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Night outdoor homa at an open-air ritual ground. A bald priest in saffron-orange robes, with a white tilak on his forehead, sits on a wooden seat and raises a flaming lamp with one hand while holding a small vessel in the other. Beside him, a second saffron-robed man sits with palms joined in front of a red-cushioned throne with gold trim. A seated, white-clad young devotee with a shaved head joins palms nearby. The square fire pit is white-edged with a dark interior. In the foreground are bowls of prasad, including sweets, rice and curries, and a brass plate of offerings. Behind, a large crowd of seated devotees, many in white and orange, watches under dark night sky with ring-shaped poles overhead.

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November 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 20102010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05Night-time fire ritual under an open-sided pavilion hung with orange pennants. A bald man in orange robes with white markings on his forehead and arms holds a silver tray aloft above a square fire pit where flames rise. Men in white dhotis with rudraksha malas sit around the pit, some holding offering plates, and a standing man in orange watches. A red and gold throne stands at left, and a golden ceremonial pole rises at right. Smoke fills the air and a few onlookers are visible at the edges.2010-11-05A night-time photograph of an outdoor homa at a temple campus. A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange robes sits cross-legged on a yellow-trimmed cushion behind a wooden chair-back, holding a silver ritual vessel with a bright flame rising from it. A white-clad attendant with a red-and-white tilak sits to the right beside a small bell and brass plates. Behind them, a row of seated devotees, many in saffron and white, watch the ritual. A white stone fire pit, brass lamps and steel cups with offerings lie in the foreground.2010-11-05A homa is performed at night outdoors beside a white stepped fire pit in which a bright flame burns. A bare-chested man in an orange dhoti and orange shawl stands at the pit pouring liquid from a vessel, with a dark-haired figure in orange nearby. Seated priests in white dhotis surround the altar, some holding offerings. Brass lamps with lit wicks, bowls of rice, sweets, fruits and yellow flowers are spread on a red cloth in the foreground. Behind them a red and gold throne stands empty under hanging orange and blue banners, and a camera operator films at the lower right. Hanging ornaments and an om-shaped motif decorate the pavilion. a person, identity uncertain from appearance, is the orange-clad man pouring at the fire pit, distinguished by his shaved head and orange robes but without other clear cues.2010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05