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Night outdoor fire ritual, a homa with a large flame rising from a stone fire pit on a raised platform. In the foreground, two men in white dhotis with white body markings and rudraksha malas kneel by the pit, one raising a hand toward the fire. Behind the fire, several young men in saffron and orange robes with shaved heads sit and chant, one in orange with a mala. Brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot, flower offerings, yellow marigolds and small bowls of offerings sit on the pit edge. On the left, a seated figure in orange sits on an ornate gold-trimmed red throne, partly obscured by smoke. In the background, a gilded arched shrine frames a deity murti with garlands, and white-clad devotees sit in rows. A blue cloth covers a table at left edge.

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October 15 20132013-10-15October 15 20132013-10-15A night homa ritual at an outdoor fire altar, with a rectangular white-and-yellow fire pit blazing in the centre. Around it sit about ten people: several shaved-headed young boys and monks in saffron-orange robes with rudraksha malas, one older man in orange with a grey beard, and two men in white dhotis with white shawls, one wearing a white turban and the other with a white-marked forehead. Brass pots and a lamp stand beside the fire, with bananas, coconuts and flower garlands at the right edge. Spectators in white and dark clothes sit in the background.2013-10-15October 16 20132013-10-16August 01 20142014-08-01A photograph taken at night of a homa fire ceremony outdoors. A large flame rises from a square stone fire pit in the centre. Three priests stand behind the fire: the central one in white clothing with a light-orange cloth draped over his shoulder and a rudraksha-style mala necklace, the figure on the left wears a saffron-orange turban and white garment with beaded necklaces, and the figure on the right in white with a red-striped cloth holds a vessel. A seated audience in white clothes watches from the left, and a standing person with hands folded stands at the far right. Offerings, brass plates, oil lamps and a decorated round wooden plaque lie near the fire, with a garland of flowers and yellow leaf festoons strung overhead.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual on a raised platform under a corrugated roof. A fire pit burns at centre in front of a decorated deity murti with garlands and a gold arch, draped in blue and maroon cloths. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and cloth wrap raises a kalasha lamp toward the altar. Around the fire, several shaved-headed sannyasis in saffron-orange robes sit or kneel, and one in a maroon-and-gold wrap sits cross-legged at the front, facing the fire, as in a homa or yagna. At right, a man with long hair and an orange-saffron robe sits with palms joined on a gold-trimmed red throne, apart from the ritual group. A table fan and dried grass bundles lie nearby.2013-10-15October 27 20142014-10-27A photograph of a night homa at a brick-lined square fire pit with a large flame, with several saffron-robed sannyasis seated in a row around it. Their heads are shaved, and they wear rudraksha malas and orange shawls, reading from open papers and books. On the right, a woman in red and maroon sari with garlands and red vibhuti on her forehead sits on a wooden seat holding a tray of black seeds. Behind them a seated crowd in white and saffron, a dark temple structure and a large decorated palanquin are visible. Small brass plates, offerings and oil lamps sit on red cloth around the fire.2014-10-27October 27 20142014-10-27Night outdoor fire ritual. A yellow-rimmed square fire pit blazes in the foreground. A man in a white dhoti with a white head cloth and a white shawl, bare-chested with a rudraksha-style necklace and gold armlet, leans over the flames offering an orange cloth into the fire. Behind him, three men in saffron-orange robes with shaved heads and white forehead markings stand; one holds a brass tray with flowers, another stands centrally. On the left, two young women in orange saris with beaded necklaces and forehead markings sit cross-legged, with a few seated onlookers behind them. On the right, a decorated altar is heaped with yellow and orange marigold garlands, fruit and brass vessels. A man in white clothing plays a small instrument at the back.2013-11-07Outdoor evening homa at a raised square fire pit, with tall flames rising on the left. Three young men in white dhotis and white shoulder cloths sit on the ground at the altar. The central figure, bare-chested with a rudraksha mala, sits with hands together in prayer, and a second young man, bare-chested with white tilak on his forehead, sits to the right. A seated boy in white with a yellow-bordered shawl sits beside the central figure. Brass vessels and yellow flower-topped kalashas with red cloth stand on the altar. About two dozen boys and young men sit and watch on the left, many in white and dark clothes, in a courtyard with a brick wall behind.2013-02-26 +1 copies