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A large hall during a Samaya Deeksha homa ceremony. In the foreground, several priests in white and saffron dhotis sit on the floor at microphones, and a priest on the right in white and orange clothing tends the proceedings beside a brass pot. A blue cloth-covered table holds a decorated mandala of coloured powders, ringed with yellow and white flower garlands, with a brass bowl of liquid nearby and a brass vessel with flowers. Behind them, a deity murti and a seated figure in a golden canopy form, garlanded in orange marigolds, sit on a raised platform beside striped mats, with brass lamps and a kalasha. Dozens of seated devotees in white fill the hall.

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July 17 20152015-07-17A temple-style ritual hall with white canopy draping, where several people in white and rust-coloured clothing attend a ceremony around a blue-skirted altar heaped with yellow flowers. At centre, a metal deity murti is decorated with orange and yellow marigold garlands, and to the right a gilded throne backs a seated deity figure hung with garlands. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti and orange shawl sits at left beside brass vessels, flower pots, and fruit offerings. A standing man in white dhoti with a gold-trimmed cloth and a kneeling figure with orange wrap and rudraksha are among the participants, with microphones on stands in the foreground. The scene appears to be a samaya deeksha homa ritual.2015-07-17A homa fire ritual in a tented hall. A brick fire pit with burning flames and marigold garlands sits at centre, with offerings and brass dishes around it. A man in saffron-coloured robes with long hair sits behind the fire, tending the flames with a ladle, while three priests in gold-bordered silk dhotis and shawls sit in the foreground facing the fire, one with a microphone at his side. Behind them, a large seated congregation in white and orange clothes watches, with brass lamp stands and a blue-draped altar with garlands to the right. The fire-ritual setting is visible, but the man at the fire is not clearly identifiable from appearance alone.2015-07-17A photograph of a large indoor hall during a Samaya Deeksha homa ritual. Several male priests with bare upper bodies and white dhotis sit on a patterned mat at left, several seated with microphones on stands before them. A priest in orange-brown cloth stands near the centre tending the fire. Behind them a crowd of devotees in white clothes sits on the floor. Golden ceremonial stands with trident-topped poles and an elaborate gold throne with red cushions are at left. At the foreground right a priest in a red headpiece works over a floral mandala of marigolds and coloured powders, with a brass vessel and a kalasha with flower garlands nearby. A deity murti sits in a decorated shrine at the back. Smoke rises from the homa fire.2015-07-17Photo of a homa fire ritual in a large hall packed with seated devotees, many in white and saffron. In the foreground, three priests in saffron-bordered dhotis and bare upper bodies sit on low platforms facing a square fire pit where smoke rises, with microphones before them. Behind the fire pit, a figure in a saffron dhoti with bare chest and a rudraksha mala and beaded adornments tends the offerings. Brass oil lamps stand at left beside floral garlands, banana offerings and brass vessels on the floor.2015-07-17 +1 copiesA photograph of a ritual inside a white tented hall. A man in a maroon and red-brown dhoti-style garment and a rudraksha-style mala stands at right, speaking into a handheld microphone while gesturing toward a large floral mandala on a blue-draped table, decorated with gold and garland-like borders, red powder and marigold-style petals. A woman in a dark orange-brown sari stands behind him. Rows of brass oil lamps on tiered stands surround the mandala. Seated devotees in white and cream clothes and maroon shawls fill the background, with a camera on a tripod at left and bright floral garlands at right edge. The setting suggests a homa or samaya deeksha ceremony, with a visible mandala process.2015-07-17A large hall during a homa fire ritual, with a crowd of dozens of seated devotees in white and saffron clothing filling the floor. In the centre, a sacred fire burns in a brick fire pit, and a priest bare-chested in a saffron-bordered cloth sits near it, extending his arm toward the flames. Foreground figures in saffron and orange cloths sit facing the fire, one with a microphone in front. To the right, a large blue-draped table holds marigold garlands and offerings. A decorated green canopy throne with a portrait stands at the back-left beside brass lamps and kalasha-like vessels. Ceiling fans, white draped tents and cameras surround the hall. A homa for Samaya Deeksha is suggested by the page, but only the fire ritual and seated gathering are visible. The visible crowd is roughly 50 to 100 people.2015-07-17A homa ritual in a covered hall with a fire pit at lower centre, flames rising from offerings of flowers, sweets and leaves. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a pink-and-yellow turban sits behind the fire pit. A man in white dhoti and brown shawl at right holds a stick near a tall gold-and-red altar with a deity murti draped in marigold garlands. Standing figures in orange and brown robes and white dhotis surround a blue-draped platform with brass kalasha vessels. Brass lamps stand in rows at left, and devotees sit in the background. A white cloth backdrop hangs behind the scene. Visible people number about twenty.2015-07-17July 17 20152015-07-17July 17 20152015-07-17A large group of seated devotees in white and maroon attire fills a tent-covered hall during a homa ritual. In the foreground, a young man in an orange-and-gold dhoti and shawl speaks into a microphone while facing the ceremony. Behind a wrapped garland-decorated object, a man in orange and gold sits before a brass-and-silver setup of kalasha-like vessels, oil lamps, banana leaves and offerings, with a small brick fire pit in the right foreground. Brass lamp stands line the left side and a camera on a tripod stands at the back. The scene appears to be a samaya deeksha initiation ceremony with a homa.2015-07-17July 17 20152015-07-17