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Photo of a Rudra homa fire ritual outdoors. A shirtless priest in a golden-brown head wrap, green-and-white checked shawl and gold beaded necklaces pours an offering from a silver ladle into a brick fire pit blazing with flames. Beside him a second shirtless man in a white dhoti and teal shawl sits with hands folded in his lap. Behind them, devotees in white clothes with red shawls and orange-marked foreheads sit on green mats with hands joined in prayer. Brass bowls of grain, flower petals, bananas and a kalasha surround the rangoli-decorated fire altar.

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July 02 20162016-07-02July 04 20162016-07-04Photo 11704187 +1 copiesOutdoor fire ritual, a homa or yagna, with a large open flame on the left and a wooden offering platform in front. A bare-chested man in a green turban with white and red forehead markings, wearing rudraksha mala beads, a red thread and a green shawl, holds a ladle over a silver bowl. Beside him a bare-chested younger man with a short beard and an orange-and-white cloth pours or offers into the fire. Marigold-like flower petals and yellow-wrapped items sit on the platform. Behind them, people in orange and white clothing sit and watch.2016-07-04Fire ritual (homa) in a temple-style hall. A bare-chested man in a green head-cloth and white dhoti sits cross-legged before a raised fire pit, pouring from a small metal cup. A second man in a white dhoti bends over the pit holding a metal ladle. Behind them, a woman in an orange sari presses her palms together in prayer, and a man in an orange cloth stands with hands clasped. Brass vessels, marigold garlands, flower heaps and a bowl of rice sit near the fire, with rows of spectators in white behind.2017-07-08Photo 11740852May 02 20172017-05-02July 04 20132013-07-04A homa fire ceremony in a hall with participants seated on colourful striped mats. In the centre a man in an orange-red turban and orange shawl, with long beads and rudraksha-style necklaces, tends a flame rising from a brick fire pit decorated with marigolds. Two men in white dhoti with red-orange shawls and beaded necklaces sit on either side, and a woman in a red-and-gold sari sits at right. Behind them, seated devotees wear white with red shawls. Brass bowls, fruit, and offerings surround the fire pit.2015-07-06Photo 11704285 +1 copiesMay 02 20172017-05-02May 02 20172017-05-02