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Night photograph of a Hindu ritual on an open-air platform beside a brick wall. Several seated priests in white dhotis and bare upper bodies, with yellow garlands and sacred thread, sit around a brass fire vessel with lit flames and oil lamps. Marigold and yellow flower garlands decorate the floor and the ornate golden-yellow throne at the left. Brass vessels and offerings in the foreground. Standing bare-chested participants in white dhotis and orange-clad attendants line the background, and a seated figure in red and orange clothing sits on a throne at the right. Fire and offerings suggest a homa or puja.

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April 06 20172017-04-06Night outdoor ritual on a raised stone platform beside a brick wall and open doorway. Several bare-chested men in white dhotis stand in a row with white sacred markings on their chests and arms, some holding yellow cloth. In the foreground, seated priests in white and orange-brown cloth perform a fire ritual before a gold-coloured yagna vessel with burning flames, surrounded by marigold and mixed flower garlands, bananas, fruit, coconuts and brass plates. Bright garlands drape a golden seat at the right. A figure in red-orange robes and a rudraksha-style necklace stands near the open doorway. Lamps light the scene against the dark sky.2017-04-06Night-time ritual outdoors in front of a brick building. A priest in a yellow head cloth and yellow-bordered white dhoti sits before a gold-covered square fire pit with a lit flame, offering items and garlands around it. Behind them, a row of young men with bare torsos, white dhotis and white sacred markings stand in line holding brass items and yellow cloths. A seated man in red and orange ceremonial dress sits on an ornate gold throne with a gold-framed back, adorned with a long beaded necklace and a rudraksha mala. Plates of fruit and flower offerings sit nearby, and a deity murti in a garland and ornaments is at the lower left.2017-04-06April 06 20172017-04-06Night outdoor ritual homa at a temple-style courtyard. A fire burns in a brass-and-gold yagna pit decorated with yellow cloth, flowers and fruit, tended by a priest in a yellow shawl and white dhoti seated cross-legged before it. A row of about twenty young boys, bare-chested with white sacred markings, stand in white dhotis holding yellow cloth. Behind them, a figure in orange robes sits on an ornate red-and-gold throne-like seat with a garland, a gold necklace and rudraksha-like beads, while a child kneels nearby. In the foreground, a decorated golden vahana with garlands, a kneeling attendant in white, and offering plates with fruit and rice surround the fire. Brick walls and a lamp-lit doorway frame the scene.2017-04-06April 06 20172017-04-06April 06 20172017-04-06Night-time ritual at a temple doorway with a fire pit at centre, where flames rise from a brass-and-gold structure. A priest seated on a striped mat wears a yellow turban and gold necklace, with a bare chest and white dhoti. Nearby, a man in an orange-saffron cloth sits by the fire, while a seated man with bare upper body and white cloth tends offerings. Behind them, a row of young boys in white dhotis, with white body markings and yellow cloths, stand in line. Garlands of yellow and white flowers, fruit, brass vessels and kalasha-like pots surround the altar. A large carved wooden door with brass studs fills the right side, and a deity murti stands at the left edge with flower garlands. This appears to be a homa/yagna setting.2017-04-06Night-time outdoor homa at an open-air ritual ground. A large fire blazes in the centre on a golden fire-pit altar with brass vessels, a coconut and marigold garlands. Priests kneel around the fire: a bare-chested man in white dhoti pours offerings, and a shirtless man in front wears a purple-and-gold shawl. On the left a golden ornate throne stands beside a deity murti draped in flower garlands. Behind the fire, a man seated on a golden throne-like seat wears a long rudraksha-style necklace and an orange-trimmed robe, with a yellow-garlanded attendant beside him. Seated devotees in the left background sit on striped mats, and a speaker stands nearby.2017-06-23March 06 20162016-03-06 +1 copiesMay 02 20172017-05-02Night outdoor ritual under a corrugated roof at Nithyananda Peetham, Tiruvannamalai. Several priests in white dhotis sit or kneel at long low tables lined with brass vessels, banana leaves, flower garlands, fruit baskets and yellow-and-red packets. A smoking fire pit in the centre suggests a homa or yagna. A shirtless man in a white dhoti and orange shawl bends over the offerings at right, while a shirtless devotee with long hair and beads sits at lower right. Behind them, a golden-framed throne-like seat and flower-decorated altar stand beside a row of seated and standing white-clad participants under floodlights and trees.2017-05-10