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A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a stone-walled courtyard. In the foreground, a bare-chested priest with a red turban, white body markings and rudraksha malas sits before a fire pit built of yellow-coated bricks, tending flames with a ladle and a bowl of offerings. Behind him, two men in orange-saffron robes stand with hands folded. Seated on an ornate silver-and-white throne at the back is a figure in red-orange robes with a gold ceremonial necklace, hands pressed together in namaste, with a vertical tilak on the forehead. Mango leaves, lemons, flowers and kalasha-style pots decorate the fire area on a striped rug. Two standing fans and a carved wooden screen complete the setting.

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May 10 20182018-05-10 +1 copiesApril 26 20182018-04-26 +1 copiesApril 26 20182018-04-26 +1 copiesMay 10 20182018-05-10 +1 copiesA photograph of a homa fire ritual in a stone-walled hall. A seated man in a rust-red robe with a large gold necklace and white facial markings sits on an ornate silver-and-white throne with hands folded in namaste; a person candidate, with the in-person cue of a red ochre robe and ceremonial gold necklace, though identity is uncertain. Two priests stand nearby: one kneels at a yellow-brick fire pit where flames rise over burning wood, wearing orange cloth and beads; another in a red turban and bare torso with rudraksha-style malas pours from a small vessel toward a tray of yellow fruits, bananas and offerings on a striped mat. Brass pots, a green bin, and a patterned wooden screen surround the scene.2018-04-26April 26 20182018-04-26 +1 copiesNight outdoor ritual at an open temple-style courtyard with a stone brick wall and wooden screen behind. In the foreground, a bare-chested priest in an orange-red dhoti and a matching orange turban holds an oil lamp (deepa) in one hand and gestures with the other over a fire pit (homa/yagna) of stacked wooden logs and flames. A tray of pink flower petals is held nearby by another attendant. To the right, a man seated in an ornate white-and-red throne with folded hands and a rudraksha mala wears orange-red robes and a golden necklace, with a white tilak on his forehead. Yellow-green offerings and a green cloth sit by the fire. A floor fan stands nearby. Other people stand partially visible in the background.2018-04-26 +1 copiesPhotograph of an evening ritual in a stone-walled courtyard. A man with a shaved head and a red-orange shawl sits in a white ornate throne with hands folded in prayer, wearing a gold necklace and a rudraksha mala. In the foreground, a man bending forward wears an orange-red cloth wrapped around the head and body, with a rudraksha mala, and lights a flame over an offering tray with mango leaves and bundled fruit. A yellow-brick fire pit burns in front of him on a striped rug, with brass pots and a kalasha nearby. A woman in orange stands at the left holding a silver plate of pink petals. The scene is a homa or puja with a seated figure in a throne.2018-04-26A ritual scene at an outdoor fire pit lined with yellow-painted bricks, where a small flame burns with a bright orange glow. In the foreground a bare-backed attendant in a rust-red cloth kneels and works in a large bronze vessel. Seated on a striped purple and green cloth, a bearded man with long dark hair and a headband wears a rust-red wrap and multiple rudraksha malas over bare shoulders, with a gold necklace visible; he sits beside silver vessels, a silver bull figure, brass lamps and stone mortars. Behind them are large brass trishula-topped stands and a golden sunburst backdrop. A cameraman on the left operates a camera on a tripod. The setting suggests a homa or herbal preparation ritual.2017-12-10 +1 copiesInside a temple hall, a fire pit (homa/yagna) burns in the foreground with flames rising from a yellow-brick base. A seated man in a red-orange cloth and rudraksha mala sits on an ornate gold throne with red cushions. Three attendants in saffron-orange and red-orange dhotis and turbans stand before a wooden door, one holding a metal plate and another a vessel, while a fourth figure in red-orange presses near them. Brass pots decorated with mango leaves and coconuts sit on a pedestal beside oil lamps (oil lamps) burning at the doorway, and a sandalwood-brown carved wooden door is behind them.2018-04-11A photograph of a homa or yagna ritual at night in a temple courtyard. A brick fire pit with a lit flame sits in the foreground, with pots of yellow-coloured offerings and a small plate of pink flowers nearby. Three young priests in orange and rust-coloured dhotis stand around the fire: the left one holds a plate of pink petals, the centre one, bare-chested with a white rudraksha garland, pours offerings into the flame, and the right one, also bare-chested with a rudraksha mala, holds a small bell. Behind them, a seated man in a rust-coloured robe with an orange garland sits on a white ornate throne, with a brass vessel on a tray before him. Carved wooden screens and a lit oil lamp are visible at the right edge.2018-04-26 +1 copiesNight outdoor homa ritual at an open-air shrine beside a brick wall. A bare-chested priest with a saffron-orange turban, saffron dhoti and rudraksha mala pours ghee-soaked offerings from a ladle into a large fire pit, with a flame rising from the blocks. Two attendants in orange cloth stand at left, one holding a brass vessel, and both wear beaded malas and forehead markings. Seated on a red and silver throne at right, a man in orange robes and gold necklace presses his palms together in namaskar, flanked by carved wooden screens and a fan. Pots with mango leaves and marigold garlands sit at the lower right.2018-04-26 +1 copies