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A temple shrine with a deity murti dressed in white and gold garlands, draped in a green cloth and seated on a purple base, decorated with long bands of yellow, red, purple and white flowers. In front, a kneeling priest in a maroon robe and rudraksha mala feeds a fire pit, with two standing priests in white dhotis, white shawls and flower garlands holding offerings above the flame. A young attendant in orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits at left beside metal vessels, bananas and offerings. The scene depicts a homa or yagna with gold-decorated background and painted walls.

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April 23 20132013-04-23April 23 20132013-04-23 +2 copiesApril 23 20132013-04-23A photograph of a Meenakshi Tirukalyanam ritual staged before a golden arched backdrop with elaborately garlanded deity murtis, including a seated and a standing form adorned with flower garlands and jewellery. In the centre foreground, a man in a white turban and red dhoti seated before a fire pit (homa) of stacked bricks, with a flame rising from a vessel and metal bowls of offerings and flowers around him. To the left, a man in an orange turban and saffron-orange garments sits on a mat, and beside the fire a priest in a red-brown dhoti pours from a vessel. On the right, a man in an orange turban and red garments with flower garlands sits beside the fire. Brass pots, kalasha-style vessels and rose petals lie on the floor.2015-04-30A homa fire burns in a brass-edged wooden fire pit before a golden-framed red throne where a seated figure in red and saffron-toned clothing holds a trident and wears a rudraksha mala, with a sanctum of deity murtis garlanded in marigolds behind. Several men sit on the red floor: one shirtless in white dhoti with a pink head cloth and orange-tinted shawl near brass vessels, another shirtless beside him, and a bearded man in white dhoti and shawl on the right holding a flower plate. Brass lamps, banana leaves, marigold garlands and offering plates surround the scene, with a decorative curtain overhead.2016-12-02April 23 20132013-04-23 +2 copiesA night puja at a temple shrine with a fire pit (homa kunda) in the foreground. A priest in a white dhoti with bare upper body and sacred ash marks stands before a flaming camphor or oil lamp (aarti), held over a decorated deity murti heavily garlanded with red, white and yellow flowers on an orange cloth. Two assistant priests in white dhotis, one holding a bell and a small vessel, stand at left; another wears a yellow shawl and a rudraksha-style necklace. Bananas and fruit sit on a tray at right. a person is not visibly present; no appearance-based candidate qualifies.2013-07-17A homa fire ritual inside a decorated shrine. A man with bare upper body, rudraksha-style beaded necklaces and a blue wrap sits at left, holding a ladle over a lit fire on a copper pot with flower-garlanded offerings. Behind the fire, a gilded ornate throne holds a garlanded object. Two priests in white dhotis and shawls, one wearing a crown-like headpiece, attend at the back, and a woman in a dark green-and-blue sari sits at right beside brass lamps, marigolds and red-and-white flower garlands. Ornate deity murti with flower garlands stands in the background.2015-10-18July 17 20152015-07-17A photograph of a sacred fire ritual inside a richly decorated Hindu temple hall with pink and silver shrine alcoves holding deity murtis. A large blazing homa fire rises from a stacked brick fire pit topped with a tiered ornate golden altar, decorated with red flowers. On the left, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a saffron-coloured shawl and rudraksha mala sits with hands folded, beside a standing man in white dhoti with a saffron sash and a yellow-brown headwrap seated near him. On the right, a young man in white dhoti and purple-striped sash bends forward tending the fire. Seated devotees in white and orange clothes watch in the background, and green mats cover the floor.2016-07-02October 18 20152015-10-18Night-time homa at an open ashram hall. A large fire burns in a rectangular yellow-painted fire pit in the foreground. Behind it, a figure in an orange-and-white garment stands before a decorated deity murti on a throne, the murti draped in marigold and multicoloured garlands and a saffron cloth. Four men stand to the left in white dhotis with gold borders, wearing rudraksha malas; the foremost wears an orange-red robe with gold border and a rudraksha mala, hands folded in prayer. A standing microphone is near the fire. A decorated side shrine with a garlanded deity on the right, and a ceiling hung with paper decorations.2015-01-03