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A 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.

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May 13 20132013-05-13July 06 20152015-07-06Night-time homa at an outdoor ashram, with a large flaming fire pit built into a gold-coloured square platform in the foreground. Many devotees sit in rows behind it, most in saffron and orange robes with rudraksha malas, while others wear white. On the right a woman in a red sari with white flower garlands sits on a silver-framed chair, holding a tray of offerings near the fire. Brass pots and oil lamps sit on red rugs. A stone deity murti stands at centre-back beside a tall column, and an ornate ceremonial chair appears at top right. The crowd is large but partly obscured by darkness.2014-10-27A night outdoor homa at a KAILASA ashram during a satsang. A central figure seated on a silver-backed wooden throne with gold legs wears saffron robes, a long rudraksha-style mala and gold necklaces, with long swept-back hair. Before a square fire pit with burning wood, seated disciples in orange and saffron robes with gold borders, many with shaved heads and malas, sit in rows and hold offerings; women in red-and-gold saris and malas sit nearby. A woman in an orange sari stands at the upper right, and string lights hang overhead. Brass vessels, a plate of offerings and sticks of wood lie around the fire pit.2013-03-10May 13 20132013-05-13A homa ritual in a tent-like hall. In the centre, a man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged before a square brick fire pit with burning embers and offerings. Beside him, a priest in orange and a seated attendant tend the fire. Standing priests in white dhotis with gold-bordered shawls, rudraksha malas and bare shoulders surround the area. To the right, a tiered altar with a deity murti and gold-framed images, brass lamps, and kalasha-like vessels. A red and green striped mat lies on the floor. Roughly ten people are visible.2015-09-14October 27 20142014-10-27A homa fire ritual in an indoor hall with a fire burning on a stack of yellow-painted bricks. A shaved-headed priest in an orange-red dhoti with a sacred thread and beaded neck garland sits at left, gripping grass bundles and feeding them toward the flames. Beside him, a younger priest in orange cloth with a white tilak on his forehead watches the fire. Behind them, several men in white kurtas, one wearing rudraksha beads, sit observing. Silver puja vessels, a metal tray and a brass oil lamp rest on the floor in the foreground, and a woman in white is partly visible at the right edge.2013-05-13A photograph of a homa fire ritual at a hall. A central figure seated cross-legged behind a brick fire pit with a bundle of sticks, wearing a red turban, rust-red robe with gold border, and a rudraksha mala with gold beads, holds a ceremonial lamp and bell. A second person in white ritual clothes with a rudraksha mala holds a flaming lamp beside him. Seated behind them, devotees in white with red shawls sit with hands folded in prayer. A colourful rangoli with marigold petals decorates the fire area, surrounded by silver plates of fruit, bowls and a kalasha with a coconut and mango leaves.2015-07-06 +1 copiesJuly 06 20152015-07-06July 06 20152015-07-06A large group of devotees in orange and saffron clothing gathers closely around a square fire pit (homa kunda) with a bright flame. Many women in orange saris and men in orange dhotis and shawls, several with white-and-red forehead markings and rudraksha malas, sit cross-legged or kneel and extend hands toward the fire, some offering items into it. In the foreground a seated person with long dark hair and a thick orange beaded necklace sits at the edge of the fire, and brass vessels, small oil lamps and a bowl of yellow liquid rest on a white platform around the pit. The scene looks like a fire ritual with chanting and collective participation.2013-03-18