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A young priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold borders stands at a night ritual, a white cloth wrapped as a turban on his head, rudraksha beads on his chest and gold-banded arm ornaments. He extends his hand over a silver kalasha topped with a gold finial, set among yellow marigold garlands, green leaves and several decorated pots wrapped in colourful cloth. Saffron-robed assistants sit and kneel nearby, one with hands folded, while a fire pit with an oil lamp burns at left. Standing figures and a seated crowd appear in the dim background under strings of lights.

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November 07 20132013-11-07November 07 20132013-11-07October 16 20132013-10-16November 07 20132013-11-07Night-time homa or fire ritual in an open pavilion. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with gold waist band and white head cloth holds a lamp over a decorated altar of yellow marigold garlands, green leaves, kalasha pots and a red-and-orange cloth. Behind the altar, a fire burns, and rows of people in orange robes sit with folded hands. At left, a seated figure in orange robes sits on an ornate red and gold throne. A standing man in orange shawl stands at top right. Strings of small lights hang overhead.2013-11-07A photograph of a priest performing an aarti with a flaming lamp during an evening ritual. He wears a cream-coloured turban and a white dhoti or shawl, with rudraksha beads and red-and-white bracelets on his wrists, and holds a lit oil lamp over a deity murti decorated with yellow marigold garlands and red rose garlands. Smoke and haze surround the scene against a dark background, and a silver offering vessel sits in the lower foreground. The visible person is a priest officiating the ritual, not an identified individual.2013-11-07November 07 20132013-11-07October 15 20132013-10-15November 07 20132013-11-07Night photograph of a homa fire ritual at an open-air ceremonial area. In the foreground a fire pit burns beside a carved wooden or stone yoni-style base and brass plates. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with a tan turban holds a flaming lamp and a bell, while a shaved-headed priest in white with a red-bordered cloth and rudraksha mala holds a brass bowl. Behind them, shaved-headed priests in white clothes stand with palms pressed together, and a row of young boys in white with red scarves sits on the left. Green leaf garlands and a decorated pillar with colourful patterns frame the scene.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA shirtless man in white dhoti with a red-and-gold headcloth bows over an oil lamp with a visible flame, held before a low offering table of marigold garlands, bananas, oranges, coconuts and leaves. Behind him a seated crowd of devotees in white clothes watches; a golden ornate throne stands at right and a brass vessel sits at left. Smoke rises from a fire pit.2016-12-12December 12 20162016-12-12