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A photograph of a sacred fire ritual inside a richly decorated Hindu temple hall with pink and silver shrine alcoves holding deity murtis. A large blazing homa fire rises from a stacked brick fire pit topped with a tiered ornate golden altar, decorated with red flowers. On the left, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a saffron-coloured shawl and rudraksha mala sits with hands folded, beside a standing man in white dhoti with a saffron sash and a yellow-brown headwrap seated near him. On the right, a young man in white dhoti and purple-striped sash bends forward tending the fire. Seated devotees in white and orange clothes watch in the background, and green mats cover the floor.

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A photograph of a Vedic homa fire ritual inside a temple hall. A tall flame rises from a tiered wooden fire altar stacked with wooden logs and flower-decorated offerings, set on a green cloth. Several priests sit or stand around it: one bare-chested man in a white dhoti with a marigold garland, another in a white dhoti with a red-and-white cloth over his shoulder holding an offering bowl, and a third in a headband and garland seated at the fire with a brass vessel. Seated devotees in white watch from the back, and a row of musicians with microphones sits at the right. Behind are gilded shrines with deity murtis under pink and violet lighting, and brass oil lamps and kalashas stand on the floor.2016-07-02A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a hall with a brick fire pit bordered by coloured rangoli and flower petals. A bare-chested priest with a red rudraksha mala sits behind the flames, holding a ladle and offerings, while two white-clad assistants in dhotis kneel at left, one holding a bowl of red flowers. Behind the fire, a deity murti in an ornate shrine is decorated with marigold garlands and flowers. Other seated figures in white dhotis and shawls sit along the right side, and a microphone stand stands near the fire. Brass plates and vessels are scattered on the floor.2015-07-16A photograph of a night homa in a decorated tent hall. A large fire burns in a brick fire pit, its stepped brick base decorated with flowers, with a tiered ornate shrine behind it. Several men in white dhotis sit cross-legged around the fire, one bare-chested with a sacred thread, and one in an orange wrap and white dhoti stands at the right. Brass pots, bowls, flowers and a basket of grains sit on the ground in front, with microphones on stands near the men. Illuminated golden shrines with deity murti line the back of the hall, with colourful hanging tassels above. Several people in white and a few in red and orange sit in the background, with a few other figures standing nearby.2016-07-04A Vedic Rudra homa is underway outdoors before a large seated gathering. In the centre, a bare-chested priest with a saffron-and-white turban and a green-and-gold sash pours an offering from a small vessel into a brick fire pit where flames rise high. Beside him, another bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a pink-and-purple shawl holds his hands together in prayer. At right stands a young assistant in an orange-brown shawl and rudraksha mala beside an ornately decorated altar with carved figures and flower garlands. Brass lamps, offering bowls and baskets of grains sit on the ground. Behind them, rows of devotees in white with red shawls sit or stand, many with palms joined.2016-07-02 +1 copiesJuly 16 20152015-07-16September 17 20152015-09-17September 26 20172017-09-26 +1 copiesApril 14 20182018-04-14A night-time homa ritual in a temple courtyard under a pink and white tent, with strings of coloured lights overhead. A tiered golden fire pit burns brightly in the foreground, with flowers and fruit offerings around it. A bare-chested priest with a red headcloth and rudraksha-style beads kneels at the fire, and another man in an orange cloth and a white dhoti tends the altar. Behind them, a decorated deity murti stands in an ornate golden arch, flanked by smaller statues. Seated devotees in white and saffron clothing watch from the right, and a man in a purple garment sits at the lower right with a basket of wood sticks. Several standing attendants in orange and white line the left side.2017-05-25December 07 20162016-12-07July 04 20162016-07-04 +1 copiesJuly 16 20152015-07-16