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Outdoor homa at a temple-style ashram courtyard. A raised, yellow-painted fire pit decorated with white kolam-like curls and star motifs holds a burning fire with smoke rising. Three bare-chested priests in orange and saffron dhotis stand behind it; the central priest wears a rudraksha-style mala and speaks into a microphone, while the others hold ritual items. Brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot, banana leaves, a white-and-orange flower garland and wood logs rest on a striped cloth beside the pit. Behind them, rows of children and adults in white and orange clothes stand with hands folded, some seated near mats, and drummers in orange play drums at the right. Red-roofed buildings and green trees frame the scene.

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A photograph of a homa fire pit at an outdoor shrine, its tiered orange-painted platform decorated with white dotted curves and star motifs. Flames rise from the pit as a shirtless young priest in an orange dhoti and rudraksha mala stands behind it holding a ritual vessel. A second young man in white dhoti and shawl holds a microphone and a small flame-lit lamp, while a third in orange garments stands nearby. Around them, many children and adults in orange and white clothes stand on coloured mats, hands folded or palms together. Drummers in white and orange play frame drums at right. Floral garlands, banana leaves, brass bowls and a kalasha sit on the mats in the foreground, and a red-pillared building stands behind. The surrounding crowd is large and visible, with many people in the background.2016-09-05September 05 20162016-09-05Outdoor homa at a covered open-air pavilion with a tiled roof and palm trees behind. In the foreground a square, tiered yellow-ochre fire pit with white line and star patterns holds a lively flame. Beside it a silver bowl, brass vessels and offering baskets sit on a cloth, with a white and green flower garland and banana leaves. Several men stand around in white dhotis and orange or saffron cloths, including a bare-chested man in white dhoti at left, a man in orange cloth reading from a sheet at centre-right, and a standing man in orange with a rudraksha mala and a bare-chested man in a white dhoti on the right. Other devotees in orange and white stand or sit behind them, and a small child in white stands near the centre.2016-09-05September 05 20162016-09-05A night-time homa or yagna at a square fire pit lined with yellow-painted sides and strewn with yellow marigold garlands and rose petals. Seven people sit on mats in orange and saffron robes with white forehead marks and rudraksha malas. A central figure in white clothing and a white head cloth holds offerings over the fire. Brass plates, a bowl and a small lamp sit nearby, and a red and white patterned mat lies at the front. Behind the fire pit a dais is draped in red and blue cloth and decorated with flowers. Visible people are seated in a row with hands folded in prayer.2013-11-20Outdoor ritual homa at a covered open-air pavilion with palm trees behind. A yellow-painted square fire pit with burning wood and flames sits in the left foreground, decorated with white kolam lines and marigold garlands. Behind it, a pale-blue-clothed man stands among several young men in orange and saffron dhotis and shawls wearing rudraksha malas. One young man in orange holds a microphone. Brass bowls, lamps, kalasha-style vessels and a tray of offerings rest on a colourful striped cloth, with bundles of incense sticks at the right edge. Women in yellow and orange saris and children in orange stand in the background, along with several men in white.2016-09-05A square fire pit, yoni-shaped homa kunda framed in yellow-painted wood and decorated with marigold and red flower petals, has a flame burning inside it. A white-robed priest with a white turban and rudraksha beads kneels at the pit feeding offerings into the fire. Around him sit several young men in saffron-orange robes with rudraksha malas and white tilak marks, some holding offering vessels and palm-leaf items. Brass bowls with flowers and kumkum sit on the mat, and a red-and-white patterned rug lies at the front. The setting is a night homa or yagna ritual with kolam designs on the floor.2013-11-20September 05 20162016-09-05September 05 20162016-09-05September 09 20132013-09-09February 07 20162016-02-07February 07 20162016-02-07