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A shaven-headed priest in a white dhoti and gold beaded necklace sits cross-legged before a rectangular white marble fire pit, holding a brass bowl and spoon while performing a homa. A microphone stands in front of him. Behind the pit, a large murti of Goddess Durga with multiple arms and a lion mount is decorated with white and red garlands and a white lace backdrop, flanked by a pink-trunked Ganesha murti and a lit brass oil lamp. Brass pots, banana-leaf offerings, flower garlands and lit oil lamps surround the altar. A man in white clothes with a rudraksha mala stands at the left edge, hands folded in reverence.

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October 08 20102010-10-08A photograph of a homa or yagna fire pit, a rectangular stone fire altar with a dark basin, in a temple-style shrine decorated with white and gold floral arrangements. A shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold beads kneels at the altar with hands folded in namaste, holding a small brass bowl and a ladle-like spoon. Behind the altar stands a large deity murti of Durga riding a lion with many arms, flanked by smaller murtis of Ganesha in pink and gold, and other goddesses. Oil lamps, brass lamps, kalasha-style offerings and a bell-like object sit on the altar, with a second devotee in white standing at the upper left. Colourful umbrella canopies and orange cloth hang behind the shrine.2010-10-15October 15 20102010-10-15October 15 20102010-10-15October 15 20102010-10-15October 15 20102010-10-15October 15 20102010-10-15A photograph of a priest seated cross-legged beside a rectangular fire pit (homa/yagna kund) with dark ash inside, performing a ritual at a small altar. The priest has a shaved head, wears a white dhoti and a gold necklace and bracelet, and sits with palms pressed together in prayer near a microphone on a stand. Behind him stand large decorated murtis of Ganesha in pink and gold, and a female deity figure in pink and white garments, with a lion-shaped carved throne. A brass oil lamp stands on the altar, a bowl sits at the edge of the pit, and garlands of yellow and red flowers adorn a seated murti in front. The scene is an indoor puja setting, with no clearly visible a person candidate.2010-10-15A photograph of an evening homa-style ritual at a temple-like shrine. A bald man in white ritual dress with a red border and a white shawl sits on a tiger-skin seat, reaching toward a flower-garlanded object on a stone platform. Brass oil lamps, a lit lamp and a silver bowl with a ladle sit before him. Behind are large deity murtis, including a lion figure and an elephant-headed form, decorated with white garlands and red flower garlands, with yellow kumkum and offerings nearby.2010-10-13Night photograph of a Chandi Homa ritual at an outdoor pandal lit by strings of coloured lights. A bald priest in white dhoti and shawl stands at left holding a tray aloft, while a seated priest in white with gold necklaces tends the rituals beside a square brick fire pit. A large decorated deity murti of the goddess with many arms holds weapons, flanked by a Ganesha figure, a lion, and a female attendant figure, with oil lamps, flower garlands, fruit and offerings arranged in front. Several other priests and attendants in white sit at the lower right and left, and a man in white with a camera stands near the centre.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight-time ritual photo at a temple shrine. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with a gold chain holds a flaming lamp over a black square homa or yagna fire pit on a white stone platform. Behind him, a large ornate silver-white umbrella canopy covers a shrine with deity murtis, including a multi-armed goddess figure with a crown, and brass oil lamps stand on the platform. Several men in white ritual clothes stand in the background, and a mat with offerings and brass vessels lies in the foreground. The scene suggests puja or aarti with a fire offering.2010-10-15A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and bare upper body kneels with palms joined in prayer before a black-topped white stone altar during a puja. Behind him stands a richly decorated shrine with a large image of a goddess with multiple arms and a Ganesha figure, surrounded by ornate umbrellas, white floral garlands and brass lamps. Standing to the left are a woman in a pale yellow sari and three men in white shirts and dhotis, also with hands folded. Offerings of fruit, lemons, bananas, brass bowls and a bell lie on the altar cloth in front.2010-10-15