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Night outdoor fire ritual. In the foreground a bare-chested male priest with a green head wrap, green and white cloth, rudraksha mala and sacred ash on his forehead sits with eyes closed, hands near a flame. Beside him another bare-chested man in green and white cloth tends a fire with a ladle over a copper vessel. Behind them, seated devotees in white clothes and red shawls watch, including a woman in white with a red lanyard. Flames rise in the centre; the scene reads as a homa or yagna.

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Outdoor fire ritual, a homa or yagna, with a large open flame on the left and a wooden offering platform in front. A bare-chested man in a green turban with white and red forehead markings, wearing rudraksha mala beads, a red thread and a green shawl, holds a ladle over a silver bowl. Beside him a bare-chested younger man with a short beard and an orange-and-white cloth pours or offers into the fire. Marigold-like flower petals and yellow-wrapped items sit on the platform. Behind them, people in orange and white clothing sit and watch.2016-07-04Night outdoor homa ritual with a fire pit in the foreground, flames and smoke rising from a square altar decorated with flower garlands and offerings. Three men sit cross-legged at the fire: the man on the left wears an orange shawl over bare shoulders and a white dhoti, the central man wears a green cloth, a green headwrap and beaded necklaces with ash marks on his body and holds a ladle over a brass bowl, and the man on the right is bare-chested in a white dhoti with a gold chain. Behind them, a large seated gathering of roughly 50 people, mostly women, wears white clothes with red shawls and red lanyards; oil lamps and brass vessels sit on the ground at the altar's edge.2016-07-04 +1 copiesA homa fire ritual at night in a pavilion. A seated man in a green turban and white dhoti with a purple-striped waist cloth holds an offering near a burning fire pit. A standing priest in a white dhoti and shawl leans over the fire holding a lamp, while a young boy in orange-red cloth with hands folded stands beside a second red-clad figure. Flower garlands, brass vessels and a pink-and-green mat lie at the edge of the fire. People are seated in the background.2017-07-08Fire ritual (homa) in a temple-style hall. A bare-chested man in a green head-cloth and white dhoti sits cross-legged before a raised fire pit, pouring from a small metal cup. A second man in a white dhoti bends over the pit holding a metal ladle. Behind them, a woman in an orange sari presses her palms together in prayer, and a man in an orange cloth stands with hands clasped. Brass vessels, marigold garlands, flower heaps and a bowl of rice sit near the fire, with rows of spectators in white behind.2017-07-08July 08 20172017-07-08A photograph of a homa or fire ritual in a temple hall. A large open fire burns in a raised wooden-framed fire pit at the centre-bottom, with smoke rising. A seated priest with a green turban and bare chest, wearing a white dhoti with a striped border, holds a small lamp or offering over the fire. A second priest in a white dhoti stands bent over beside him, holding a lamp. Behind them a woman in an orange-red sari presses her palms together in prayer, and another figure in a red-orange sari stands to the right beside a white-draped table with red flowers. Brass vessels, marigold and yellow flower garlands, and a pile of rice grains sit near the fire pit. Striped red and white pillars and steps frame the background, where other people in white stand watching.2017-07-08A photograph of a Vedic Rudra homa in progress. A bare-chested priest with a yellow head wrap, rudraksha-style gold necklaces and a green checked cloth sits at a large fire pit with a tall flame, feeding offerings into it. Beside him a younger man in an orange shawl and gold necklaces assists at the fire. Behind them a crowd of participants sits on mats in white and red garments, several with orange tilak marks on their foreheads, many with hands joined in prayer. Rose petals and grains sit on the yellow-edged fire platform with brass bowls nearby. No individual is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance; the figures are shown as priests and devotees.2016-07-02Evening homa at a fire pit in a temple-style hall. A priest in white dhoti with a striped border and orange cloth bends over the flames, holding a brass vessel and ladle. A seated man in a green turban and white dhoti tends the fire with his hands and a small brass cup. Nearby, a woman in orange garments stands with palms pressed together in prayer, and another woman in orange sari with white forehead markings stands to the right. Brass pots, marigold garlands and a flower-decorated tray sit around the fire pit. Several white-clad devotees sit in the background.2017-07-08July 08 20172017-07-08Night outdoor ritual gathering with a shirtless priest in white dhoti and green headcloth and green shoulder cloth holding a silver kalasha-style vessel with flowers, performing an aarti or abhishekam offering. Behind him a shirtless man in a white dhoti and green sash raises both arms. Seated devotees in white clothes with red shawls fill the ground, and a woman in orange sits at right. Lit building in the background.2016-07-04A night-time homa at a wooden fire pit with a large, bright flame. A man in a white dhoti with a green turban pours offerings from a steel bowl into the fire. Around him, priests in white and orange-red cloths wear rudraksha malas, and one bald priest has a white tilak on his forehead. A green-clad figure stands at the right edge, and brass offerings and a plantain leaf sit nearby. No one is clearly identified as a person by appearance cues.2015-01-04January 02 20162016-01-02 +1 copies