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Night-time fire-walking ritual in an open outdoor ground. A woman in a pale pink sari walks barefoot across a long trench of glowing grey-white embers, lined with dark earth. Around the pit, a dense crowd of men and women in white dhotis and white kurtas stands behind wooden poles and ropes that hold the crowd back. A man in white with an orange shawl stands at the right edge, and a few onlookers wear colourful saris and salwar. A blue bucket of water sits at the lower left corner of the pit.

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December 30 20062006-12-30December 30 20062006-12-30December 30 20062006-12-30December 30 20062006-12-30A woman in a white sari-style garment and white head covering walks barefoot across a shallow pit of glowing grey embers during a fire-walking ritual. Around the pit, devotees in white dhotis, white shirts and red shawls stand and watch, many barefoot. Several are in white with rudraksha-style beads, and one older man in white and a man in a light blue shirt stand at the edge. A drummer with a drum and a brass instrument are visible at the back, and a wooden pole is tied with rope on the right. White dots line the pit's edge.2005-12-31Night photograph of a fire-walking ritual with a long trench of glowing embers in the foreground. A woman in a pink sari walks barefoot across the coals with her hands pressed together in prayer. White-clad devotees and men in white dhotis line both sides behind wooden stakes and rope barriers, with a crowd of spectators beyond. A blue bucket sits at the left edge near the trench. In the background a decorated palanquin or ratha with a lit deity murti and a kalasha rises above the crowd under strings of pennant bunting and a white canopy. Two men in white stand near the front right edge, one looking toward the walker.2006-12-30December 30 20062006-12-30A woman in a white sari with a coloured border walks barefoot across a shallow pit of grey hot ash during a fire walking ritual. A rudraksha mala hangs at her neck. Devotees in white dhotis and white shirts line the edges of the pit, some with folded hands, while drummers in the background play drums and a man in the foreground claps. Onlookers in white, red shawls and saffron cloth stand behind a wooden railing beside a green-roofed building. The ground is outlined with white dots.2005-12-31A photograph of a fire-walking ritual. In the foreground a woman in a cream sari with a magenta border walks barefoot across a long pit of glowing grey embers lined with white dotted markings. Along both sides of the pit stands a crowd of men and women dressed in white, some with white shirts and dhotis, one man in an orange wrap, and a man in the background playing a drum. Some people wear garlands, and several men hold bamboo barriers at the pit's edge. Ash-covered earth surrounds the pit, and a red-roofed building and palm trees appear behind the crowd.2005-12-31December 30 20062006-12-30Night photograph of a fire-walking ritual on a dirt path lined with bamboo poles. A woman in a peach-pink sari walks across a long pit of glowing embers while devotees in white dhotis and shirts stand along both sides. A bald older man in white faces the pit from the foreground. Spectators, many in colourful saris, press behind the bamboo barriers, and a blue bucket sits at the left edge. The white-clad figures in the background are devotees and organisers, not identifiable as a specific individual.2006-12-30A photograph of a fire-walking ritual at an outdoor pit lined with embers. In the centre, a woman in a white sari with a red-bordered edge walks barefoot across a bed of grey ash and glowing embers, hands pressed together in prayer. Around the pit, a crowd of men and women in white dhotis, white kurtas and white saris watch closely; several wear rudraksha malas and identification badges. A woman with light hair and a white outfit stands near the edge, and a man at right wears a red shawl. A wooden railing and dirt embankment frame the pit, with a corrugated roof visible behind the crowd. The pit edges are dotted with white markings.2005-12-31