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Outdoor ritual scene at a temple-like setting with a large banana-leaf canopy hung on bamboo poles in the foreground. A standing man in saffron-orange robes with a matching orange shawl and a long beaded necklace holds a brass tray of offerings and a small bell. Beside him a younger man in white dhoti and kurta with a yellow shawl stands, and a seated man in white clothes with a rudraksha mala and an ID badge kneels, holding a brass plate of white sweets. Behind them, colourful deity murtis and decorated figures are visible, with a red-and-white mat on the ground and brass lamps on the floor. Actions suggest a puja offering.

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A photograph of an outdoor puja beneath banana plants lashed to wooden poles. A man in a saffron-orange robe and matching shawl, wearing a gold beaded necklace and rudraksha-style beads, holds an oil lamp in one hand and a small bell in the other, with a brass tray nearby. Beside him a young attendant in white dhoti and yellow shawl holds a tray of offerings. A seated devotee in white clothing tends a flame and a plate of sweets or offerings sits on the mat. Woven mats with red and blue borders cover the ground. Behind, a painted deity image and floral decorations are visible. The scene reads as a homa or chandi-homa ritual, with the central figure appearing as a probable Swamiji candidate due to saffron robes, gold necklace and beads.2009-09-26A seated saffron-robed sannyasi with a shaved head, tilak marks, a red-and-saffron shawl and a heavy gold necklace performs a homa at an outdoor ritual ground beside a young banana tree. Around him, men in white kurtas wear yellow scarves and rudraksha malas; one man at left holds a silver tray of offerings and another kneels with a silver vessel. Women in white saris with folded hands sit in the background, and a wooden bench and mats cover the ground. Brass and silver ritual vessels and a small fire-pit area are in front of the priest.2009-09-26September 26 20092009-09-26A ritual outdoors in front of a white building with banana plants. A man in a saffron-orange robe with a matching orange shawl and a tall orange head covering stands barefoot on a woven mat, holding a small silver ritual vessel and a bell. He wears a large ornate gold-toned necklace with a pendant and rudraksha beads, and a horizontal sacred ash mark on his forehead. Three men in white dhoti and kurta clothing surround him: one on the left holds a brass tray, one behind him holds a tray, and one at right in a yellow-and-white shawl holds a plate. A seated man in white with a yellow shawl in the foreground holds a brass plate with offerings. Flower petals and offerings lie on the ground. A deity murti is visible at upper right behind a black pedestal. The scene resembles a puja with offerings.2009-09-26September 26 20092009-09-26 +1 copiesA photograph of a homa ritual on the ground under a shaded canopy with banana-leaf posts. A central figure in saffron-orange robes and a saffron head covering sits cross-legged, wearing a rudraksha mala and a large ceremonial gold pendant necklace, with a sacred ash mark on the forehead, and holds a small ritual vessel. Around him, young men in white kurtas with yellow shawls kneel and handle brass plates of offerings, a silver bowl and a small brass pot. Devotees in white and yellow sit on woven mats behind, some with hands folded in prayer. Seated people on white chairs and a row of others in white clothes are visible in the background.2009-09-26 +1 copiesOutdoor ritual scene seated on woven mats under a banana-leaf canopy. A shaven-headed man in saffron-orange robes, a gold-beaded mala and a gold necklace sits cross-legged at centre, holding a silver bowl and making a gesture with his right hand. Three young men in white dhotis with yellow shawls surround him: one at left holds a brass tray with oil lamp, a small vessel and offerings; one behind holds a rudraksha mala and touches his nose; one at right holds a brass plate. A red-and-white striped platform, marigold garlands and offerings sit in the background, with a white kolam design drawn on the ground.2009-09-26Outdoor ritual scene at a temple courtyard with a banana tree in the right foreground. A man in saffron-orange robes and a matching shawl, wearing a heavy gold necklace and tilak markings, stands barefoot on a woven mat, holding a small flame in a metal vessel as an offering. Behind him, a younger attendant in white dhoti with a yellow sash rings a brass bell, while another in white with a yellow sash carries a brass plate of offerings. A seated attendant in yellow and white is at the lower left, and a small red-roofed building and a signboard reading Nithyananda Flower Stalls appear in the background. Appears to be a homa or puja offering.2009-09-26A photograph of an outdoor ritual beside a young banana tree. A bald man in saffron-orange robes with a red-bordered saffron shawl, wearing gold-toned ceremonial necklaces and glasses, stands barefoot on a woven mat and holds a small silver lamp or dish while ringing a handbell. A younger man in white dhoti and shirt with a yellow shawl holds a brass tray or plate above. A man in white with a yellow shawl kneels at right, arranging small bowls of red, yellow and orange powders on a brass plate at the base of the tree. A man in white at left holds a silver vessel. Background shows a dark stone deity statue and a red wall. Gravel and small offerings lie on the ground.2009-09-26Outdoor ritual scene in a garden beside a white building. A man in an orange-saffron robe with a red-bordered dhoti, a gold necklace with a pendant, and forehead tilak holds a silver bell and walks on a woven mat between banana-tree poles tied with twine. Behind him, a man in a white dhoti and yellow shawl stands with palms pressed together and holds a brass plate of yellow flowers. At left, a seated man in white with a yellow shawl and red marks on his forehead tends brass vessels and a tray of offerings on the ground near small bowls with sweets. Another man in white stands in the background. Plants, flowers and a pile of debris surround the area.2009-09-25Outdoor photograph of a ritual at an ashram-style courtyard of sandy earth under coconut palms. A standing man in saffron-orange robes with long swept-back hair, a rudraksha mala and a gold pendant performs a ritual before a young banana tree wrapped with a cloth band, holding a small brass ritual vessel. Kneeling in white with a yellow shawl at the lower left is a devotee with a brass lamp and offerings. Four men in white dhotis and white kurtas with yellow shawls stand to the right holding brass plates of flowers, fruit and lamps. Plastic white chairs and a bamboo fence sit in the background. The orange-robed figure has distinctive long hair, saffron clothing and rudraksha beads, consistent with a probable Swamiji appearance.2009-09-25A photograph of an outdoor ritual on bare ground under a light shelter. A central figure sits cross-legged on a striped mat, wearing a saffron-orange robe with the head draped in orange cloth, a gold ceremonial necklace with a pendant, and a forehead marking. He holds a small ritual vessel while attendants in white kurta-style clothes and yellow shawls sit around him. One attendant to the left holds a silver bowl, another at the front right arranges brass plates of small white sweets and offerings, and a younger attendant in the background holds a tray of lamps. A wooden post stands in the middle of the scene with a chalk circle drawn on the ground nearby, and silver vessels and a brass plate sit at the lower left, consistent with a homa or puja setting. The central figure is an appearance-based a person candidate with saffron robes, a gold ceremonial necklace and a shaved head, seated among ritual attendants.2009-09-26