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Outdoors on bare earth under a tree, a fire homa is being performed inside a square enclosure of yellow-painted bricks with a bright flame rising from the centre. A young man in orange saffron robes and a rudraksha mala sits on a low wooden seat, holding a brass tray with a red offering while an attendant in white dhoti and shawl sits beside the fire. Around the fire, many children and teenagers sit closely on the ground, several in white clothes and others in yellow, pink and purple. Some adults stand in white behind them. A small brass pot and offerings lie near the fire. The scene suggests a homa or yagna ritual during a children's residential programme.

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A photograph of a homa fire burning inside a square fire pit built from yellow-painted bricks, with a brass vessel beside it. Children and teenagers sit and stand in a tight circle around the fire on dusty ground under a large tree. A young man on the left wears an orange shawl with a rudraksha-style mala and sits beside a priest in white ritual dhoti and shawl with yellow borders who sits with his back to the camera. Boys in white shirts, striped shirts and a pink top watch intently, some with hands raised, and a girl in a pink top with a braid sits in front. Several people in the background wear yellow, green and red saris and kurtas. The scene suggests a sacred fire ritual with young participants.2006-05-05A photograph of an outdoor homa fire ceremony. A large fire blazes inside a square enclosure built from yellow-painted bricks, with offerings and small vessels placed near the flames. A young man in orange robes sits cross-legged at the right, holding a brass plate with burning offerings and a long wooden stick, while a row of children and young people in white and colourful shirts sit on the ground around the fire, some with hands pressed together. A woman in pale peach clothing sits among them. Brass plates and a shallow bowl of white offerings lie on the ground at the lower right. No identifiable a person figure is visible.2006-05-05 +1 copiesOutdoor fire ritual under trees at a sandy ground. A bright fire burns in a yellow-edged fire pit, with a seated priest in orange-saffron cloth in the foreground facing it, a wooden stand beside him. Behind, a woman in a yellow sari stands holding a small offering, and a man in white kurta and white dhoti stands nearby. Many children and young people sit in rows in white, yellow, orange and red shirts and dhotis, hands pressed together in prayer. On the right a deity murti is adorned with orange marigold garlands, a crown-like headdress, and fruit or offerings are arranged beneath it. Green leaves frame the lower right corner. This looks like a homa or yagna with children gathered for prayer.2006-05-05Outdoors under large shady trees, a crowd of children and teenagers sits on the bare earth around a blazing fire pit, a homa or yagna. A figure in saffron-orange robes with a bare head sits at the fire with hands pressed in prayer, while a woman in white with a long braid sits beside the fire. Several standing men wear plain white kurta-style clothing; one at the top holds his hands folded in namaskar. Children wear yellow, red, plaid and white clothes, and a girl in a pale green dress with floral print faces the fire from the front. Brass plates and offering dishes sit near the flames.2006-05-05 +1 copiesOutdoor photo of a fire ritual under a large banyan tree with dense aerial roots. A central figure in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits behind a blazing fire, with brass vessels, a bowl and offerings arranged on mats in front. A large crowd of children and teenagers sits cross-legged in a wide circle, many in white shirts, striped tops, checked shirts and a yellow dress. A woman in a pale green sari sits to the right and a figure in white robes sits on the left. The setting is a dirt ground with a partition of wooden poles behind. Appears to be a homa or yagna with a seated group.2006-05-05Outdoor fire ritual (homa or yagna) under a large tree with bare earth ground. A young man in an orange-saffron robe with a rudraksha mala sits with hands joined in prayer before a bright open flame, with offerings and brass vessels arranged around it. Behind him stand two men in white clothing with joined hands, one bearded. Around the fire sit thirty or more children and teenagers in white, yellow, red and green clothes, many with palms pressed together. A woman in a light green floral top with her back to the camera sits in the foreground near stacked yellow-wrapped bundles. Several attendees hold a tall ceremonial pole.2006-05-05Outdoor photo of a homa fire ceremony in a dirt courtyard. A fire burns in a yellow brick-lined square pit in the centre, with brass vessels and a small offering nearby. A young man in saffron-orange robes with a red cloth and beaded necklace sits cross-legged on a low wooden seat at the left, facing the fire. Around the fire sit many children in white, yellow, orange and peach clothing with hands pressed in prayer. Adults stand behind them, including a woman in an orange sari and a woman in a purple sari, and a figure in white. A red-and-yellow decorated structure appears at the upper right. Attributing the saffron robed man as a person is not supported by sufficient cues.2006-05-05A photograph of an outdoor ritual homa at an ashram. A large blazing fire burns in a brick-and-wood fire pit on the left. A man in white dhoti kneels at a raised red-cloth platform, tending brass pots, bowls and offerings beside the fire. Seated before him are several young girls in saffron, green and cream clothes with white and orange flower garlands in their hair. Behind them, dozens of boys and young men in saffron robes and rudraksha beads sit on mats with garlands. A man in a rust-red shawl and flower garland sits on an orange armchair on a raised platform at the back, with a video camera on a tripod at the right. Red pillars and green trees frame the open pavilion.2014-10-03Outdoor photo under a large spreading tree at an open-air gathering. A figure with long dark hair in a white garment with a yellow shawl sits on the ground at the right, facing a brick fire pit with a bright flame, a microphone stand beside them and brass bowls and flower offerings nearby. A seated audience of many people in white clothes and rudraksha malas faces them on the sand, with several saffron-robed figures in orange among them. At left, a raised white-draped seat is decorated with green leaves and flowers. Ritual kolam designs are drawn on the ground, and a hanging bell hangs from a branch.2005-01-24Outdoor fire ritual beneath a large spreading banyan tree on bare sandy ground. A brick-lined fire pit with a burning flame sits at the centre, surrounded by yellow-orange bricks and rangoli-style white line drawings. Seated in front of the fire, a long-haired person in a white and yellow garment holds a long wooden stick or ladle over the flames, a small kalasha or lamp on a stand beside them. Beside them a person in an orange saffron wrap bends forward near the fire. Behind, rows of seated devotees in white clothes with rudraksha-style beaded malas sit on red mats, some with hands folded, while standing attendants in white move about on the right. Fruit offerings on a plate and a potted plant with a basket sit at the edges of the frame. This appears to be a homa or yagna with an audience.2005-01-24Outdoor ritual yagna at an ashram courtyard: a large brick-and-wood fire pit with bright flames sits at left. A man in a white dhoti with a rudraksha mala and a red-and-white turban sits cross-legged on an orange cloth, pouring from a small vessel, with brass pots, bowls and a silver urn before him. Beside him stand a young man in white dhoti and a bare-chested young man in an orange cloth, both with garlands. A seated figure in a sleeveless orange robe and garland sits on an orange armchair behind a row of saffron-robed children with white garlands. Girls in dark blue, green, pink and orange dresses with flower-decked hair kneel in the foreground. A cameraman films on the right, and a shaded red-pillared hall stands behind.2014-10-03September 21 20062006-09-21