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A young priest in saffron-orange robes and a tall patterned blue-and-gold cap sits on a white-painted platform, holding a brass lamp with a flame in one hand and a bell in the other while chanting. Rudraksha beads hang around his neck and sacred ash marks his forehead. Beside him, two boys in white dhotis and a boy with a red-bordered shawl sit near white offerings and flowers, and a seated elder in white with folded hands watches. Incense sticks stand in the foreground beside pink flowers, with a grilled door behind them.

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October 12 20072007-10-12Indoor homa or yagna ceremony at night in a whitewashed hall. A square fire pit built of white blocks with a small flame in its centre is decorated with yellow and pink flowers and dry grass. A seated man in a saffron-orange robe and a tall patterned conical headdress presides, with a rudraksha-style cord at his neck, holding a plate. Around him about a dozen boys and young men in white dhotis and white kurtas sit on the floor, several holding ritual plates or vessels. A small brass lamp and flower garlands sit at the right. A hanging orange-and-blue woven cloth with a bird and flower motif hangs from the ceiling.2007-10-12A photo of a homa fire ritual in an ashram hall. A man in saffron robes and an ornate embroidered conical crown with a forehead tilak sits cross-legged behind a white brick fire pit filled with wood, holding a silver kalasha-style vessel with a flame rising from it and a silver bell in his other hand. A young boy in white dhoti and shawl with a red border, wearing rudraksha beads and a sandalwood tilak, sits eyes closed to the left. An older man in white with an orange shawl sits at the right edge near the doorway. Flower petals, marigold and pink garlands, a brass bowl and a plate of offerings surround the fire pit on striped mats, with iron gates behind.2007-10-12October 12 20072007-10-12Boys and young men in saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged on a floor during a ritual gathering. In the foreground a shaved-headed boy in orange with a white forehead band holds a small oil lamp in cupped hands, eyes lowered. Brass puja trays with white flowers, a small brass lamp, and a copper-toned stand sit before them. Behind, seated devotees in orange and red garments hold lamps and offerings, and one man in white and gold at upper right raises a lamp. A green leaf and offering plates are visible on the lower left. The scene suggests a puja or aarti practice with lamps and flower offerings.2013-04-29A seated ritual scene in a hall where two priests in saffron-orange robes with red borders sit cross-legged on mats. The foreground priest on the right, wearing a long gold necklace of beads and tilak on his forehead, holds a lit oil lamp in one hand and a small brass bell in the other. The older priest on the left, with grey beard and glasses and a red bindi, also holds a lit lamp and a bell. Behind them, several men in white dhotis and white shirts with rudraksha malas sit and hold lamps, and a brass plate with flowers, fruit and a red-tipped offering sits on the mat in front. This appears to be an aarti or puja with lamps and bells.2010-10-16A group of saffron-robed monks sit cross-legged on a floor during a ritual gathering. Many wear white horizontal tilak stripes on their foreheads and rudraksha malas around their necks. Several hold small brass oil lamps with lit flames, and one in the foreground holds a lamp while gesturing with the other hand. Brass dishes and offerings sit on a low table at left, and a red cloth hangs in the background beside a wall fan.2014-08-19A photograph of an aarti ceremony in a plain whitewashed hall with a dim, low-light look. Three standing men in white dhotis and white kurtas, with orange shawls over their shoulders, hold brass lamps with lit flames, one on each side and one raised in the centre-right. Behind them a patterned hanging banner with floral motifs and a bird emblem hangs from the ceiling beside a speaker. Around a dozen seated men in white clothing, several with white or red sacred threads and some with tilak marks, sit on the floor watching, with brass vessels in the foreground. No swami figure is visible, so the scene shows only ritual attendants and devotees.2007-10-04A photograph of a ceremony indoors. In the centre, a man in an orange turban and orange robe, with a long white and red flower garland and a gold necklace, holds a brass bell and a flat-handled brass vessel with a lit flame in the other hand. Beside him, a man in orange robes and a red-brown sash holds a brass lamp with a burning oil flame. Behind them stand several people in white and orange clothing, and a decorated doorway with green leaves and garlands is visible. A loudspeaker stands at the right edge. A puja or aarti is being performed with a bell and oil lamp.2008-07-27May 05 20122012-05-05A photograph of a row of young boys seated on the floor in an indoor hall, performing a ritual. Most wear saffron-orange robes, rudraksha malas and white vibhuti marks on their foreheads; one boy in front wears purple-framed glasses and a white dhoti, raising a small brass lamp and incense sticks. Brass plates, bowls, kalasha-style vessels, rose petals and small oil lamps are arranged on a blue cloth in front of them. Older men in white clothes sit at the left edge, and more seated devotees fill the background.2014-08-24April 30 20132013-04-30