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Night outdoor fire ritual before a red-walled temple entrance. A standing priest in saffron-orange robes with a bare shaved head faces a homa fire pit, holding a flame-lit ladle while offerings of bananas and brass plates sit nearby. Seated white-clad devotees with folded hands surround the fire pit. To the right, a woman in a red and gold throne-style chair with an orange garment and patterned top watches. At left, a dark-skinned deity murti with a garland and flower decorations stands on a platform beside brass oil lamps. A kalasha and ornate yellow-and-orange umbrella are visible. The scene is a homa or puja being performed at night.

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November 05 20102010-11-05Night homa ritual in an open courtyard beside a red-walled temple hall. A standing man in saffron-orange robes leans over a square fire pit, tending a bright flame with a long ladle or stick. Around the pit, several young men in white dhotis and shawls with red borders sit cross-legged, hands joined in prayer or holding brass plates of offerings. Bananas, fruits and brass vessels lie on the white cloth. To the left stands a dark deity murti with garlands and a red cloth. Behind the pit, a figure in orange and a patterned shawl sits on an ornate gold-edged red throne, watching the rite. A bright ceiling light and a wall board are visible.2010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05Night outdoor homa at the Bidadi campus under a canopy strung with yellow ribbon and red-and-orange pennants. A standing priest in saffron-orange robes with a shaved head holds a lit flame and a small vessel over a white square fire pit. Seated around it are priests in white dhotis and shawls, several with white and ochre markings, hands folded in prayer. Trays of fruit, rice, cooked dishes and offerings are arranged on the floor in the foreground. A red and gold throne stands to the left, with a woman in orange sitting beside it. Onlookers sit on chairs at the right under dim lights. A painted banner of deities hangs behind the fire pit. Smoke drifts through the scene. The priest in saffron is a shaved-headed ritual officiant, and the appearance does not establish a person identification.2010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05August 01 20142014-08-01November 05 20102010-11-05November 04 20132013-11-04November 05 20102010-11-05Night outdoor homa ceremony under a corrugated metal roof. A standing priest in orange robes and an orange turban pours liquid from a vessel into a blazing fire pit lined with flowers. A kneeling man with bare shoulders and a white forehead mark tends the ritual area beside a golden deity murti decorated with yellow and red garlands and a silver crown. Two attendants in orange clothing stand near the murti, one holding a small bell. A seated figure in a deep red-brown robe rests on a red and gold throne at right, hand to face. Several devotees in orange and saffron sit on the ground in the foreground, and copper bowls and offerings sit around the fire.2013-11-04