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A young sannyasi in orange robes and a rudraksha mala stands at a stone-brick altar, holding a small oil lamp over a silver bowl. His forehead and arms bear white ash markings, and he wears a small gold earring. Marigold and white flower garlands and bananas are arranged on the altar in front. Behind him, women in white and red shawls sit in devotional posture before a colourful painted backdrop with gold and red panels. A person's hand with white markings reaches toward the offerings from the left. The scene appears to be a puja with aarti.

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August 04 20162016-08-04May 19 20132013-05-19Night ritual at an outdoor fire pit. A central figure with a shaved head, red-and-gold vibhuti marking on the forehead, a large yellow-and-white flower garland and a red shawl over a red-and-leopard-print garment sits on a low gilded stool, holding a ritual implement toward the flames. Flames rise from a yellow brick fire pit in the foreground. Behind, a seated audience in white and red-brown shawls and saffron clothing listens, some with hands folded in prayer. To the right, a red-draped table holds decorated coconuts, garlands and ornamental offerings. The scene suggests a homa or fire ritual.2014-05-20May 19 20132013-05-19June 27 20142014-06-27 +1 copiesA shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes and a long beaded rudraksha-style mala sits cross-legged on a floor at a ritual homa-style puja, holding a stick-like offering over fire-pit tools. Yellow bananas, lemons, brass bowls with lidded containers, marigold and white flower garlands, and a stack of yellow stone blocks with red flower petals surround him. Behind him, seated devotees in white clothes with red shawls and orange lanyards sit in rows, and a large painted deity figure in red and orange holds a weapon at the upper right. Lines of white sacred ash mark the forehead and arms of the priest and some devotees.2013-05-19Night outdoor homa ceremony under a decorated pavilion with green leaf festoons and string lights at the right. A bald priest in saffron-orange robes, a saffron head covering and a long rudraksha-style bead necklace stands centre-right, holding a brass tray of red fruits and bananas. A young assistant in white kurta with a yellow shawl stands beside him holding bundled sticks. Brass vessels, a tall brass lamp and a kalasha sit on the altar, with marigold petals scattered before it. Figures in orange and yellow shawls sit in the foreground, partly visible at the edges.2009-09-26May 19 20132013-05-19July 04 20142014-07-04 +2 copiesA photograph of a home-visit ritual in a Tamil Nadu setting. In the foreground, an elderly bald man with white hair, wearing a white dhoti and rudraksha-style beaded necklaces, holds a brass plate with a lit oil lamp, while a woman in a red blouse and orange sari beside him holds a similar plate. A woman in a teal sari sits with her palms joined in prayer. On the right, a shaved-headed young man in orange robes with a rudraksha mala sits near a garlanded seat draped in orange cloth and white jasmine garlands. Scattered pink and white flowers and green leaves lie on the red-patterned floor. Behind them, devotees in white and colourful saris stand with hands folded.2014-06-27Photograph of two young boys in saffron-orange robes with rudraksha malas and white sacred ash marks on their foreheads, holding brass oil lamps (flame visible) over a silver tray of bowls holding flower petals and offerings in a temple-like room. Behind them an older woman in white with rudraksha necklace stands with palms pressed in prayer, and a large carved wooden door with brass studs is in the background. Appears to be an aarti or puja offering.2013-06-15A photograph inside a home living room during a padapuja house visit. A seated figure in a dark red-brown robe with an orange-and-gold border, wearing a white and red flower garland, rudraksha mala, gold bangles and armlets, raises a tall silver staff toward the ceiling and smiles. Around them, a young man in orange robes and rudraksha malas, another in white with a mala, and a standing attendant in orange hold ritual items. A woman in white with a red-brown shawl sits with hands folded in prayer, while a woman in red reaches toward a brass bell and a flaming oil lamp on a tray of flowers. A framed painting hangs on the wall and a lamp glows overhead.2014-07-07 +1 copies