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A night homa at a fire pit covered in yellow cloth and scattered pink flowers. Around the pit, about seven young sannyasis in saffron-orange robes sit with white tilaka and forehead markings, many wearing rudraksha malas and wrist bands. A young priest on the right wears white clothes, a white headband, a rudraksha mala and a bare upper body, pouring offerings into the flames. Smoke rises behind the group, and a copper vessel and brass items sit near the fire.

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Night photograph of a homa fire ceremony. A fire burns in a square yellow-painted pit lined with pink flower petals. Seven young shaven-headed boys in saffron-orange robes with white forehead markings and rudraksha malas sit cross-legged around the pit. On the right, an older-looking participant in white dhoti and shawl with a white head wrap feeds offerings into the fire. Smoke rises in the dim background.2013-11-19A night-time homa at a square fire pit lined with yellow-painted edges and scattered pink flowers. A young priest in white dhoti and a cream turban pours an offering from a small vessel into the flames while holding a small book. Around the pit, five young boys in saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged, their foreheads marked with white tilaka and wearing rudraksha malas. One boy holds a brass bowl and another reads from the book. Burning incense sticks and a metal bowl sit at the edge.2013-11-19November 19 20132013-11-19November 19 20132013-11-19November 19 20132013-11-19Photograph of a homa/yagna at night in an open-air ritual space. A square fire pit lined with yellow-painted edges and scattered pink flower petals holds a burning fire. Around it sit about a dozen young men in saffron-orange robes, rudraksha malas and white forehead and arm markings. A central figure in white dhoti and a cream turban, with a rudraksha mala and white markings on his arms, sits before the fire, holding offerings. Brass vessels and a small kalasha stand nearby, and a red cloth with a purple-and-gold draped display is at the right edge.2013-11-19Night outdoor fire ritual at a square yellow-painted homa pit. A young man in white dhoti and white turban sits at the pit's edge with a rudraksha mala and white forehead marks, raising a hand. Around him, a line of young boys in saffron-orange cloth with rudraksha malas, white tilaka and bare upper bodies sit cross-legged, some with hands raised or clasped. A red cloth-covered altar on the right holds decorated kalasha pots with yellow flowers and green leaves. A kolam floor pattern in red lines borders the pit. Background shows a few adult men in white and red, and a red-cloth table.2013-11-19A night homa at an outdoor ritual site. A man in white dhoti and a cream turban sits cross-legged behind a yellow-painted square fire pit where a fire burns. Around him, young boys in saffron-orange robes with rudraksha malas and white forehead markings sit on mats, several holding ritual items and gesturing. To the right, a red-draped altar holds yellow kalasha-style pots with garlands and purple cloth, plus brass vessels. Copper and brass bowls are scattered on the ground. A man in a white shirt sits at the far left edge. The scene is a homa or yagna.2013-11-19November 19 20132013-11-19Four young boys in saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged before a fire pit during a homa, a ritual fire ceremony. Each has white vibhuti marks on the forehead and wears rudraksha malas around the neck. They have their hands pressed together in prayer or offering. Behind them, a crowd of adults dressed in white sits on the floor. At the right edge, a person's hands pour offerings into the fire, and brass vessels and small oil lamps sit on a yellow-edged platform. No a person candidate is visible.2013-11-19Five young initiates in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas sit cross-legged before a homa fire pit, with white tilak stripes on their foreheads. The central boy holds a brass ladle and a bowl of yellow liquid over the flames. Behind them, devotees in white clothes sit on the floor, some with hands folded. Brass bowls of red, yellow and white powders, kumkum and vibhuti, plus flowers and a small brass lamp, are arranged on the ritual mat in front. The setting is a dim hall with green leaves in the foreground.2013-11-19November 20 20132013-11-20