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A night-time outdoor ritual beside an open fire pit with bright flames burning on ground ash. Four men in saffron-orange dhotis with gold-bordered cloth stand around the fire; the central man holds a small plate of offerings, and another man on the left carries a plate with a rudraksha-style bead necklace. A bare-chested man on the far left wears a long beaded mala. Women in a white sari with a green border and men in checked lungis and white shirts stand at the edges, and a metal fire stand is set on the ground. Concrete block walls and a green cart are in the background. Resembles a homa or fire offering; the appearance-based identity of any a person candidate is uncertain.

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Night photograph of an open-air outdoor fire ritual on a sandy ground beside a block wall. A flame burns in a small brick-lined fire pit with a metal ring, and a long iron rod extends from it. Several men in saffron-orange dhotis with yellow borders stand around the fire; one holds a brass plate with offerings, and one wears a rudraksha mala. A man in a white vest and checked lungi stands at right holding a rope, and a woman in a white sari with a red border watches at far left. Ashes and debris lie on the ground.2013-09-16September 16 20132013-09-16September 16 20132013-09-16September 16 20132013-09-16September 16 20132013-09-16Photograph of a night-time outdoor fire ritual in an open-sided shed with a brick wall behind. A small fire burns in a shallow pit on sandy ground, with an iron ring or pot over the flames and a metal rod leaning against the pit. Four men in saffron-orange dhoti and shawl stand around the fire, one holding a dark bag and another with rudraksha beads and a saffron wrap. Two men in white shirts and checked lungis stand at the edges, one raising a hand, and a woman in a white sari with yellow border stands at the left. Sparks drift in the air above the fire.2013-09-16A photograph of a fire pit in an open, unfinished concrete-block building at night. A bright fire burns in a brick-lined pit, with a wooden or iron rod lying across it and a man in a white shirt and checked lungi stepping close to the flames. Around the pit, several men in orange and rust-coloured cloths stand watching, including a bare-chested man with a rudraksha mala and a woman in orange sari at the right. Sand, scattered ash and coal lie on the ground.2013-09-16A night-time homa or yagna at an open-sided shed. Several monastics in saffron-brown robes stand around a brick fire pit where flames rise over small clay pots and vessels. A robed man with a rudraksha mala crouches and feeds offerings into the fire with a long iron rod, while another man in brown with a gold-trimmed cloth and beaded waist belt assists beside him. A man on the left in brown robes stands watching, and a standing man on the right wears white dhoti and reddish body markings. Behind them a crowd of devotees in white, cream and brown garments watches. Smaller fire pits burn in the background and bright white tube lights hang from the roof. Persons visible: roughly 30.2013-09-04A photograph of a ritual at night under a open-sided shelter: in the foreground a pot-shaped vessel held on a long pole is lifted over a large open fire of bright flames, with a bed of earth and red powder at its base. Several people in the foreground, shown partly cropped, wear white and orange cloth. Behind the fire, a smiling man in an orange-red robe with a patterned sash stands with hands at his sides, and to his right an older bald man in an orange-red dhoti and upper cloth stands with palms pressed together in namaste, a rudraksha-style mala visible at his neck. Several other figures in orange stand in the background among stone walls.2013-09-04July 29 20132013-07-29September 04 20132013-09-04September 04 20132013-09-04