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A homa ritual in an orange-walled courtyard. A seated figure on an ornate gold-and-red throne wears saffron robes, a rudraksha mala and a gold necklace, with a shawl draped over the shoulders. Beside him a priest in white dhoti and shawl tends a fire pit made of red bricks, from which smoke rises. In the centre a young priest in white with a gold-bordered cloth sits cross-legged, chanting before a microphone. Around him are brass bowls of rice, grains, sweets and fruit, and marigold petals. On the right stands a deity murti decorated with layered garlands of white, yellow and red flowers beneath an orange cloth. Around the courtyard about a dozen devotees, some in white and others in orange, stand and watch. A printed board on the wall lists names in Tamil and English.

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November 12 20102010-11-12November 12 20102010-11-12November 12 20102010-11-12November 12 20102010-11-12An outdoor temple courtyard with an orange-painted wall and corrugated roof. A man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits on a red-and-gold throne at left, appearing to be a person with long dark hair and distinctive orange attire. Nearby, a young man in white dhoti and shawl sits with palms joined in prayer before a brick-lined fire pit with burnt sticks. Behind him, several men in white and orange clothing attend, including a bald man in white. Trays of rice, yellow grain, sweets and fruit sit on a red cloth at left. At right, decorated deity murtis are garlanded with red and white flower strands, with a brass lamp in front. A few men are visible in the background.2010-11-12November 12 20102010-11-12Outdoor courtyard ritual with a small fire pit of stacked red bricks at centre, flames rising from it. A priest in white dhoti and shawl sits cross-legged before the fire beside a microphone on a stand. To the right, an orange-robed seated figure wears a tall ornate cap and a rudraksha mala, near a deity murti draped in an orange cloth and heaped with red, yellow and purple flower garlands. Brass lamps and a kalasha sit on the floor. Plates of fruit, sweets, rice and yellow flowers are arranged on red and orange mats. Behind, several white-clad men sit or stand, and a gilded red throne stands empty beside a framed painting of a figure in orange robes.2010-11-12November 12 20102010-11-12A homa ritual in a temple courtyard with a small brick fire pit burning in the centre. A seated priest in white dhoti and shawl with a beaded necklace tends the fire at a microphone stand, while other white-clad priests sit behind him. To the right, a figure in saffron-orange robe, a tall ornate crown and a beaded mala sits on an orange cloth. A large deity murti stands on the right, garlanded with red and yellow flowers and draped in a red-orange cloth, with a brass lamp in front. Plates of fruit, grains, coconut and offerings sit on a red cloth at left, and a red-cushioned gilded throne with a framed portrait of a saffron-robed figure stands at upper left. Two more people in white stand in the background doorway.2010-11-12Inside a temple hall with orange-painted walls, a priest in white dhoti and shawl stands bowing before a decorated deity murti draped in orange cloth and heaped with red, purple and yellow garlands. A brass oil lamp burns on the floor beside a brick fire pit with offerings. Trays of food, fruit, flowers and sweets are spread on red mats. A portrait in an orange robe sits on a gold-framed throne-like chair at left, and several devotees in white and orange kneel or stand nearby, one woman in a green-and-orange sari among them.2010-11-12A homa or fire ritual in a temple hall. A young priest in white dhoti and shawl with a gold-coloured sash sits behind a fire pit built of stacked yellow bricks, holding a flaming ladle over the kindling. A priest in white and red-bordered dhoti kneels at right beside a brass plate of offerings. Behind them, a standing man in an orange robe and a cameraman in white stand near a gold ornate throne-like chair with red cushion. On the right, several deity murtis are dressed with white and orange garlands, with brass kalasha pots holding coconut and mango leaves on a pink cloth. A seated man and other devotees sit in the background. A woman with dark hair in the lower left foreground has hands folded in prayer.2010-12-23November 12 20102010-11-12