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A temple hall during a fire ritual. A large brick-lined fire pit blazes at centre, with rice and offerings in metal bowls around it. Several bare-chested priests in orange and saffron dhotis sit on red mats performing the homa; one reads from an open book while another tends the fire. Ornate brass oil lamps with multiple wicks stand in the foreground, and behind them a crowd of devotees gathers behind metal barricades in front of an elaborately decorated shrine with gilded deity murtis and streamers. Strings of colourful tassels hang from the ceiling. a person is not clearly visible among the priests, so no candidate is identified.

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A temple hall with a sacred fire pit (homa) at centre, bright orange flames rising from a brick-lined rectangular fire pit scattered with grains and flower offerings. Several priests sit on the red-floored ground around it: a bare-chested man in orange dhoti at right reads from an open book, another bare-chested man in orange cloth sits at left, and a man in yellow dhoti kneels at lower left. Large brass oil lamps with multiple wicks and ornate brass vessels, kalasha pots and a mandala drawn in coloured powder frame the foreground. Behind, a crowd of devotees stands at a metal barrier before an elaborate gilded shrine with deity murtis and garlands; coloured tassels hang from the ceiling. Roughly several dozen people are visible.2016-05-15A photograph inside a decorated temple hall during a fire ritual. At centre a brick-lined fire pit blazes with flames, surrounded by scattered grains. Several shirtless priests in orange and yellow dhotis sit on red mats: one on the left in a yellow cloth, one at right reading from an open book with a brass plate before him. Ornate brass oil lamps and a brass kalasha-style vessel frame the foreground, with a colourful floor rangoli mandala at lower left. Behind a metal barrier stands a crowd of devotees, and gilded deity murtis and framed portraits fill the altar area under hanging red, blue and orange garlands. No one in the crowd is clearly identifiable as a distinct candidate; the ritual participants are priests.2016-05-15A homa fire burns in a brick-lined fire pit inside a decorated tent, with ritual items around it. Two priests in saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged behind the fire: the nearer one wears a rudraksha mala and gold necklaces and has long, dark, unbound hair. Beside them a shaved-headed priest in white sits with a mala. Brass lamps, kalasha-style vessels and brass oil lamps are arranged on red mats, with a crowd of devotees standing behind a railing in the background. Hanging paper decorations and orange umbrellas hang overhead. The priest in saffron with long hair is a probable candidate for a person by appearance, though the image is not clear enough to confirm.2016-04-24A photograph of a homa fire ceremony on a red floor inside a decorated hall with red and saffron banners and a crowd behind metal barriers. A square fire pit lined with yellow and pink-tiled bricks burns brightly at centre. Several priests sit around it: a bare-chested man in a yellow dhoti at left pours from a bowl, a man in orange cloth at right feeds sticks into the fire, and others in orange and white sit close by. Gold-framed ritual stands, kalashas, brass bowls, garlands, a small deity murti with a white bull figure and a book on the floor complete the scene.2016-05-15May 15 20162016-05-15May 17 20162016-05-17A homa fire pit with flames burns in the centre of a red-carpeted hall, bordered by brass lamps and a golden trident. Several shirtless or dhoti-clad priests tend the fire; one in a yellow garment sits cross-legged near the pit, another in orange cloth kneels beside a tray, and a standing man in a maroon dhoti watches. A colourful geometric mandala in yellow and multicolour powders is drawn on the floor in the foreground, with brass vessels, coconuts, plates and offerings scattered around. Behind a metal barrier, a crowd of devotees observes, and ornate deity shrines with garlands and colourful festoons decorate the back of the hall.2016-05-15A large tented hall during an evening fire ritual. In the centre a wooden square fire pit with a bright flame sits on a red floor, surrounded by flower petals, brass vessels and garlands. A shirtless priest in white dhoti and an orange cloth kneels at the fire pit, tending the flames. Seated on an ornate golden throne with a red cloth is a man wearing an orange turban, a red shawl and a long beaded garland; a large multicoloured parasol stands behind him. Around him devotees sit on the floor in white and yellow clothes, and a woman in a maroon sari with a garland stands with folded hands at right. Colourful hanging lanterns decorate the ceiling and lights hang overhead.2016-12-05A photograph of a homa fire ritual inside a red-carpeted tent hung with colourful triangular banners and a chandelier. A square fire pit lined with yellow bricks marked with white swirl designs holds a bright flame. A young boy in white dhoti with gold border and gold necklace stands at left, while three young ritual attendants in saffron/orange robes and beads sit around the fire, one tending offerings from a bowl. Brass oil lamps, brass bull figurines and a small brass kalasha surround the pit, and a crowd of onlookers stands behind a barrier.2016-04-24A large hall during a homa fire ritual for samaya deeksha. In the foreground, a square brick fire pit burns with flames while a robed priest sits beside it, with metal bowls of offerings, fruit and flower garlands nearby. Several seated men in white and saffron-coloured dhotis and shawls, some with rudraksha malas, sit on striped rugs facing the fire. A decorated deity murti garlanded with orange and yellow flowers sits at left, under a gilded canopy with lamps. Many devotees fill the hall behind, and a large brass oil lamp stands nearby.2015-07-17December 02 20162016-12-02A large hall during a homa fire ritual for Samaya Deeksha. In the foreground a seated priest in white and orange-red dhoti sits before a brick fire pit with flames, while a priest with bare upper body and orange shawl tends the fire. A garland of yellow and orange flowers rests on a red-and-gold ornamented seat near the centre. On the left, a golden throne with a gold lion-form armrest and a gold-framed deity murti stands beside brass oil lamps and ceremonial staffs. Over a hundred devotees in white and saffron sit cross-legged on the floor in rows, with smoke rising and cameras set up at the back of the hall.2015-07-17