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A homa fire burns in a rectangular white brick fire pit with marigold flowers scattered on the edges. A shaved-headed man in an orange sannyasi cloth with a white tilak on his forehead, wire-framed glasses and a heavy gold-coloured beaded necklace leans toward the flames with his hand extended. Behind him a group of boys in white clothes sit closely watching the fire, a man in a white shirt sits among them, and a woman in a colourful sari sits at the right edge. A metal vessel rests on the pit. White walls and a barred window form the background.

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A photograph of a homa fire ceremony inside a plain whitewashed hall. A shaved-headed priest in an orange-saffron robe and a long gold bead necklace with a pendant sits on the right and offers ghee or substance into a rectangular fire pit built of white bricks, scattered with orange marigold petals. Flames rise from the pit. Around him, a group of young boys and men in white shirts and white dhotis sit cross-legged and watch closely, while a woman in a dark sari sits at the right edge. The priest wears a white vertical tilak on his forehead and glasses. The scene is a ritual homa performed in a temple or ashram setting.2007-08-26A homa fire ritual on a white brick fire altar decorated with orange marigold flowers. In the foreground a shaved-headed priest wearing an orange-saffron cloth, a gold chain with a pendant and wrist bangles, and white tripundra on his forehead holds a long ladle-like offering stick over the flames. Behind him seated devotees in white clothes with white and red forehead markings watch and join in, and a woman in a yellow-orange sari sits at the right edge. A plain whitewashed wall and a grilled door stand in the background.2007-08-26A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a plain whitewashed room. A fire burns in a white-brick fire pit decorated with orange marigold petals. A shaved-headed priest in a saffron-orange robe with a long gold-bead necklace and a pendant, with white tripundra ash on his forehead and rimless glasses, holds a long metal ladle over the flames. Around him, boys and young men in white clothes with red markings sit listening; one in the foreground holds his palms together in prayer. Brass bowls and offerings lie near the pit, and a woman in an orange sari sits at the right edge.2007-08-26A homa fire is lit inside a square brick fire pit covered with white bricks and scattered orange marigold petals. A bald man in orange robes and a large gold necklace with a pendant feeds sticks into the flame with his right hand. Beside him a young man in white clothes with an orange shawl tends the offerings, and a steel bowl and plate of dried sticks and leaves sit nearby. Several boys and young people in white clothes and orange shawls sit on the floor behind them, and an older man in white stands at the doorway. The scene is an indoor fire ritual in a plain white-walled hall. Whether the robed man is the a person is uncertain, since the visible cues are only a shaved head and orange robes with a gold necklace.2007-08-26August 26 20072007-08-26A photograph of a homa (fire ritual) being performed on a white-painted square fire pit covered with marigold petals and a small flame. A bald man with white forehead paste wears saffron-orange robes, a gold-beaded necklace with a pendant, and glasses, and extends his arm over the fire while holding an offering. Beside him, a young man in white clothes with white forehead marks and a red thread presses his palms together. Several young boys in white and a woman in a yellow sari sit behind them against a pale blue wall, with a barred window at right. Some of the people visible are partly hidden behind others.2007-08-26August 26 20072007-08-26A homa fire ceremony in an indoor hall. A bald man in saffron-orange robes with a red border and a beaded necklace sits on the right, extending a gold ladle toward a square fire pit built of white bricks, with flames rising on the left. Marigold petals lie on the brick edge, and brass vessels, a bell and a plate of flowers sit on the floor. Around him, rows of seated people in white clothes, some with white tilak on the forehead and hands pressed together, watch the ceremony. A person in an orange robe stands in the background near a window. A red cloth covers part of the lower left foreground.2007-08-26A photograph of a ritual in an indoor hall with a concrete floor and a plain block wall. In the foreground a bald man in orange ochre robes with red borders, a gold necklace and white forehead markings sits cross-legged, extending one hand over a white brick platform scattered with orange marigold petals. On the platform are a brass bowl, a silver cup, a brass lamp-stand, a small metal vessel and a curved brass horn. Behind him rows of seated people in white clothes look on; a woman in orange shawl with hands folded in prayer sits in the centre. A man in saffron robes stands at the back.2007-08-26A homa being performed in a plain whitewashed hall with a square fire pit built from white bricks and decorated with marigold petals; a small flame burns inside the pit. A bald man in an orange saffron shawl, with a white vertical tilak on his forehead and a heavy gold necklace, kneels at the pit pouring offerings from a ladle and holds a paper in his other hand. Around him sit boys and young men in white kurtas with white and red tilaks, and some wearing saffron shawls, along with a woman in an orange sari at the right edge. Brass plates, a bowl of offerings and a pile of dried leaves sit beside the pit. The seated audience numbers roughly thirty.2007-08-26A photograph of a homa fire ritual in an indoor hall. In the right foreground a shaved-headed man in orange robes with a red-bordered dhoti and a gold necklace gestures with one hand toward a low white brick fire pit, while holding a folded paper. Brass vessels, a kalasha-style brass cup, a spouted pot, a ladle and orange marigold petals sit on the white bricks. Behind them, dozens of seated devotees in white clothes, some with orange shawls, press their palms together in prayer.2007-08-26A photograph of a homa fire ceremony. A bald man with a tilak on his forehead and gold-rimmed glasses sits cross-legged in an orange-saffron robe with a gold necklace and bangles, making a gesture over a fire pit built of white bricks strewn with orange marigold petals. Behind him a second man in white clothes stands with palms pressed together in prayer. A dark red cloth-draped seat is visible at the right edge. The fire burns bright orange inside the brick altar, and a brass vessel sits near the priest.2007-08-26