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Night fire ritual at an outdoor homa pit lined with yellow-painted stone; flames rise high in the foreground beside a small silver vessel and a bowl of offerings. A man in a maroon dhoti and wrap stands barefoot holding a silver plate, smiling. Beside him a younger figure in saffron-orange robes and a saffron turban holds a hand near the mouth. Three girls in orange robes and rudraksha malas sit with hands pressed in anjali near the fire. An ornate gold-framed red velvet throne stands to the left. Behind, a seated crowd in white clothes watches under a dark sky with fairy lights.

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November 07 20132013-11-07November 07 20132013-11-07A night outdoor homa at a KAILASA ashram during a satsang. A central figure seated on a silver-backed wooden throne with gold legs wears saffron robes, a long rudraksha-style mala and gold necklaces, with long swept-back hair. Before a square fire pit with burning wood, seated disciples in orange and saffron robes with gold borders, many with shaved heads and malas, sit in rows and hold offerings; women in red-and-gold saris and malas sit nearby. A woman in an orange sari stands at the upper right, and string lights hang overhead. Brass vessels, a plate of offerings and sticks of wood lie around the fire pit.2013-03-10Night outdoor fire ritual. A seated figure on a red and gold throne-style chair wears a rust-red robe, a gold-and-beaded necklace and a white bandage on one wrist, hands joined and smiling. In front, a person seen from behind wears an orange cloth with a magenta edge and a beaded bracelet, facing a yellow-edged fire pit with burning embers and white and red flowers. Behind them, two men in orange and red garments stand near a red cloth, one with a rudraksha mala and tilak markings. Smoke rises in the dim evening light.2013-09-30Night fire ritual outdoors: a long-haired man in orange-saffron dhoti and shawl with rudraksha/gold necklaces stands at left holding a tray with a folded cloth, facing a square homa fire pit lined with white and filled with burning embers. Around the pit, a row of about six shaved-headed priests in saffron robes and beaded malas kneel and make offerings, while a woman in red sari with a gold necklace kneels at left with a brass vessel. Behind, a gold-framed deity murti with a golden backdrop and a lit oil lamp stands, and a crowd of devotees in saffron and white watches from the background under string lights.2013-03-10Night ritual outdoors at a fire pit (homa/yagna) bordered with marigold garlands and brass vessels. A devotee in an orange dhoti and orange shawl wearing a marigold garland stands at left holding a silver plate. A bald priest in orange robes kneels at centre beside the fire, and a third person in orange at right holds a long ritual implement over the flames. Behind them, seated women in white and pink saris with folded palms face the fire. A decorated deity murti stands in an ornate shrine at upper right, and a red-and-gold throne-like chair is at left.2013-07-09 +1 copiesJuly 22 20132013-07-22Night-time homa at an outdoor ashram, with a large flaming fire pit built into a gold-coloured square platform in the foreground. Many devotees sit in rows behind it, most in saffron and orange robes with rudraksha malas, while others wear white. On the right a woman in a red sari with white flower garlands sits on a silver-framed chair, holding a tray of offerings near the fire. Brass pots and oil lamps sit on red rugs. A stone deity murti stands at centre-back beside a tall column, and an ornate ceremonial chair appears at top right. The crowd is large but partly obscured by darkness.2014-10-27October 27 20142014-10-27Night-time homa at an outdoor ritual site with a large fire pit in the foreground, flames rising from a stone fire altar decorated with red flower petals and surrounded by brass offering trays. Two priests stand behind it: the left man in orange dhoti and orange shawl with a long garland of orange flowers, hands folded in namaste; the middle shaved-headed man in orange robe with rudraksha mala, holding a brass ritual vessel. On the right, a woman in white sari with a red-and-orange head wrap pours liquid from a vessel toward the fire. Behind them a seated audience of devotees in white clothes and pink tops sits on striped mats, and an empty red-and-gold ornate throne chair stands at the left.2013-07-04Night-time photograph of a fire ritual (homa) in an open courtyard. A central sacred fire burns in a square brick fire pit with wooden sticks, surrounded by brass vessels and offerings. A seated figure with long dark hair wears orange-saffron robes and a rudraksha mala, seated on an ornate cushioned low seat or peetha with a silver-framed backrest, holding a small object in the hands. Around the fire, rows of shaven-headed men in saffron robes and beaded malas sit with hands in anjali, and women in orange saris with yellow borders and beaded necklaces sit in rows, some with palms joined. A devotee in white shirt and a standing figure with folded hands appear in the background, and a standing fan is visible at left. Dark green-black night backdrop with a red building behind.2013-03-10Night outdoor homa at an ashram. A standing figure in saffron-orange dhoti and shawl, with long swept-back hair, ornate gold necklaces and rudraksha malas, holds a silver tray of offerings and smiles. The figure has distinctive long hair and ornate gold adornments; this is a person, appearance-based and uncertain. Beside him, a red-and-gold ornate throne stands empty. Around a brick fire pit with burning wood and oil lamps, many saffron-robed devotees sit with hands folded in prayer; several have shaved heads and tripundra markings. Behind them, a large illuminated deity murti in red and gold stands on a raised platform, with white-clad attendants and a crowd in the background under strings of coloured lights.2013-03-10