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Night photograph of a fire-walking ritual pit: a long trench of glowing embers and ash lies on bare earth between wooden railings. Around it stand a crowd of men in plain white dhotis and white shirts, some with shaved heads, watching. A bright lamp or torch on a pole lights a small ornate shrine or palanquin above the crowd. On the right, a drummer in a grey coat and white dhoti plays a large drum beside a man in white. Palm fronds appear at the top of the frame.

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December 30 20062006-12-30Night photograph of a fire-walking ritual pit: a long trench of glowing charcoal and embers with smoke rising, lined on both sides by bamboo poles. Many people in white clothes crowd the edges, some dressed in white dhotis and shirts, with drummers at right playing large drums in light-coloured clothing. A lantern hangs above the pit near a palm tree. Dry straw covers the earth banks beside the pit.2006-12-30Night photograph of a fire-walking pit, a long trench filled with glowing charcoal and embers, bordered by bamboo poles. Behind the barrier, many men in white dhotis and white shirts stand and sit in darkness, lit by a single bright lamp above. On the right, two drums with decorative red and white fabric are played by drummers in white. A small lit lamp or altar structure appears at the top centre. A blue bucket sits at the lower left. The scene resembles a fire-walking ritual gathering.2006-12-30December 30 20062006-12-30December 30 20062006-12-30Night photograph of a fire-walking ritual pit at a temple ground. Glowing embers and grey ash fill a narrow trench in the foreground, bordered by bamboo poles and rough wooden railings. A crowd of about twenty people in white dhotis, white shirts and white sarees stands behind the barrier, several with hands raised or folded, while one man in a light tan shirt bends near the pit edge. A lit kalasha-like shrine with orange flames and a bright lamp sits in the background beneath a row of strung pennant flags and palm fronds. Smoke rises from the fire.2006-12-30Night photograph of a fire-walking ritual at an outdoor ground lit only by dim light and smoke. A man in white clothing raises a long pole or rod above a bamboo-railed pit of glowing embers, while a crowd of devotees dressed in white shirts and white dhotis stand and sit around the enclosure. Several people wear rudraksha or bead necklaces. Strings of small flags hang between palm trees overhead, and a metal pot sits at the right edge of the frame.2006-12-30Night photograph of a fire-walking ritual pit: a long trench filled with glowing embers and flames, lined by dirt banks with straw. Behind a wooden fence, many men in white dhotis and white shirts stand watching, some with bare or shaved heads. A lantern-topped pole rises in the smoky background beside palm trees. One man in the centre wears a white shirt, white dhoti and a beaded necklace, standing at the edge of the pit. Smoke drifts through the scene.2006-12-30December 30 20062006-12-30Night photo of a fire-walking ritual. Two long trenches of blazing flame and smoke run across dark earth, with straw scattered along the edges. Behind a bamboo barrier, a crowd of men in white dhotis and kurtas stands watching, and a man in a white garment with an orange shawl stands at the right. A lit lamp or lantern glows in the background among palm trees, and a drummer in an orange-red outfit is visible at the right edge. The scene is a fire-walking ritual, with several people in white and orange clothing forming the crowd.2006-12-30Night photograph of a fire-walking pit: a long trench filled with glowing-dark, partly burnt coals and ash, bordered by earth and straw. Behind it stand a group of men in white dhotis and white shirts, one man in the centre wearing an orange-red shawl over white. Bamboo poles and a crowd seated behind wooden barriers, lit by a bright lamp; a decorated palanquin or lit shrine structure is visible in the background. Offerings and an oil lamp sit near the trench edge.2006-12-30December 30 20062006-12-30