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Night outdoor puja at an ashram courtyard during Navaratri. Devotees sit on mats in rows with palms pressed together in anjali, many in white kurtas with orange shawls and some with yellow shawls. In the foreground, a priest in orange and yellow robes sits behind brass plates of offerings, flowers, and a rudraksha-style garland, with a brass lamp stand near the plates. Palm trees and a low wall are visible in the dark background.

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October 07 20082008-10-07A photograph of a homa fire ritual inside a temple hall decorated with banana plants and mango leaves, with smoke rising. A standing figure in saffron-orange robes and an orange head cloth, with a gold pendant necklace and bangles, stands with hands pressed together in namaskar over the fire pit, which is strewn with yellow marigold petals. Around him, bearded men in saffron robes and beaded malas sit near brass vessels and oil lamps, while many devotees in white dhotis and yellow shawls sit or stand in rows behind. Brass pots, a kalasha-style vessel and flower offerings lie on the ritual platform. Several people in the front row are seated with bells and offerings. a person candidate present, appearance uncertain.2009-09-25Night-time outdoor ritual on a raised stone platform: a young man in white dhoti and shawl with a gold border sits cross-legged at the centre, white vibhuti stripes on his arms and forehead, rudraksha mala and a thin wrist cord. Around him sit several young men in saffron-orange robes, rudraksha malas and white forehead markings, some chanting or reading from open books and a blue folder set on a stand with a microphone. Yellow marigold garlands, a brass bowl of sweets, a lit oil lamp, a brass kalasha-style vessel and a brass lamp rest on the platform, with a yellow flower garland in the foreground. A seated man in white stands behind at left, and a table with offerings sits in the background.2013-12-17A photograph of a nighttime homa ritual held outdoors under a shelter with banana plant stalks at the sides. Seated on orange cloth mats, a group of about a dozen people faces a fire pit. A man in orange robes with a white forehead mark and gold-beaded necklace extends his hand over the ritual fire. Several people wear orange robes, while others wear white dhotis with yellow shawls. Brass vessels, a basket, and plates of yellow offerings sit on a blue-covered table to the right, and a lit oil lamp is visible at the upper right edge. Two women in orange sit in the foreground with their backs to the camera.2009-09-26 +1 copiesNight-time photograph of a group of devotees in saffron and orange clothing seated with hands folded in namaskar around a large dark stone yagna or homa pit. Several men and women wear orange robes, red-and-gold shawls and beaded necklaces, some with rudraksha-style malas. A standing figure in orange robes and a red shawl stands at the back with palms pressed together. Around the edge are brass pots, kalashas, flower petals, marigolds, banana leaves, vessels and a brass bell on a white cloth. A low wall with red and white posts and palm trees appear in the background.2008-10-07October 08 20082008-10-08Night outdoor ritual of a padapuja or satsang-style ceremony on a paved courtyard. A young priest in a plain white dhoti and shawl sits centre-left, hands raised over a row of brass and silver vessels, small bowls of flowers, a lit oil lamp and a brass kalasha set on a low stone platform. Beside him a younger attendant in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas arranges yellow marigold flowers into a brass pot. Several other saffron-robed young people sit on a peach cloth, some with white tilak markings on their faces, and one reads from an open book before a microphone stand. A metal tray and scattered petals lie on the ground.2013-12-17Evening outdoor ritual at a temple-like setting with palm trees in the dusk. A man in orange robes and a beaded mala holds a lit aarti lamp toward a seated woman in orange on a carved wooden throne at left, who presses her palms together. Several devotees in orange and maroon-bordered garments sit in a row on an orange cloth before a white homa fire pit or altar with offerings on brass plates. A tall garland of red and white flowers hangs at right beside a blue cloth, and a crowd of white-clad onlookers stands in the background.2008-10-08October 07 20082008-10-07August 02 20082008-08-02September 26 20092009-09-26December 30 20092009-12-30