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August 31 2017

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August 31 20172017-08-31Photograph of a ritual preparation of Aushada, showing two seated people in dark red-maroon robes working over a pit lined with brick and sprinkled with white flower petals and grass. The man on the left, bare-shouldered with glasses, a rudraksha mala and a red bead bracelet, holds a flat round cowdung cake. The woman on the right wears a maroon sari with gold border, long dark hair, a rudraksha mala and white markings on her arms, and holds a cake over a steel vessel on a brick stand. Behind them, several young children in saffron-orange cloth with orange head wraps stand with rudraksha malas. A silver kalasha-style dish, brass lamp with flames, rice and turmeric in bowls and a silver ornate container are visible. The scene reflects the Pudamgaatal smoke-purification step described on the page.2017-08-31A photograph of a ritual scene in which several people in saffron and rust-coloured dhotis with gold borders crouch and kneel closely together. In the foreground a figure with long dark hair, a red and white flower garland and a rudraksha mala with gold beads leans forward, scooping or pouring from a silver vessel onto a plate of brownish-gold powder. Beside them other participants with white ash markings on their arms and foreheads assist. Yellow and gold blocks lie on the ground with small yellow flowers. A standing attendant in white clothes and another in saffron wait at the edge, with polished brass vessels visible behind. The setting appears to be a temple or ashram at night.2013-04-24August 31 20172017-08-31A photograph of a ritual at night in which several robed men kneel in sand. The central figure, with long swept-back black hair, wears a rust-orange garment with gold borders, a red and white flower garland and an orange-beaded necklace, and is pouring from or handling a polished silver vessel into a sand pit. Beside him a man with a shaved head and white tilak marks on his forehead and arms, wearing orange-brown robes and a rudraksha mala, also holds the vessel. A shaved-headed man in orange robes and rudraksha beads kneels at the right edge. Gold-bordered red and orange cloths and a gold-decorated seat appear in the background, and a few standing attendants are partly visible.2013-04-24A photograph of a Siddha aushada preparation ritual in an open-sided hall. In the foreground, a bare-chested man in rust-orange cloth with a rudraksha mala kneels beside a square, gold-trimmed stone trough filled with sand and flower petals. Beside him a woman in a red-and-maroon sari sprinkles powder from a bowl into the trough. At left, a young man in orange garments with an orange head cloth holds a tray of cowdung cakes. Behind them stands a figure in a dark red robe with a long mala and a tall headwrap, appearing to be a sannyasi, and a woman in a green-and-yellow sari stands at right. Dozens of saffron-clad devotees with orange head cloths and malas stand in rows, many with palms joined, on striped floor mats. Silver vessels, a brass kalasha, a bowl of yellow liquid and dried herbs sit on the floor. The ritual is the aushada purification process.2017-08-31Outdoor ritual at an ashram courtyard during a fire ceremony. A bare-chested priest in a dark red-orange dhoti kneels at a stone yajna pit, tending a bright flame and pouring from a brass vessel into the square basin. Beside him, a priest in orange dhoti and orange head cloth holds a ceremonial implement, and a woman in a red-orange sari stands near a separate burning fire. Behind them, seated devotees in orange and white clothes watch, and a large silver-toned vessel stands in the foreground, with red-roofed buildings and palm trees beyond.2017-08-31A seated man in rust-orange robes and a long rudraksha mala wrapped over his shoulders performs a ritual at a large brass bowl heaped with white grain and sprinkled with red kumkum. He holds a slender stick or spoon over the offering, with a small oil lamp flame burning at the bowl's base. Behind him, another robed figure in orange clothing and gold necklaces sits on the steps beside a woman in white, all in a stone-paved temple setting. This appears to be an ongoing offering ritual, possibly a homa or puja.2016-10-16A bearded man in a rust-red robe and a long rudraksha mala sits on stone steps, tending a large brass bowl heaped with white grain and sprinkled with red powder, with a small flame burning at its base. Behind him, two seated people in orange robes and a person in white watch the ritual. The scene suggests an offering or puja being prepared.2016-10-16A photo of a homa fire ritual at night in an open courtyard. A square fire pit lined with white stone holds burning wood, with small brass or copper dishes of offerings placed around its rim. Seated around it are roughly two dozen devotees in orange-red robes with gold borders and rudraksha malas; several have white sacred markings on their foreheads and some sit with folded hands. In the background, a seated figure in orange robes and a long mala sits on a raised platform with a striped mat and a silver-framed seat, with a silver peetha-style throne behind. Men in white stand and sit at the back, and a pedestal fan and brass lamps are visible.2013-03-18Outdoor ritual scene in a courtyard beside red-roofed buildings and palm trees. A tall standing man in a rust-orange robe, a wrapped orange-brown head covering and beaded necklaces watches a rite. A kneeling man in orange and white gestures over a square yellow stone fire pit or vedi containing ash and offerings, with a silver vessel beside it. Behind them, a large group of young boys and men in orange garments and orange turbans stand with palms pressed together, with a few people in white. Silver ceremonial chairs, a silver pot and tubs of brass vessels, bundles of sticks and a plate of offerings sit on striped cloth, with a microphone stand visible on the right. Spiritual aushada preparation ritual.2017-08-31August 31 20172017-08-31