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A photograph of a ritual in progress at a Saptayagam-style fire ceremony. A seated priest in saffron-orange robes, with a hooded shawl over his head, holds a small brass bell in one hand and raises a hand toward a tiered pyramid of brass kalashas decorated with marigolds, mango leaves and white cloth. Behind him a red and gold figure stands in front of a painted banner showing deity panels labelled with the chakra names Swadhishtana and Manipuraka. Baskets of flowers and fruit sit in the foreground, a brass oil lamp burns to the left, and a faint flame rises from the offering area. Flower-strewn platforms and a multicoloured cloth frame the scene.

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December 02 20072007-12-02A photograph of a fire ritual at an outdoor pavilion. A seated man in saffron-orange robes, with a shawled head and a bare upper body, offers into a homa fire. He sits in front of a tiered pyramid of kalasha-like pots wrapped in yellow flowers and green leaves, with an oil lamp at the left. Behind him, a red banner with white lettering and a row of framed deity images, including painted icons with arched frames, decorate the backdrop. A microphone stands near him, a man in white stands at the right edge, and flower garlands and baskets of offerings lie on the white-draped altar in front.A man in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha-style beaded necklace stands at a ceremonial altar performing a ritual, holding a handbell in his right hand and reaching toward a brass vessel with his left. Before him is a tiered pyramid of brass-rimmed pots and pots topped with mango leaves and yellow flowers arranged on a white-and-pink flower-decorated platform. Behind the altar a yellow banner shows multiple colourful deity murti arches with Tamil and English text, and a framed picture sits to the side. A brass oil lamp, a small kalasha-like vessel and a table fan are visible. The scene appears to be a night-time puja.2007-12-02July 2007 - 1008 Saptayagam in TamilnaduA photograph of a ritual at a pyramid of stacked offerings draped in yellow and white flowers and green leaves, with a small fire burning at its base. A man in saffron-orange robes sits cross-legged on a multicoloured cloth, pouring or tending the offering with his hands while a microphone stands nearby. Another man in white clothing sits behind him at the right. Brass lamps and a silver vessel sit among baskets of fruit and flower garlands on a tiered white platform. Behind them a yellow banner shows painted deity images with the printed captions Sri Ananda Surya with Chaaya and Usha, Sri Ananda Rajarajeswari with Sri Ananda Saraswathi, Sri Anandeshwar with Anandeshwari, and Satguru, with chakra labels visible.2007-12-02A man in saffron-orange robes stands with palms pressed together in namaskar before a ritual stage. Behind him a yellow banner with Tamil text shows painted deity panels. In front, a tiered pyramid of brass kalasha pots with yellow flowers and mango leaves rises beside a garlanded deity image in red and yellow. Brass oil lamps, flower baskets, a small bell-metal plate and a draped white cloth complete the altar.July 2007 - 1008 Saptayagam in TamilnaduDecember 02 20072007-12-02July 2007 - 1008 Saptayagam in TamilnaduDecember 02 20072007-12-02A photograph of a ritual at a Saptayagam fire offering. A man in saffron-orange robes and an orange head wrap stands at right, holding a woven basket of fruit and pouring offerings toward a tiered pyramid of woven baskets and banana-leaf offerings decorated with yellow flowers. Behind him a long banner shows several deity images in arched frames and the Tamil heading below. A decorated brass lamp stands at left beside a dressed deity figure in yellow and maroon garments with garlands. Flower petals cover the altar in front, and a brass pot sits at lower right.December 02 20072007-12-02