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Night ritual under an open-sided shed hung with orange pennants and golden looped decorations. A bald man in a saffron-orange robe stands at centre, holding a lit flame or lamp over a fire pit or homa altar while smoke rises. Seated priests in white dhotis and shawls sit around a white raised platform and tiered brass trays of fruit, flowers and offerings. A large brass oil lamp with yellow marigold garlands stands at left beside a red-and-gold decorated deity figure. A musician in white sits at lower right playing a drum-like instrument. Devotees in white and colourful clothes watch from the background, and statues line the far edge.

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Night-time ritual at an open-sided pavilion with orange and white pennants and hanging decorative tassels. A bald man in a saffron-orange robe stands at the centre, holding a flaming lamp or aarti in his hands, facing a raised altar. Seated priests in white dhotis and shawls chant and attend the altar, which is laden with banana leaves, fruit, brass vessels, a red cloth and flower garlands. Brass oil lamps stand at left beside a red-and-gold palanquin or canopy and a decorated deity murti draped in red and white. A drummer in white seated at lower right plays a drum. Devotees watch from the background in the darkness.2010-11-05Night-time homa at an open-air ritual platform with a fire pit, rising smoke and brass oil lamps in front. A bald man in saffron-orange robes stands at the centre, holding a ritual vessel over the flame, while several people in white dhotis and white shirts sit cross-legged around the fire pit. A red and gold throne-like seat stands at left, and a row of seated devotees in orange and white watches from the back. Brass and metal offering plates with food, flowers and red cloth lie on the platform, and strings of triangular orange pennants hang overhead beside a tall gold-topped pillar.2010-11-05October 15 20102010-10-15A photograph of a night homa in progress under a pandal decorated with orange, green and yellow streamers and banana plants. A standing figure in saffron-orange robes and an orange head covering, wearing a beaded mala, holds a round metal vessel with flames above a square fire pit. Thick smoke rises from the pit, which is ringed with marigold garlands, yellow flowers and brass bowls of offerings. Behind it, seated devotees in orange garments fold their hands in prayer. Two people in the foreground, in white and yellow clothing, sit with palms joined. A framed portrait garlanded with flowers stands at left among potted floral arrangements and fruit.2009-09-25November 05 20102010-11-05Night ritual under a corrugated roof with a fire pit (homa/yagna) on a yellow-draped platform. A priest in an orange-red dhoti and saffron-gold shawl stands with his back to the camera, facing the fire and a deity murti garlanded with marigolds. Two seated men in white dhotis with rudraksha malas chant into microphones beside the fire pit, one holding a silver vessel. A third man in a saffron-orange robe with a flower garland stands with folded hands at the right, with other robed attendants behind him. Brass lamps, a silver bowl, kumkum dishes and flower petals are arranged on the mats and platform.2014-09-11An outdoor evening homa at a covered open-air shelter with a fire burning on a low stone platform at left, smoke filling the air. A man in an orange turban and orange dhoti with a draped orange shawl stands barefoot on a mat, arm extended toward the fire. Behind him a seated audience of devotees in white and red garments, some wearing red shawls, faces the ritual. Marigold garlands, brass lamps, a dhol-style drum and a stack of books sit at left, and a deity murti is set in an arched niche in the background. Overhead, hanging lights and blue-and-white banners complete the scene.2013-10-13Night ritual under a open-sided pavilion decorated with orange triangular pennants, hanging tassels and green leaf garlands. A standing priest with a shaved head, wearing white dhoti and shawl with a saffron-and-red border and a gold-coloured necklace, holds a lit flame over a fire pit or homa offering while a brass lamp and ritual vessels rest on the platform. Seated priests in white clothes, one in a green silk wrap, perform the rite. Devotees sit on the ground at the sides, and a red throne cushion holds a framed portrait of a woman in orange garments. Stone deity murtis and a tall decorated pillar appear in the background.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA photograph of a homa ritual inside a decorated pavilion with orange and green paper streamers overhead and banana plants at the sides. Smoke rises from a square fire pit lined with marigold garlands and brass bowls. A figure in orange robes with a long gold-bead necklace holds a round metal plate or ladle over the fire. Seated at the pit on the left, several people in orange clothing sit with hands joined in prayer. In the foreground, two young people in white and yellow garments kneel with hands folded, and a book sits on a purple cloth. Brass kalasha pots wrapped in woven netting and decorated with flowers stand at the left, and a framed portrait garlanded with flowers hangs behind the fire pit.2009-09-25A night ritual in a covered open hall decorated with red, yellow and green hangings and leafy garland strings. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl with a red border and gold-coloured trim holds a flaming lamp and a small brass vessel in front of a seated group of white-clad priests on a low platform. Several seated devotees in white, a bare-headed man in a white garment, and a shaved-headed priest in white and gold chains sit in the foreground. On the left a red and gold throne-style seat holds a framed portrait of a figure in saffron robes, and a brass oil lamp stands on the floor. Brass plates and bowls rest around the platform, and a row of people in saffron and white sits in the background. The scene is a fire or lamp offering ritual, consistent with an aarti or homa setting.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 15 20102010-10-15 +1 copiesNovember 05 20102010-11-05