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A night-time photograph of a homa fire ritual at a temple. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti and shawl leans over a stone fire pit, pouring liquid from a metal vessel into flames that rise high. Several seated people in white clothes sit behind the pit, some holding offerings. Behind them is a deity murti adorned with white flower garlands, and a decorated kalasha-style structure stands in the background. Brass lamps and bowls with offerings sit on the altar in the foreground, and multicolour fairy lights glow on the wall.

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October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photograph of a homa fire ritual at an outdoor temple space lit with strings of coloured lights. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a rudraksha-style mala around his neck, holds a flaming torch over a square fire pit lined with brass vessels and offerings. A seated priest with a shaved head, bare upper body and a gold necklace tends items at the left edge. Several young boys in white dhotis sit on the stone platform with folded hands, and other white-clad devotees stand behind. Behind them are colourful decorated deity figures including an elephant-headed Ganesha in pink, a decorated deity murti and floral garlands, with a brass oil lamp at the right. Overall, the scene shows a fire ritual in progress with participants in traditional white attire.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight-time homa ritual at an outdoor temple setting strung with coloured fairy lights and green bunting. A standing priest in white dhoti and bare upper body, with a rudraksha-style necklace, leans over a square fire pit filled with glowing embers and tends the fire with a long stick. Seated white-clad participants in the foreground, some with shaved heads and folded hands, watch and assist; brass trays of flowers and offerings sit near them. Behind the fire pit is a decorated shrine with a pink Ganesha deity murti, garlands of marigold and white flowers, a kalasha-style ornament and a decorated canopy.2010-10-15Night outdoor homa at an ashram. A standing priest in an orange-saffron upper cloth and white dhoti holds a flaming ladle over a square fire pit, flames rising in front of him. Around the pit, five seated priests in white dhotis and white upper cloths, some wearing rudraksha malas and gold-toned necklaces, sit on mats and watch or chant. Tall dry palm fronds stand beside the pit, and garlands of orange and white flowers lie around the base. To the right, a large Ganesha murti with a red and gold garment and a brass lamp stand decorated with marigold garlands. Behind them, a wall is covered in strings of multicolour lights, with smoke drifting upward and a bright floodlight above.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor fire ritual at a homa pit, with flames rising from a raised square fire pit. A standing priest in white dhoti and cream shawl with a beaded necklace holds a small lamp and a ritual item near the flame. Several seated priests in white clothes sit around the pit, one with a beaded necklace and one in an orange-toned wrap. Brass plates of offerings and nuts sit on a cloth in the foreground. Behind them a decorated shrine has a ganesha murti with a bright yellow-orange trunk and flower garlands, a brass lamp stand with lit wicks, and strings of red and white lights. Tall decorated poles with colourful bands and green leaves frame the scene.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 15 20102010-10-15Night-time homa at a fire pit on a white-tiled platform strewn with flower petals. A shaven-headed priest in a white dhoti and cloth with a maroon-and-white border pours or tends a flame from a brass vessel, with a copper plate of offerings beside him. Brass lamps, a kalasha-style pot, and small brass bowls with flowers sit at the platform edge. Behind, a figure in white robes and a shawl sits on a red-and-gold throne-like seat, with a seated attendant beside him; several white-clad and saffron-clad people sit or stand in the background. Women in red saris sit to the left near a decorated deity murti with garlands, and red string lights hang in the background.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16A dim temple hall during a night puja. In the foreground, a bare-chested young man in white dhoti sits with folded hands before a white marble yoni-shaped altar set with flower petals and brass vessels. Standing behind it, a priest in white dhoti and sacred thread holds a lit flame on a brass lamp, offering aarti. Strings of red fairy lights and a rounded peetha backdrop frame the scene, with clay deity murtis dressed in white and red garlands and a decorated umbrella canopy above. Smoke hangs in the air. Several other white-clad devotees sit in the background near the murtis.2010-10-16Night photograph of a homa or yagna ritual before a large decorated deity murti with a golden crown and multiple arms, flanked by smaller figures. A priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a rudraksha-style bead necklace, holds a lit lamp or flame aloft at left. Seated devotees in white clothes at right and centre have their hands folded. In front is a white marble-edged square fire pit with a dark central opening, scattered flower petals, brass vessels, a kalasha, fruit and offerings. Strings of red fairy lights and a fringed canopy frame the scene, with smoke rising in the air.2010-10-16Night photograph of a homa fire ritual in a temple courtyard. A large square fire pit lined with brick and white stone blazes with tall orange flames, decorated with scattered red and yellow flower petals. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl stands at the back holding a ritual object over the fire. To the right, a man with a shaved head, wearing white clothes and gold-coloured beaded necklaces, sits with palms pressed together in prayer. Several other people in white ritual clothing sit around the fire pit, and brass vessels, a bowl of offerings, fruit and flower garlands lie nearby. Brass oil lamps glow, and a ganesha murti stands at right beside a dais of fruit. Multiple people are visible, not a single figure.2010-10-16 +1 copies