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Night ritual outdoors beneath a pavilion strung with orange pennants and large golden om-style scrollwork. A bald priest in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl stands at right, holding a silver tray with flowers and offerings over a square fire pit lined with white stone, from which smoke rises. Several white-clad priests with folded hands sit around the pit, and a sitting figure in orange sits in a red throne at left. Trays of fruit, sweets and grain are arranged in the foreground, and onlookers in white and orange sit behind. This appears to be a homa fire ritual; the figure in orange is an appearance-based candidate for a person but is not confidently identifiable, so this is marked unsure.

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November 05 20102010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05Night outdoor homa at the Bidadi campus under a canopy strung with yellow ribbon and red-and-orange pennants. A standing priest in saffron-orange robes with a shaved head holds a lit flame and a small vessel over a white square fire pit. Seated around it are priests in white dhotis and shawls, several with white and ochre markings, hands folded in prayer. Trays of fruit, rice, cooked dishes and offerings are arranged on the floor in the foreground. A red and gold throne stands to the left, with a woman in orange sitting beside it. Onlookers sit on chairs at the right under dim lights. A painted banner of deities hangs behind the fire pit. Smoke drifts through the scene. The priest in saffron is a shaved-headed ritual officiant, and the appearance does not establish a person identification.2010-11-05Night-time fire ritual under an open-sided pavilion hung with orange pennants. A bald man in orange robes with white markings on his forehead and arms holds a silver tray aloft above a square fire pit where flames rise. Men in white dhotis with rudraksha malas sit around the pit, some holding offering plates, and a standing man in orange watches. A red and gold throne stands at left, and a golden ceremonial pole rises at right. Smoke fills the air and a few onlookers are visible at the edges.2010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05Night homa ritual at an outdoor fire altar with a white tiered platform. A bald man in saffron-orange robes sits cross-legged at right, extending a long ladle-like stick toward a bright flame rising from the fire pit. Several men in white dhotis and shawls sit around the altar, some bare-chested with rudraksha malas, and one wears a tilak. Behind them a woman in orange and red sits on an ornate gold-trimmed red throne, and a smoky haze fills the air. Trays of food, rice, vegetables, prawns and bowls of offerings are arranged in front, with a brass plate and kalasha-style vessels, and a crowd of devotees watches from the dark background.2010-11-05 +1 copiesNight-time homa ritual under a decorated canopy with orange, green and blue paper-fringed panels and banana-leaf festoons. A standing man in saffron robes, with a wrap over his head, holds a brass tray of burning flame toward a fire pit, with a small fire glowing. Around the pit, seated saffron-clad devotees with rudraksha malas clasp their hands in prayer. A seated person in white with a yellow shawl assists nearby, and brass vessels, flower-strewn platforms, sweets and kalasha-style pots with pink flowers are arranged in front. A white deity murti stands at the right edge. Smoke fills the air.2009-09-25November 05 20102010-11-05Night outdoor homa at a temple campus under a canopy. A figure in saffron/orange robes with shaved head stands bent over the square fire pit, pouring from a brass vessel, with a crowd of white-clad devotees seated around. A large brass oil lamp with a lit flame stands in the foreground beside plates of food, fruit, flowers and kalasha-style offerings on a red cloth. Hanging saffron and multicolour decorations and tall poles frame the scene, with a cameraman filming at the lower right.2010-11-05Night-time homa ceremony under a canopy decorated with orange, green and blue paper lanterns and banana leaves. A man in orange robes, a long beaded necklace and a shaved head stands at a fire pit, holding a metal plate and an oil lamp over the flames while smoke rises. Around him, many people in orange and yellow robes sit on the ground with brass bowls and offerings. On the right, a deity murti is decorated with flowers, and two brass pots wrapped in mesh stand on a white cloth with pink flowers, fruit and sweets.2009-09-25Night outdoor ritual under a open-sided canopy with hanging red and yellow pennants. A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange robes sits cross-legged on a white platform, raising his right hand in blessing toward a square fire pit or homa kund. Two white-clad assistants kneel nearby, one holding a ritual implement and the other with a sacred thread and tilak; one wears a white dhoti with a gold border. Brass pots, a kalasha, a tray of white ritual powder and a long beaded garland lie on the mats. A large red-upholstered throne with gold trim stands at left, holding a framed portrait of a saffron-robed figure, and in the background a seated audience in white clothes watches. Trays of prepared food, fruit and sweets fill the foreground.2010-11-05A night-time homa at an open-sided pavilion decorated with banana leaves, mango leaves and strings of flowers. A central fire pit sends up smoke, with marigold petals and flower garlands laid around its edge. A man in saffron robes and an orange head cloth stands at the centre, holding a brass plate and pouring offerings into the fire. Nearby, men in white dhotis and yellow shawls hold trays of offerings. Seated on the right, a person in white and yellow sits before a brass lamp stand, and a saffron-robed man kneels at the fire on the left, with bowls of fruit and sweets in the foreground. Several other participants are in saffron and white.2009-09-26