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A photograph of a homa or yagna at a fire pit lined with white ash and marigold garlands. A bare-chested bearded priest with a grey beard, rudraksha mala and gold pendant stands at the pit, holding a brass plate of offerings. Nearby, men in saffron and orange robes and turbans pour grains and offerings into the fire from brass vessels, while others raise their hands in prayer. A man in a yellow shawl and a red-turbaned figure stand among the assembly under a white tent. Smoke and sparks rise from the pit, and a golden ceremonial ladle is held aloft at the right edge.

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January 13 20152015-01-13January 13 20152015-01-13A homa fire pit, a large square trench filled with glowing embers and ash, is at the centre, edged with white rice or flower petals and marigold garlands. A man in a yellow-trimmed orange shawl at the right pours a stream of yellow liquid from a ladle-like vessel into the pit. Around it, a crowd of robed devotees in saffron and orange clothing raise their hands in prayer or cheer; one bare-chested man with a long white beard and rudraksha mala holds a brass bowl, and others wear red and orange turbans and yellow garlands. Oil lamps burn at the edges. Individuals are visible, though no one in the crowd is clearly identifiable as a person.2015-01-13A photograph of a large square fire pit, a homa or yagna, filled with smoke and a visible flame at its base, with a white-and-blue edged border decorated with yellow flowers. Around it stand a crowd of devotees in ritual dress: a man in a yellow dhoti and striped headcloth at left, bare-chested men in pink and striped dhotis with rudraksha necklaces, several men in saffron-orange robes, and an elderly bearded man in white with a rudraksha mala. At right, a man in a yellow-and-red headcloth and yellow flower garland pours offerings with a ladle, while a man in saffron robes holds a silver plate. A tent canopy is overhead and other people raise their hands behind the group.2015-01-13A photograph of a large square fire pit with a smoking, glowing homa in the foreground, surrounded by a crowd of devotees and priests at a ritual. Several men in orange and saffron robes stand around the fire, some holding metal trays and plates of offerings, and one holds a gold ceremonial ladle. Men in pink and yellow dhotis and yellow-and-orange turbans stand bare-chested with hands raised or folded in prayer. A bearded elder in orange with rudraksha malas raises his hands. Marigold garlands line the edge of the pit. The tent setting is bright and hazy with smoke.2015-01-13January 13 20152015-01-13January 13 20152015-01-13A photograph of a homa fire ritual at an outdoor pavilion with smoky haze. A central figure with a long white beard, bare-chested, wears a white dhoti and rudraksha mala, with a tilak and forehead markings, and reaches toward a rectangular fire pit lined with white and blue painted borders and marigold petals. Around him stand men in saffron and orange robes and turbans, and seated priests in pink cloth and orange-red turbans sit near the pit with brass lamps. Standing figures in maroon, orange and pink clothing watch the rite, and a brass plate with offerings is held nearby.2015-01-13January 13 20152015-01-13Photograph of a homa or yagna at a fire pit (kund) lined with white and blue edging and yellow marigold petals, with flames visible at the lower edge. A bare-chested, white-bearded man in a white dhoti and gold necklace extends one arm over the pit while a crowd of priests and devotees surrounds it, several in saffron and orange robes and some with orange and yellow head cloths. A man in a red turban and rudraksha mala stands at right, and a woman in an orange shawl with a rudraksha mala holds a brass plate of fruit. Brass ritual vessels sit at the right edge under hazy white smoke from the fire.2015-01-13A smoky homa fire pit, a square brown-walled altar edged with blue and white and strewn with yellow marigold petals, dominates the foreground with a small flame visible at its base. A brass ladle is held at right by a man in a yellow-and-orange headwrap and yellow marigold garland. Around the pit, about a dozen men stand in ritual dress: several bare-chested men in pink and yellow dhotis wear gold-toned necklaces, a man in saffron-orange robes holds a brass plate, and an elder with long white hair and a rudraksha mala raises a hand in blessing. Other men in orange robes and a man in a yellow cloth stand nearby under a white canopy, with thick smoke rising through the scene.2015-01-13January 13 20152015-01-13