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A nighttime homa fire ritual at an ashram-style hall. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with a purple-and-gold cloth draped over his head leans forward over a fire pit of burning flames, reaching toward the offerings. Behind him, several priests in white dhotis with coloured borders stand; one holds a silver plate of pink flower garlands and another holds a microphone. Yellow and pink flowers, bananas, brass pots and offering trays surround the fire pit. Seated devotees in white watch from the left, and a framed portrait hangs on the upper right.

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August 31 20152015-08-31August 31 20152015-08-31August 31 20152015-08-31July 17 20132013-07-17December 25 20152015-12-25A homa fire ceremony in progress at night inside a bordered fire pit lined with yellow marigold garlands. Large flames and smoke rise from burning wood. Three bare-chested priests sit and kneel around the pit, one reaching toward the fire, with rudraksha and beaded malas, white dhotis with coloured borders and forehead marks. Behind them a few other people sit in orange and red robes. Brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot, fruits, flower garlands and a microphone stand are arranged nearby, and a purple light tints the scene.2013-07-09A photograph of a night fire ritual at a homa pit, with a bright open flame rising from a stone fire pit decorated with red and white rangoli. A priest in white dhoti with a blue and gold border and a purple shawl stands bare-chested, holding a long white cloth over the fire, wearing a rudraksha-style necklace and a wristwatch. Beside him a second man in a white dhoti kneels at the pit, and two men in white stand at right, one holding a microphone and another with a small bell-like vessel. Brass vessels, banana bunches, pink flower garlands and fruit offerings sit around the pit. Behind them a glass-fronted shrine case holds a framed picture and deity murti, and a crowd of seated devotees in white fills the dim hall. The scene suggests a homa or yagna during a devotional gathering.2015-08-31Night outdoor homa at an ashram. A central fire pit with a blazing flame sits in front, with marigold petals scattered on its stone edges. A woman in white drapery with a tan head wrap and gold arm bands and necklaces pours from a silver vessel while holding a yellow-tinted ceremonial item over the fire. Behind her a man in white dhoti with gold malas stands holding a silver pot. Another man kneels at the far side tending a lamp, and a figure in white with folded hands stands at right. Men in white robes and a few seated boys watch at left. A carved wooden drum-like object and a hanging orange lantern and leaf festoons frame the scene.2010-10-16May 02 20172017-05-02A night homa in an open-sided pavilion with a pink and white canopy. A large square fire pit with a bright flame sits in front, its tiers edged with white and pink flower petals and fruit offerings on banana leaves at the right. A man in white dhoti and shawl, with rudraksha beads and a garland, kneels behind the fire with hands joined near the pit. A standing man bare-chested in a white dhoti with garlands and a seated man with a yellow turban and garlands tend the offerings. Men in saffron robes stand along the back, and a gold-topped chair with a gilded backrest stands behind the kneeling figure. Several saffron-clad participants watch from the sides.2017-08-02Night outdoor fire ritual under a corrugated metal roof strung with multicolour fairy lights. A bare-chested man in a white dhoti and rudraksha-style beaded necklaces leans over a brick fire pit, holding a brass tray or plate near the flames while sacred fire rises from the pit. Several men in white dhotis and headcloths sit around the pit, some holding brass vessels, and garlands of red flowers lie on the ground. Marigold and red floral offerings are arranged on raised platforms. The scene reads as a homa or yagna with a visible fire pit and offerings.2017-05-02July 19 20132013-07-19