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A ceremonial hall with a fire pit (homa/yagna) in the foreground, its brick-lined altar stacked with offerings of flowers, rice, fruit and coconuts on a red floor. Behind it, priests in saffron and orange robes with rudraksha malas and sacred ash sit and stand near the fire, with white-clad ritual officiants nearby. On the right, a row of people sit on the floor before brass and clay pots decorated with yellow and orange marigold garlands. Ornate umbrellas hang from the ceiling, and a decorated canopy with palm leaves frames the scene; the pillars are bare concrete. Smoke rises from the fire. No individual in the foreground is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance cues.

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A temple ritual in a pillared hall decorated with marigold garlands and hanging red and purple lanterns. In the foreground a fire pit with flames and marigold-garlanded brick borders holds a homa, with a priest in white dhoti and gold-bordered shawl tending it. Behind, a man in white dhoti with gold border and beaded necklaces stands beside a brass kalasha and tall marigold-wrapped pots and a silver umbrella. To the right, a red-and-green garland-draped canopy shelters a golden oil lamp stand. Several men in saffron and orange clothing stand in the background, with rows of devotees behind them. Brass vessels and offerings lie on the red floor.2018-04-14A ritual homa at a temple hall decorated with marigold garlands and hanging umbrellas. In the foreground a fire burns in a brick-lined fire pit beside offering vessels and coconuts. Several men in white dhotis with bare upper bodies and gold-coloured necklaces perform the rites, one bending low over the fire. Behind them, a crowd of people in orange and saffron clothing stands among pillars, and a colourful floral-decorated palanquin or ratha stands to the right. A large ornate umbrella and floral arrangements complete the setting. The scene is the Sadashiva Mandapam inauguration at the Sri Nithyanandeshwara Devasthanam, Bengaluru.2018-04-14A homa fire ceremony in a hall with a red floor and garlanded decor. A fire burns in a brick-lined fire pit bordered with yellow-and-pink flower garlands and banana stalks. Priests in white dhotis with gold-bordered shawls stand around it; the central priest, bare-chested with a red turban and rudraksha-style beads, pours an offering into the flames. A gold-and-white ornate umbrella stands behind, with a kalasha, brass vessels and marigold garlands at the front. Other devotees in saffron and white stand at the back, and a gold-edged parasol shades the scene.2018-04-14A homa or yagna at a temple hall, with a brick fire pit blazing on a red cloth and decorated with marigold garlands. Several priests in white dhotis, some with bare chests and rudraksha malas, perform the ritual. One priest in a white dhoti with a red-and-gold shawl holds a ladle-like implement near the fire. Behind them, a row of men in saffron and orange turbans sits and watches. On the right, a bare-chested man in white holds a lit lamp over decorated pots and coconuts piled with yellow and orange flowers beside a purple cloth. Brass vessels, a silver-canopied umbrella and flower garlands fill the scene.2018-04-14April 14 20182018-04-14April 14 20182018-04-14A ritual homa at a fire pit in a temple hall decorated with marigold garlands and banana leaves. In the foreground a man in white dhoti with a gold border bends over the brick fire pit, which is layered with flower-strewn bricks, rice offerings and coconuts. Behind him a crowd of saffron-robed sannyasis and devotees stand with hands folded, some holding drums and kalasha pots. On the right, a bare-chested priest with rudraksha malas sits beside garlanded baskets of flowers under an ornate umbrella. A golden heart-shaped backdrop with garlands frames the left side. Brass vessels and oil lamps sit on the red floor.2018-04-14A temple ritual inside a pillared hall with a red-carpeted floor. At right, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti and shawl pours or offers from a ritual vessel toward a fire pit where flames rise, surrounded by marigold-decorated altar tables, brass vessels and fruit trays. Beside him, a white-clad assistant holds a sacred item. On the left, a row of people in saffron and orange robes, rudraksha malas and marigold garlands stand with hands folded, some women in blue and purple saris. Ornate umbrellas and marigold festoons hang from the pillars and ceiling. No clearly identifiable a person is visible in this scene.2018-04-14April 14 20182018-04-14A photograph of a temple hall during a fire ritual. A fire pit with a burning flame sits on a red cloth at the centre, surrounded by brass pots, banana leaves, fruit, marigold garlands and offering trays. Several men in white dhotis and saffron-orange clothing sit and stand in front of it, some with rudraksha malas and bare chests, while women in saffron and a blue sari are nearby. Golden parasols with fringed edges hang over pillars, and a large framed deity image with garlands is on the back wall. One person stands near the left edge in orange robes and a rudraksha mala. A few pandits are seated on the right beside the altar, one in white. Visible people are about a dozen.2018-04-14April 14 20182018-04-14 +1 copiesA photograph of a Hindu fire ritual inside a temple hall with grey block walls, round columns and hanging purple and red decorative canopies strung with orange and yellow marigold garlands. In the foreground a brick fire pit burns with logs, surrounded by flower-decorated offering trays, coconuts and brass vessels on a red floor. Several men in white dhotis with gold-bordered cloth and gold necklaces perform the rites, one holding a small vessel and another pouring from a brass pot. Behind them a row of men in saffron and orange robes and turbans stand watching. On the right a canopied palanquin or deity seat is heavily draped in flower garlands, with an ornate umbrella and a decorated arch nearby. A homa or yagna is being performed.2018-04-14