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A homa fire burns in a square stone fire pit in the foreground, with wooden sticks laid around its edge. Behind it, a woman in orange and gold-bordered saffron saris with gold necklaces and rudraksha-style malas sits with palms pressed together, and a row of women in red and orange saris with gold borders kneels in prayer beside her. In the background, a large seated crowd in white and orange clothing with orange shawls presses hands in namaskar under strings of coloured lights. A figure seated on an ornate leopard-print throne-like seat at the upper left wears orange robes and a long garland. A bald man with glasses in the lower left also holds his hands in prayer. Text on the image reads a copyright notice and archive credit.

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A photograph of a night homa at a square fire pit lined with white-painted brick, where flames rise from burning wood. A man with long, swept-back dark hair and a saffron robe with gold-threaded trim and layered beaded necklaces sits on a raised seat before an ornate silver-framed backrest, holding a paper while his hands are raised. Around him, saffron-robed women in orange and red garments with gold borders kneel and sit with palms pressed together, many wearing beaded necklaces and bangles. Shaven-headed men in saffron and orange shawls, some with tilak marks, lift their hands near the flames. Coloured fairy lights glow in the background, and a small silver vessel and offering items sit near the fire pit. A crowd of onlookers in the foreground and background watch the ritual.2013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10Night ceremony at a sacred fire pit lit with a large open flame. A central figure with long dark hair, wearing an orange-saffron garment, a gold-coloured garland and a rudraksha-style necklace, sits on a raised ornate silver-and-wood seat holding an open book. Around the fire, seated devotees in orange and saffron robes with gold-trimmed borders hold ritual items and sit in rows; bald men in orange shawls sit at the front left with offering plates nearby. Standing devotees behind wear saffron saris and necklaces, and coloured string lights glow in the background. Pooja offerings and brass vessels lie on a white cloth beside the homa pit, indicating a fire ritual.2013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10Night outdoor homa at a fire pit with a bright fire burning in a square stone pit lined with offerings of sticks and small dishes. Seated on a silver-framed throne with a leopard-print cushion, a central figure with long hair wears a saffron-orange robe, a long orange shawl and layered orange-bead and gold necklaces, smiling and holding a palm-to-palm mudra. Around the pit, rows of women in orange saris with yellow borders and rudraksha malas sit with hands folded in prayer, and men in saffron robes and orange shawls with shaved heads sit in front. Behind them, a large crowd in white and orange clothes stands under string lights.2013-03-10A large homa is being performed around a square fire pit filled with burning flames, set on a white-and-gold ceremonial platform with offerings, ritual items and small brass plates. Around it sit dozens of saffron- and orange-robed devotees, many with shaved heads and rudraksha malas, some holding offerings in their hands. Women in orange and red saris with yellow borders and beaded necklaces sit in rows along the right and back. At the top left, a seated figure in orange clothing with long dark hair and gold necklaces sits on an ornate silver-and-gold seat behind a small table, reciting from a book; the appearance cues are not definitive, so identification is uncertain. A crowd of onlookers in white is visible in the background. Fairy lights and a stage canopy surround the scene.2013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10