. Behind the fire, a copper-toned disc and yellow-and-white hanging ornaments decorate the space, with leafy garlands strung overhead. Brass oil lamps, plates of fruit and flowers and a red cloth sit on the table at the right.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesA photograph taken at night of a homa fire ceremony outdoors. A large flame rises from a square stone fire pit in the centre. Three priests stand behind the fire: the central one in white clothing with a light-orange cloth draped over his shoulder and a rudraksha-style mala necklace, the figure on the left wears a saffron-orange turban and white garment with beaded necklaces, and the figure on the right in white with a red-striped cloth holds a vessel. A seated audience in white clothes watches from the left, and a standing person with hands folded stands at the far right. Offerings, brass plates, oil lamps and a decorated round wooden plaque lie near the fire, with a garland of flowers and yellow leaf festoons strung overhead.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photo of a homa fire ritual at an outdoor ashram courtyard. A large flame rises from a fire pit in the foreground. A man in a white dhoti and turban holds a flaming lamp aloft on the left. Beside him, a bald priest in white with a rudraksha mala stands with palms pressed together. On the right, a bald man in white and a yellow shawl holds a brass vessel and bows. Seated devotees in white fill the left side, and a woman in white stands with hands folded at the far right. Strings of yellow leaves and bunting hang overhead, with a decorated kalasha pillar and a wooden shield-shaped drum behind the fire. Brass plates of offerings sit at the base of the fire. The text overlay reads 2020 Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam and2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +2 copiesA night fire ritual at a square stone homa pit blazing high with flames, scattered with marigold petals. In the foreground a priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a rudraksha mala, lifts a flaming vessel overhead. Behind him a second white-clad priest with a mala stands with hands folded, and a third at right holds a brass tray. Seated devotees in white clothes watch from the left in the dark, and a carved wooden disc and a small oil lamp appear at the edges, with strings of pennant leaves overhead.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight homa at a stone fire pit with a tall bright flame rising from the square brick-lined hearth, scattered flower petals on its stone tiers. Three priests in white dhotis and shawls stand behind it: the left one wears a light orange turban and a beaded garland, holding a lit oil lamp; the middle one holds a brass vessel with a rudraksha-style mala; the right one, bare-chested, holds a brass plate. A small lit lamp sits at the right edge of the pit. Seated devotees in white are visible at the far left, and a large carved red drum-like object stands to the right. Dark background with cloth bunting.2010-10-16