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Night photograph of an outdoor temple shrine with a large white-framed Durga murti flanked by smaller goddess figures, one riding a lion, decorated with yellow marigold garlands and red-pink flowers. In the foreground a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti sits cross-legged with a gold necklace and a bell-metal bowl before a white stone square yagna pit filled with dark liquid or ash, scattered with marigold petals. Brass lamps and metal offering plates with rice, bananas and leaves surround him. Behind, a person in white and another in a saree stand near an orange cloth draped over a rope, with red-and-orange fairy lights strung overhead.

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A photograph of a homa or puja at a temple shrine. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with bare upper body stands at a square white fire pit, holding a lit flame, while a person in an orange-saffron sari bows in front of the pit. Behind them, a large ornate murti of a goddess with a crown, trident and yellow marigold garlands stands beside smaller deity figures, a lion mount and a Ganesha figure, all decorated with garlands. Brass oil lamps, metal pots, flowers and a bowl sit on the floor. A sign above reads Nandeshwar Mandir. Two women in white and blue and a man in orange stand with hands folded at the left edge. Overhead strings of lights hang on the wall.2011-10-03October 04 20112011-10-04A homa ritual in a temple hall at night. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and a white upper cloth, wearing a gold-coloured necklace, sits with joined palms beside a square white fire pit, fire trench empty of flame. Behind him a row of deity murtis stand under a tall decorated canopy, including a goddess with many arms holding weapons and a lion mount, and a gilded and white-adorned figure garlanded in red. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha-style brass vessel and trays of fruit (apples, oranges, limes, bananas) sit on white cloth in the foreground. Four men in white and yellow dhotis and shirts stand watching at the left. Saffron-orange drapery frames the scene.2010-10-15A priest in white dhoti with a bare upper body and a gold chain sits cross-legged on a mat before a square white marble homa fire pit, holding a ladle or spoon over it. Behind the pit stands a large deity murti of Durga, with multiple arms holding weapons, riding a lion, framed by white lace-like arches and flanked by smaller murtis of Ganesha and other deities. Brass lamps, a kalasha, bowls and a tray of offerings sit on red cloth. Strings of small lights and red-and-gold hangings decorate the hall, and smoke rises through the scene. Another white-clad priest sits at right, and a few more devotees are partly visible in the background.2010-10-12A night-time puja at a decorated Durga pandal. On the left, a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with a gold beaded necklace sits before a white stepped altar scattered with yellow marigold petals, a brass bowl in front of him, and bronze oil lamps around. Behind him rises a large orange cloth hanging in the smoky air. On the right stands a tall white-and-red deity murti of Goddess Durga with ten arms, crowned and wearing marigold garlands, riding a lion beside a smaller figure, with other white-garlanded deities flanking her. Red-curtained walls, string lights and a corrugated roof frame the scene.2011-10-04A night-time homa ritual before a decorated goddess murti with smoke rising from a square white fire pit strewn with flower petals. A priest in white dhoti and shawl stands at left holding a bowl and a second priest in white stands behind the pit, raising a silver vessel. A bald man in white dhoti with a red border and a gold necklace sits cross-legged at right near the pit, his hands together. Women in red and orange saris sit behind, and an oil lamp burns on the floor. Background shows strings of lights and ornate silver and white decorations around the murti. No clearly identifiable a person is visible.2010-10-16A night-time ritual in a decorated temple pavilion with a large goddess murti dressed in white and red, framed by an ornate silver arch and surrounded by smaller deity images and oil lamps. In the foreground a man in white ritual cloth sits cross-legged before a black square fire pit or yagna altar with brass vessels and marigold petals. A man in white with a turban holds a silver tray, while a standing man in a saffron-orange robe and a shaved-headed sadhu with white-painted markings and a bare upper body hold a flame, consistent with a homa or aarti. Several young boys in white sit on the left near the deity. Red and multicolored hangings and string lights decorate the background, and a cream armchair stands at right.2010-10-16October 04 20112011-10-04October 15 20102010-10-15Night homa at a fire pit during Navaratri celebrations. Two priests in white dhotis and shawls stand and kneel at a square white fire pit with a dark central opening, one pouring from a silver vessel and another holding a ritual vessel over it. A smoky haze rises from the pit, and flower petals and dried sticks lie on its raised base. Behind them, a large decorated deity murti with silver ornaments and a canopy stands among red and white lights. Several women in orange and red saris sit on mats at right, and an oil lamp burns nearby. The scene suggests a homa or yagna ritual.2010-10-16Night ritual inside a decorated hall at a person ashram during Navaratri or Dasara worship. A large deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms, lion mount and ornate white and silver backdrop dominates the left, flanked by smaller figures and a canopy. In the centre, a young man in white dhoti and shawl kneels at a square white homa or puja platform with brass vessels, flower petals and a small oil lamp. Behind him, a man in white with a turban holds a brass plate, and an older man with white beard and white body markings in orange-red cloth stands at right beside a red and gold throne-like seat. Several boys in white sit on the floor, and string lights and incense smoke fill the room.2010-10-16October 15 20102010-10-15