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A photograph of a ritual inside a plain whitewashed room. In the foreground a tiered white altar or yantra-like platform is decorated with scattered flower petals and palm-leaf fronds. A standing man in saffron-orange robes and a patterned blue-and-white conical headdress holds up a brass oil lamp with a flame and a small metal vessel, performing an aarti-style offering. Behind the altar, a group of about ten young boys and men in white clothes sit cross-legged with hands folded in prayer, some wearing orange cloth or sacred threads, and a few with vermilion marks on their foreheads. A tall painted cylindrical object with orange and blue bands stands against the wall, and small brass figurines and flower garlands sit at the right edge. Nearby a brass bowl rests on the floor.

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October 13 20072007-10-13August 26 20072007-08-26October 12 20072007-10-12October 12 20072007-10-12A homa fire pit built of white stone bricks sits at the centre of a floor covered with woven straw mats. Inside the pit are stacked dry sticks and small flower petals scattered on the bricks. A man in saffron-orange robes and a tall patterned crown-like cap sits cross-legged behind the pit with his hands folded in prayer. Two boys in white dhotis and white shirts with red and white sacred threads sit to his left, one with a tilak on the forehead and the other holding a folded paper. Behind them, several seated devotees wear white and orange clothing. At the left edge, rows of small brass oil lamps are arranged on a mat, and a brass bowl with a spoon sits near the pit, with sprigs of flowers nearby.2007-10-12Indoor homa or yagna ceremony at night in a whitewashed hall. A square fire pit built of white blocks with a small flame in its centre is decorated with yellow and pink flowers and dry grass. A seated man in a saffron-orange robe and a tall patterned conical headdress presides, with a rudraksha-style cord at his neck, holding a plate. Around him about a dozen boys and young men in white dhotis and white kurtas sit on the floor, several holding ritual plates or vessels. A small brass lamp and flower garlands sit at the right. A hanging orange-and-blue woven cloth with a bird and flower motif hangs from the ceiling.2007-10-12A homa or yagna being performed inside a plain whitewashed hall at night. A white fire altar of stacked white bricks holds a small flame with marigold petals and garlands scattered around it. A man in a saffron-orange robe and a tall patterned headdress kneels at the altar, holding a brass vessel, with a row of boys in white dhotis and white shirts seated beside him. Several other figures in white sit along the side wall. A brass kalasha, small deity murti and flower garland sit on a mat at the right, and colourful patterned banners hang on the walls. a person cues: a saffron robe and ornate headdress, but the figure's face and build are not clearly distinguishable at this resolution.2007-10-12October 12 20072007-10-12A photograph of a homa or yagna in a plain whitewashed hall. A seated priest in orange robes and a patterned cap sits behind a white brick fire pit, with brass vessels, flowers, a pot and a small deity murti arranged in front. Rows of seated people in white and orange clothing, including young children and women in saffron, sit on mats facing the fire. A young man in white and orange stands at the right edge, and a few people in white kneel near the front. Hanging decorative banners and a small screen are visible on the walls.2007-10-12A homa is performed in a plain whitewashed hall on a concrete floor. A square fire pit is built from white bricks decorated with orange marigold petals, with a small flame burning in its centre. A man in an orange shawl and a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged at the front, hands joined in prayer, beside the fire pit. Around him sit about twenty young men and boys in white dhotis and white shawls, some with orange or saffron wraps, many with palms pressed together. A woman in an orange sari sits among them. Floor mats of dried leaves lie to the left, and red-draped seating stands at the right edge. An open doorway with a grilled gate is behind the group.2007-08-26October 13 20072007-10-13A photograph of a homa being performed indoors at night. A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange robes and a patterned conical cap kneels behind a white brick fire altar holding a flaming ladle over the fire. Two seated assistants in white dhotis sit nearby, a young boy in a navy shirt watches, and a woman in white with an orange shawl sits at the right with hands folded. Rows of brass lamps sit on a mat at left, and a tiered shelf of small painted deity figures glows with lights at right. A striped mat covers the floor, and offerings and flower petals decorate the altar.2007-10-15