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Outdoor fire ritual on sandy ground with a homa or yagna underway. In the foreground a young man in white kurta and orange shawl sits cross-legged, stirring the ash-covered fire pit with a wooden stick. Several men in white ritual clothes and yellow or orange shawls sit in a row behind him, one tending the fire with a bare hand. At left, a figure with long dark hair in a sleeveless orange robe sits on a low wooden seat, separate from the group. Behind them stands a wooden notice board and a striped tent area. A saffron-painted pillar with a garland is visible at right. Eight people are visible in total.

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August 15 20102010-08-15A photograph of an outdoor homa or fire ritual on sandy ground. In the foreground, a shaved-headed man in white kurta and orange shawl holds a wooden stick over ash-covered earth. Several men in white clothes and orange or yellow shawls sit in a row behind him, some with eyes closed. On the left, a figure with long swept-back dark hair sits in orange robes on a cushion, with a shaved-headed man in white standing nearby. Behind them is a large white informational board with coloured panels and maps, thatched huts, and an orange ritual pillar decorated with a flower garland on the right. The orange sannyasi figure with long hair has clear cues, but identity is not established from appearance alone, so no in-person identification is made.2010-08-15Outdoor fire ritual in a dirt yard. A shaved-headed man in white kurta and dhoti with an orange shawl sits cross-legged with eyes closed and hands in lap, a silver bangle on his wrist. Behind him, several men in white with yellow shawls sit beside a blazing fire pit, and several small stone deity murti stand on a ledge. Wooden logs, ash and charred remains surround the fire area, with bamboo fencing and foliage behind.2010-08-09August 03 20102010-08-03Outdoor fire ritual (homa) on a sandy ground with small square fire pits and smoke rising. In the foreground a young man in orange robes with long hair sits with palms pressed together in prayer, a brass oil lamp (kuthuvilakku-style) in front of him. Beside him a man in white clothes and a red shawl holds a brass plate and sits in a row. Behind, several more people sit in orange robes and white dhotis, some holding water bottles, and rows of stone statues of seated figures and a bench-like structure stand in the background among green plants. Terracotta pots and wooden sticks lie on the ground near the fire pits.2010-06-13June 13 20102010-06-13August 09 20102010-08-09Outdoors on bare earth, four shaved-headed men in white dhotis and sleeveless white vests sit cross-legged on mats within circular rings of ash and charcoal. The man at the front left wears a dark cord around his neck, and the man second from right wears an orange dhoti under his white cloth. Behind them, a man in white sits at the edge of the yard near a loudspeaker, and stone deity murtis stand along a low wall at left beside an empty wooden cart. Red brick buildings form the backdrop. No one is identified as a person in this scene.2010-09-16Four men sit cross-legged outdoors on sandy ground in meditation or prayer posture, eyes closed. The central man wears a saffron-orange robe with an orange shawl and sits on a concrete slab inside a ringed fire pit with grey ash. To his left, a shaved-headed man in white dhoti and white shirt with an orange-red shawl sits with hands folded, beside a brass plate. Behind them, a white-clad man in an orange shawl sits on a low platform in front of orange-red stone temple structures. At right, a young man in white clothes with a yellow shawl sits by another ash-filled pit. Palm trees and greenery surround a black stone shivalinga platform, and a red sign with white lettering stands near it.2010-09-06Outdoor photo of several shaved-headed men in white dhoti-style clothing seated cross-legged on mats in a row beside small dark fire pits with ash and charred wood. The foreground man wears white cloth with red borders, a rudraksha mala and a small tilak, hands folded in his lap. Behind him a man in an orange-red wrap and another in a yellow shawl sit in meditation or prayer, and a smoke trail rises near the pits. Orange temple walls and a black stone vessel stand in the background amid palm trees. No one here is identified as a person; they appear as ritual participants.2010-09-17August 03 20102010-08-03Outdoor photo of devotees seated in a row on sandy ground among smoldering fire pits filled with white ash and charred wood, a practice of sitting beside burnt-out fire beds. In the foreground a bare-footed man in white clothes with a yellow shawl draped over his shoulders sits cross-legged with eyes closed, hands resting on his lap. Several other men in white with yellow shawls sit behind him in the line, and a woman in orange clothing stands further back near a silver SUV. Behind them stands a black stone Nandi bull statue garlanded with a red and yellow flower garland beside a white shrine structure, with palm trees and thatched huts in the background. A signboard with a map is visible at left. Five to six physical people are visible.2010-07-07