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A night outdoor homa ceremony before a large seated crowd. A fire burns in a tiered fire pit built from yellow-ochre blocks on a red-orange platform, with banana leaves, fruit, a silver pot, small brass vessels and coconuts arranged around it. A priest in orange-saffron robes with a rudraksha mala and gold necklace sits on the left, tending the fire. On the right a shaved-headed priest in a white dhoti with a gold-bordered shawl sits cross-legged, holding a microphone and what appears to be a ritual text. Behind them, rows of attendees, including several women in saris and salwar, sit on chairs and mats under a bamboo barrier. A gold-framed object is visible at the left edge.

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December 08 20112011-12-08December 08 20112011-12-08 +1 copiesDecember 08 20112011-12-08 +1 copiesNovember 10 20112011-11-10Night outdoor ritual before a large crowd of devotees, many dressed in white, with some women in saris. In the foreground, priests in white dhotis and orange-saffron cloths perform a puja, one holding a lit oil lamp over offerings of fruit, betel leaves, flowers and sweets arranged on banana leaves and brass plates. Behind the offerings, a golden ornate platform holds a pink-draped object, and a woman in a red-and-orange top sits with palms joined. A cameraman with a tripod films at left, and strings of lights hang overhead.2011-11-10December 08 20112011-12-08 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual at a temple-style gathering. In the foreground, a priest in white dhoti sits cross-legged on a mat beside offerings of fruit, flowers and brass vessels, while a robed person in orange sits nearby with palms joined. A fire burns in a central kund amid banana leaves and heaped offerings. To the right, a gold-framed peetha draped with a pink cloth and orange shawl stands before the fire. A seated woman in red and white sits with hands folded. Behind them a large crowd of devotees in white and bright saffron, pink and green saris stands and sits under strings of lights, with a cameraman on a tripod at the edge.2011-11-10Night outdoor ritual on an open ground lit by floodlights. In the foreground, a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold-striped border sits at right, speaking into a microphone and facing a square altar built of yellow-gold blocks with a red border, decorated with mango leaves, coconuts, brass vessels and a banana-leaf tray of fruit. At left, two priests in white clothes sit by the altar; a man in orange robe with a long rudraksha-style bead garland and gold chain sits centre, holding an umbrella-like parasol. Behind them a large seated crowd of hundreds fills the ground, many in white and some women in saris, under strings of lights and a tent. The priest at right seems to be a shaved-headed priest in white; no clear a person cues are visible on the orange-robed figure beyond ritual dress, so identity is uncertain.2011-12-08 +1 copiesNight photo of a large outdoor ritual at a temple-like site, with a dense crowd of many dozens of men and women standing behind a rope barrier and camera operators on tripods filming. In the foreground, several saffron-robed priests and a white-clad priest sit on a cloth before a homa or puja arrangement: brass vessels, a small flame, banana leaves, piled offerings of fruit, flowers and sweets, and a bowl of coconuts and lemons. Beside them stands a golden ornate palanquin-style peetha draped in pink and orange cloth. On the right, a seated man in white with a sacred thread gestures during the ritual. Festoon lights hang overhead.2011-11-10A large crowd of devotees, mostly in white dhotis and saris, gathers at night under strings of lights for a ritual. In the foreground, several priests sit on a cloth-covered platform before a fire pit and offerings: plates of fruit, bananas, coconuts, flower garlands, brass vessels and a lit oil lamp. A seated figure in an orange-red cloth and a shaved-headed priest in white perform the ceremony, while a man in a white dhoti sits to the left with hands joined. Behind them a golden shrine-like throne is draped with a pink cloth and an orange cloth. A photographer with a tripod films the scene. Several people in the crowd stand with palms pressed together.2011-11-10November 10 20112011-11-10Night outdoor homa at an open-air ritual ground. A bald priest in orange ochre robe sits cross-legged at right, arm extended over a square fire pit built of stacked yellow bricks with a flame inside. Left, a priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold necklace sits with an open book and microphone. Behind, two deity murtis with yellow flower garlands stand on a golden pedestal, and a crowd of devotees in white and light clothing watches from behind orange barrier cloth. Brass bowls of green chillies, grains and coconut sit in the foreground beside a bell and oil lamps.2011-12-08