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A night homa at an outdoor ritual site: a large fire rises from a square fire pit lined with brick, with marigold and red flower offerings and scattered petals around its edge. Three priests sit around the fire: on the left a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti with gold necklace and bangles; in the centre a priest in saffron-orange cloth with a gold chain and bangles, holding a metal bowl and ladle; on the right a shaved-headed priest in white with tripundra marks and a gold pendant. Brass vessels, a gold-coloured puja box and flower-filled silver pots sit in the foreground. Behind them a large crowd of devotees, many in white, watches; red festoon lights hang across the background.

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November 10 20112011-11-10November 10 20112011-11-10Night ritual homa at a brick fire pit with a large blazing flame. A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange cloth and rudraksha mala kneels at the fire, holding a long ladle and pouring offerings. Beside him another priest in orange sits with a mala, and a third man in white with glasses sits at right. Brass bowls, marigold and red flower offerings, and small oil lamps lie on the bricks. Behind them devotees stand with folded hands under string lights, and a green draped stage edge is visible.2011-11-10A night-time homa at an outdoor ritual site. Two men sit behind a square fire pit built of yellow-and-orange bricks with a tall flame rising from it. The man on the right wears an orange ochre garment over his shoulder and a heavy gold bead necklace with a pendant, holding red flower petals and offering them into the fire. The man on the left, seated behind, wears a white dhoti and shawl with a gold chain and a gold-banded arm ornament. Both have white sacred ash marks on their foreheads. Brass vessels, a coconut, green leaves and white flowers lie around the brick platform, with string lights and a white cloth backdrop behind them.2011-12-20November 10 20112011-11-10December 20 20112011-12-20December 20 20112011-12-20December 20 20112011-12-20December 20 20112011-12-20Night outdoor fire ritual lit by a bright floodlight. A man in orange robes and gold-bead necklace raises a burning camphor flame over a brick fire pit (homa/aarti setting) with a brass vessel. Seated around it are priests in white and orange cloth, a woman in an orange sari with a long braid, and a woman in white and gold-bordered sari with hands folded. Marigold garlands and yellow flowers lie on the orange mat, a decorated shrine with red flowers stands at left, and a crowd watches behind a barrier strung with lights.2011-11-10Night outdoor ritual homa at a fire pit built from golden-yellow bricks, with a small flame burning in the centre and flower petals and marigold garlands scattered on the bricks. Several priests sit cross-legged on an orange cloth: a central figure in saffron-orange robes with a white-and-orange garland, a seated priest in orange robes and beaded garland beside him, and priests in white dhotis with gold-bordered shawls. A bald priest in white holds a silver vessel. A woman in an orange sari sits with her back to the camera in the foreground. Bright stage lights illuminate the scene while a large crowd of devotees in white and coloured clothing stands behind, with a loudspeaker and string lights visible.2011-11-10Night outdoor homa at a Tiruvannamalai event. Four men sit on mats before a brick fire pit (homa kunda) lined with flower-decorated offerings and a small lit lamp. The central man in saffron-orange cloth with a rudraksha-style mala, hands joined in prayer, sits foremost, flanked by two men in saffron and one in white dhoti with gold border and a vibhuti-marked forehead. Brass vessels, a bell and bundles of sticks lie nearby. Behind them, a decorated stage with green garlanded trim and lit oil lamps, and a crowd of devotees in white and coloured saris under street lights.2011-11-10