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A large homa or yagna is performed in an open ceremonial space. In the foreground, a square fire pit blazes with flames, with ghee and offerings scattered over it; women with bangles and red-bordered sarees hold up hands and sticks toward the fire. Behind, many shaven-headed sadhus in saffron-orange robes, rudraksha malas and vibhuti on their foreheads sit in rows chanting and gesturing. On the right, a man in saffron robes, ornate garlands and a mala holds an open book while others seated near him perform the rites. Dense crowds in white clothing watch from behind, with a decorated deity murti and a golden structure in the upper background.

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March 18 20132013-03-18A photograph of a homa fire ceremony in progress. A square fire pit with flames and smoke sits at the centre, surrounded by offering bowls, lamps and small dishes on a blue-edged platform. A seated figure at right wears a long saffron-orange robe with heavy ornate gold and bead necklaces and a bead mala, holding a sheaf of papers and reading or chanting. Behind the fire, a row of shaved-headed monks in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas sit with folded hands or raised palms. A bare-armed man at lower left in an orange robe holds a long stick toward the fire. Women in red and maroon saris sit at the foreground edge, and white-clad devotees fill the background, with a golden deity murti and an ornate silver-trimmed panel visible behind the monks.2013-03-10A night ceremony at a fire pit with a visible flame and offerings of wood and vessels in front. A central figure in orange and saffron robes with many beaded necklaces sits on a low wooden seat with a carved, ornate backrest, holding a small object in one hand. Around the fire, a large group of devotees in saffron and orange robes, many with shaved heads, sit and raise open palms toward the flames. Women in red and gold-bordered saris stand and kneel at the right, some with hands raised, and a string of colored lights decorates the background. The scene resembles a homa or yagna.2013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10March 18 20132013-03-18March 10 20132013-03-10March 10 20132013-03-10Photo of a homa or fire ritual at night in a open hall. A central figure with long curly hair sits cross-legged on a low wooden seat before a square fire pit, wearing saffron-orange robes and a long beaded mala with gold ornaments; the seat and surroundings are decorated with a patterned cloth. Around the fire, saffron-robed men with shaved heads and rudraksha malas sit in rows, and women in orange saris with gold borders and red blouses extend hands and offer grains or ghee into the flames. Brass vessels and a kalasha sit near the pit, and a fan and string lights appear in the background.2013-03-10Night homa at an ashram: a square fire pit with a burning wood fire sits at the center, surrounded by a white-and-gold decorated border. Behind it, a seated figure with long dark hair wears an orange-red sari and multiple strands of beaded necklaces and garlands, seated on a raised silver-and-wood seat. Around the fire, rows of women in orange and red saris with gold borders and rudraksha-style bead necklaces raise their hands toward the flames, and shaved-headed men in orange robes with white forehead markings crouch and gesture toward the fire. Colored lights hang in the background and a seated crowd watches. The seated figure with long hair shows the cues of a candidate for a person, seated as the presiding figure of the ritual.2013-03-10A nighttime fire ritual. A fire burns in a rectangular stone fire pit in the foreground, with wooden logs and offerings visible. Behind it, a central figure in orange-saffron robes and layered beaded necklaces sits on a raised wooden seat with a silver-framed back, hands raised in mudra. Around them, many devotees in saffron and orange-red clothing, some with shaved heads and rudraksha malas, raise their hands toward the fire and clap. Women in red and gold-bordered saffron saris stand on the right with bangles and garlands. A fan and string lights appear in the background.2013-03-10