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Outdoor ritual gathering under a bamboo-and-thatch canopy decorated with yellow and blue hanging cloths and marigold garlands on red posts. A priest in orange-saffron robes and a rudraksha-style mala sits at a raised dais with brass bowls, fruit, flower petals and a yellow cloth, apparently performing a homa or puja. Rows of seated participants in white and red clothing sit on blue and red plastic chairs, some wearing red shawls, while a few others stand in the background among white tents. A watermarked archive photo.

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December 24 20082008-12-24December 24 20082008-12-24July 03 20122012-07-03March 16 20172017-03-16October 15 20102010-10-15 +1 copiesA ritual gathering in a hall with pale walls and orange-and-white cloth hangings on the wall, seated on striped mats. In the foreground, a woman in an orange sari with head covered and hands joined in prayer sits facing a ritual arrangement of brass lamps, bananas, fruits, coconut, white flour, flowers and a burnt offering of wood, with a figure in white clothes seated across from her. Behind them, rows of children in white and many women in white and cream saris sit listening, while several people in orange and white robes sit on chairs at the back. Oil lamps and a rich array of offerings fill the centre.2007-10-21Outdoor ritual pavilion under a white tarp with a long red carpet running down the centre. Rows of devotees in white clothes with orange shawls sit on mats with palms pressed together in prayer. In the foreground, a figure with long dark hair and an orange turban sits facing the rows, bare-shouldered, with a plate of bananas on a green leaf in front. Orange and white flags and hanging garlands decorate the posts and ceiling, and white plastic chairs line the left side. Several people stand at the back in white clothes. A printed page suggests a programme; the scene is a devotional gathering with a plate of fruit offerings.2006-11-12Outdoor homa ceremony under a canopy of red, orange and yellow cloth with many small orange pennants strung overhead. On a raised white platform with red-and-white striped sides, a fire pit sends up smoke while priests in saffron-orange robes sit before it. Two robed women in orange sit to the left, one holding a long ceremonial staff topped with an orange flag, and a large crowd of children and adults in white clothes sits on the ground watching. At right, a deity murti draped in a yellow cloth and decorated with a white-and-orange garland receives offerings, with brass lamps and a kalasha nearby. Woven mats with colourful stripes cover the floor in front of the platform.2008-12-28An outdoor ceremony under a large canopy hung with orange and yellow pennants and patterned fabric, with palm trees behind. A raised white stone platform with a black square fire pit or homa kund sits in front. Crowds of devotees, mostly in white and orange, sit on striped mats. A seated figure in a saffron robe at the centre of the platform faces the gathering, with a prominent ceremonial umbrella and standing attendants nearby. Many white-clad men and women in the foreground look on from the mats.2008-12-29December 26 20092009-12-26A homa ritual on an outdoor stage under white tent canopies and palm fronds. A man in saffron-orange robes with a long swept-back hairstyle and beaded mala necklace sits cross-legged at a square yellow fire pit, his hands raised in offering. Around him sit several people in white dhotis and orange-red shawls, including a young boy beside him and a person in white with a saffron scarf. Brass plates hold fruit, flowers, bowls and a conch-shaped vessel. A brass oil lamp and a row of yellow and orange garlanded offerings stand nearby. At right, a decorated murti in saffron and red garments wears a white flower garland. Seated audience members in white shirts and orange shawls watch from chairs at left, and a backdrop banner appears at upper right.2012-10-18A photograph of an outdoor homa or yagna under a large open-sided tent with a corrugated roof. Many young people in white clothes with orange shawls sit cross-legged on mats and floor cloths in rows, facing small square brick fire pits. Each pit has offerings on leaf or metal plates, brass bowls, and orange-tinted items. A standing man in a white robe stands at the rear, and an orange-robed figure with long hair and a rudraksha mala walks along the right side carrying a staff. Colourful decorative hangings and a banner with text hang from the tent poles, and a yellow canopy edge is visible at upper right.2008-11-11