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A photo of a ritual homa beside a decorated shrine. Two men in saffron-orange robes stand at the fire pit; the man on the right, with long swept-back hair, a white forehead mark and a gold necklace, holds a microphone with palms pressed together, while the man on the left wears a gold chain and holds a ritual object. Marigold and jasmine garlands drape the canopy above. A framed portrait labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda" sits behind offerings of coconuts wrapped in green leaves, plates of fruit and sweets, and a lit fire in a marigold-decorated pit. Another man in white stands at the back left.

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Photograph of a ritual homa at an outdoor pandal decorated with marigold garlands and mango-leaf torans. A circular fire pit lined with pink and white flowers and marigold strands holds a small fire. Two men in saffron-orange robes stand at left, one holding a microphone and the other with a palm-leaf sheet, and a man in orange at right presses his palms together in prayer. Behind them a framed portrait of a saffron-clad figure sits among garlands above a long table of brass vessels, fruit, sweets and kalasha-style pots arranged with mango leaves. A seated figure in white is visible at the back.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12A homa fire ritual inside a marigold-decorated pavilion with orange and white flower garlands draped overhead. A fire burns in a raised square fire pit bordered with orange and white flowers, with offerings, brass vessels, fruits and a tray of lamps on the altar. Three men in saffron-orange robes perform the ritual: one on the left pours an offering with a metal dish toward the flames while another in orange stands beside him, and a third on the right stands with hands joined in prayer. A man in white stands behind them. A framed portrait garlanded with flowers sits on a side table at left, and a fan stands at right. The swami figures' appearance does not clearly establish any particular identity.2009-01-12A homa or yagna at an open ritual pavilion decorated with marigold and white flower garlands hanging overhead. In the foreground a square fire pit is lined with orange and white flower garlands, with a flame rising from it. A standing man in an orange-saffron dhoti and orange upper cloth holds a lit lamp or fire vessel aloft toward the sacrificial fire. Behind him, two men in white dhotis and shirts stand near the ritual area, and a few more figures are visible in the background. A long table on the left holds rows of banana-leaf offerings and fruit, with a framed portrait draped in garlands on the left, and brass pots and plates of food are arranged on the floor. A sign in the background reads Sri Sailappan Yagam.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12A photograph of a devotional gathering in an ornately decorated temple-style pavilion hung with marigold garlands and orange flower strings. A central figure with long dark hair wears an orange robe and a gold-bead necklace, seated on a red and cream cushioned seat with orange cushions, hands resting in lap. Seated before him on the floor, several devotees in orange robes and white dhotis press their palms together in anjali. A framed portrait above shows a figure in orange with garlands. Right foreground, a long white-draped table holds a platter of decorated coconut and banana-leaf offerings, sweets, fruit and plates of food. Lamps and a kalasha-like decoration stand behind the seat.2009-01-12Outdoor ritual scene under a marigold-decorated pavilion. A man in saffron robes and a gold-bead necklace speaks into a handheld microphone while standing at the left edge. Behind him, another saffron-robed man sits cross-legged beside a fire pit with stacked wood and offerings. A man in a white dhoti and shirt stands at right, and other white-clad helpers move in the background. Before the fire stands a pink-covered platform garlanded with orange flowers and green leaves, with brass pots of offerings and fruit on a table at left. Behind them rises a large white stone deity murti of Ganesha with a flower garland, and banners with printed text line the back wall.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12A night-time photograph of a Hindu fire ritual inside a decorated hall. A round homa fire pit ringed with marigold and orange flower garlands sits in the foreground, with a small microphone on a stand beside it. Several people in orange and saffron robes stand and kneel near the fire, one woman in orange holding up a lit oil lamp while others in white and orange with hands folded stand nearby. On the right, a long white-draped table holds rows of decorated kalasha pots topped with mango leaves and coconuts, plus brass bowls and offerings. Behind the table, a framed portrait of a woman garlanded with flowers hangs above flower strands and a brass lamp. Festoons of orange and white flowers decorate the ceiling.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12Night photograph of a homa or yagna ceremony. Two sannyasis in saffron-orange robes stand at a long altar draped in white cloth and lined with brass plates and oil lamps. The sannyasi on the right, with long dark hair, holds a basket of pink flower petals, and the one on the left with curly hair holds a basket of petals too. Behind them a framed portrait is garlanded with marigolds and tuberose strands, and orange and white flower garlands hang overhead. A round fire pit is edged with marigold garlands and pink cloth, and a white-robed priest stands in the background. A woven mat lies on the ground.2009-01-12A festival photo taken at dusk under a canopy heavily decorated with marigold and white jasmine garlands. In the centre, a framed portrait of a long-haired man with garlands sits on a table draped in white and pink, surrounded by rows of brass-and-decorated kalasha pots with coconut tops and tiered offerings of fruit and sweets. Several people in saffron-orange robes stand at left, one in a red garland, with a standing man in white clothes at right. A small oil lamp burns in the foreground beside plates of fruit, sweets and a steel bowl. The portrait is a framed picture, not a living person, and the figure in it cannot be matched to the saffron-robed people by appearance.2009-01-12