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A homa fire ritual in a tent with a red carpet. A brick fire pit with burning wood sits at the centre, bordered by white painted swirl motifs. Four young priests in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls sit behind it; the one centre-back holds a brass bowl of grains and wears a rudraksha mala and gold necklace, and the others wear orange garlands and kumkum marks. Brass bulls, a bell-metal vessel with firewood and a kalasha-style brass lamp stand around the pit. Behind a rope barrier, a crowd of devotees watches, and a seated elder in orange sits at left. Lamps hang overhead.

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A homa fire burns inside a square brick fire pit lined with brick edges marked with white painted designs, set on a red carpet at a temporary outdoor camp. Four boys in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls sit around the fire. The boy at centre holds a brass bowl of offerings and wears a multi-strand rudraksha mala, gold pendant and face and body marked with white ash. Two boys on either side wear beaded necklaces and bangles, and the boy at left has white tilak on his forehead. Behind them a crowd of devotees stands behind a rope barrier, with brass lamps and a kalasha-like brass vessel and a bronze bull figure at the lower left. Behind the fire pit, a seated figure in orange robes appears in the far background.2016-04-24A homa fire burns in a brick-lined fire pit inside a decorated tent, with ritual items around it. Two priests in saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged behind the fire: the nearer one wears a rudraksha mala and gold necklaces and has long, dark, unbound hair. Beside them a shaved-headed priest in white sits with a mala. Brass lamps, kalasha-style vessels and brass oil lamps are arranged on red mats, with a crowd of devotees standing behind a railing in the background. Hanging paper decorations and orange umbrellas hang overhead. The priest in saffron with long hair is a probable candidate for a person by appearance, though the image is not clear enough to confirm.2016-04-24September 14 20152015-09-14April 24 20162016-04-24September 14 20152015-09-14 +1 copiesA photograph of a homa fire ceremony in a tent setting. A fire burns in a yellow-brick fire pit with kindling. A man in a purple shawl with a gold chain pours or offers an item from a spoon into the fire, while a man in orange and red dhoti-style clothing with a shawl sits at right holding a small vessel. Behind them, a man in red and orange clothes holds a basket of offerings, and a woman in white and gold stands at left. Steel bowls, a brass lamp and rows of white cups or shell-like offerings sit on shelves at right, with a small deity murti visible at far right.2015-09-14September 14 20152015-09-14Photograph of a homa fire ceremony at night, with a square yellow-bordered fire pit blazing and smoke rising. Several priests in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls sit around the pit; one at the front wears a saffron wrap and dark-rimmed glasses and feeds sticks into the flame, another on the right wears an orange turban with a tall plume, rudraksha-style beaded garlands and gold ornaments and holds a sacred implement. Behind them, rows of seated devotees in white kurtas with red shawls and women in cream saris watch from a carpeted floor. A brass lamp and offering trays sit at the edge, and a small figure of a deity stands at the right corner.2016-02-07November 04 20132013-11-04A homa is performed at a brick-lined fire pit with a lit flame burning on dry wood. A bare-chested priest in orange-red dhoti and shawl pours offerings near the fire, while a man in an orange-red dhoti and shawl at right holds a vessel above the pit. A man in an orange robe and a shawl stands centre-back with hands held together. Another man in a purple shawl and orange dhoti assists at left-centre. A standing man in white dhoti and gold-beaded necklace stands at left, and seated devotees sit on striped mats in the background. At right stands a decorated ornate altar with lion figures, brass lamps and white-flower offerings.2015-09-14September 14 20152015-09-14A homa fire ritual in a large, decorated hall with red floor and gold-painted arches and decorations. A sacred fire burns in a brick fire pit ringed with yellow-and-pink decorated bricks and white rice. Three men perform the ritual: a seated man in a yellow dhoti at left holds a plate of white rice, a bare-chested priest in the centre wears a red cloth and red beaded mala and holds a microphone, and a young man at right in a white dhoti with red border holds a microphone and sits beside a bowl of oranges. A standing man in red cloth stands behind at upper left. Brass pots, bowls and offerings surround them, and a white horse figure stands at right. Spectators fill the background behind metal barricades.2016-05-15