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A ritual fire ceremony in a temple-style hall. A seated man in brown-orange robes with a pink and white flower garland and a white tripundra mark on his forehead rests his hands in prayer before a large ornate throne covered in yellow marigolds and jeweled gold-and-blue patterned backdrop, with lion-armrest carvings. Three young priests in saffron-orange dhotis stand at a square fire pit with visible flames; the central priest, bare-backed with red-and-white markings, raises a lit lamp, while the left priest holds a microphone and the other joins palms. Brass pots, offerings and flower baskets sit at the front, and a video camera on a tripod records the scene.

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December 19 20162016-12-19Photograph of a fire ritual inside a decorated hall. In the foreground a gold-edged fire pit blazes with tall flames and smoke, with white offerings and a brass bowl on the ledge. Behind it a seated man in an orange-brown robe and a pink-and-white flower garland sits on a leopard-print seat before an ornate heart-shaped backdrop covered in yellow marigolds and jewelled borders. On the left a man in orange and gold dhoti, with a trident beside him and a handheld microphone, speaks or chants. A woman in orange and a gold necklace sits to the right near a fan. Floral and gold-trimmed ceremonial details fill the scene.2016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19A photograph of a homa fire ritual under a large tent. In the foreground a square wooden fire pit with burning flames sits before a brass kalasha-style offering vessel. A bare-chested priest in orange dhoti stands raising a ritual vessel, and another priest in orange wrap beside him holds a mic-like object. On the right a seated man in a rust-orange robe with a pink-white flower garland sits with hands folded on an ornate gold and multicoloured heart-shaped throne with a canopy above. A trident stands to the left. Devotees in white and orange sit on the floor, many with garlands, and a man in white and yellow stands at the far right. The throne-seated man has a full beard and long hair; his identity is uncertain from appearance alone.2016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19A night ritual in a decorated tent hall shows a sacred fire pit with bright flames at left, where officiants in saffron and orange dhotis stand with lit lamps and hands raised in offering. Behind them, a seated figure in a deep orange-brown robe with a garland rests on a large heart-shaped golden throne with lion-shaped armrests, flanked by a leopard-skin cloth and a tall ornate canopy with multicoloured tassels. A trident stands near the front. Standing figures in white and orange garments, some with rudraksha malas, press their palms together nearby. A seated audience in white fills the left side, many with garlands and folded hands. Floral offerings, a brass vessel and oil lamps sit on a colourful striped carpet. Swamiji (probable): the throne-seated figure in orange-brown robes with long hair and garland and rudraksha is a candidate for the page's named teacher, based on several cues.2016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19A homa fire ceremony under a large tent with a square golden fire pit in the foreground, flames rising from it. A bare-chested, shaved-headed priest in orange dhoti and a gold-and-rudraksha garland holds a flaming lamp aloft with a brass plate of offerings nearby. Behind him, a robed priest in orange lifts his hands in ritual. On the right, a man in brown-orange robes with a flower garland sits on an ornate heart-shaped golden throne with a jeweled canopy overhead and a golden lion-form armrest, while a trident stands beside him. Seated devotees in orange and white fill the left, many with palms joined and garlands on, and a figure in a white dhoti stands at right. A colourful festoon canopy hangs above.2016-12-19A photograph of a temple ritual with a seated man in ochre-orange robes and a rudraksha-style garland on a gold-and-leopard-print throne, hands pressed together in prayer. Before him a priest with bare upper body, white sacred ash stripes and a yellow-and-green cloth performs an aarti with a lit flame over a brass lamp stand. Behind them a deity murti is draped in orange cloth and garlands of yellow, red and white flowers beneath a decorated canopy, with a seated assistant in orange clothing with hands joined nearby. Incense smoke rises in the background and flower arrangements frame the left edge.2016-12-15 +1 copiesA photograph of an evening homa at an open tented pavilion. In the foreground a rectangular yellow fire pit burns with flames and offerings. Three priests in orange dhotis stand at its edge; the central priest, bare-chested with a rudraksha mala, pours an offering from a vessel into the fire, while two priests beside him in orange cloth with long hair knots and white-marked bodies assist. Behind them, a seated man in orange robes with a garland sits on an ornate heart-shaped golden throne covered in yellow flowers, flanked by golden lion figures and a trident. Seated devotees in white and orange clothing, many wearing flower garlands, fold their hands in front of the fire pit. Colourful striped mats cover the floor and multicolour hanging decorations hang from the tent ceiling.2016-12-19