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A photo of a homa fire ritual in an ashram hall. A man in a rust-red dhoti and shawl, with a rudraksha mala and glasses, bends over a square yellow-tinted fire pit, holding a small ladle over the flames. Around him, saffron-clad sannyasis with orange turbans stand or kneel with palms pressed together. Behind them, a seated figure in orange with garlands and a gold chest pendant sits on an ornate red and gold throne. Offerings sit on brass plates and bowls, with rice and marigold petals scattered, and a pink and green decorated deity murti stands to the right. The setting is a carpeted hall with a stair railing on the left.

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April 30 20152015-04-30A homa fire ritual in a hall with a deity murti adorned with white and yellow flower garlands and gold ornaments on the right. In the centre, a standing priest with a shaved head and gold-bordered maroon-and-orange dhoti holds a small silver vessel above a burning fire, with smoke rising. He wears a rudraksha mala and red-and-gold bangles. Behind him, a seated figure in orange-and-maroon robes with a flower garland sits on a golden throne with a red-and-gold canopy. To the left, two seated figures in orange robes and orange turbans sit with palms joined in namaskar beside a silver bowl and wicker basket. On the right, a standing attendant in orange robes and an orange turban holds a ritual item. Offerings, brass pots, a kalasha and lamps surround the fire on a mat.2015-04-30A standing priest in saffron-orange robes with a bare upper body, rudraksha mala and gold-trimmed dhoti, holds a silver kalasha-style lamp aloft during a homa beside a visible fire. Three seated attendants in orange turbans and rudraksha malas sit with hands folded or raised in prayer on the left and centre. Behind them, a seated figure in saffron clothing and an orange turban sits on an ornate throne with red, yellow and white floral-patterned backrest, golden lion-shaped armrests and marigold garlands. Floral petals scatter the dark floor, and a brass pot and offerings sit by the fire pit. Other people sit at the left edge.2015-04-30April 30 20152015-04-30April 30 20152015-04-30A ritual homa at a temple-style hall. A bald priest in a reddish-brown dhoti and a brown shawl, wearing a rudraksha mala and round glasses, sits on the floor pouring an offering from a silver ladle into a bright fire pit lined with yellow-ochre bricks. Beside him sits a young boy in an orange dhoti and saffron head wrap with a rudraksha mala, seated cross-legged with his hands resting on his knees, near a brass bowl and a basket of petals. Behind them a figure in orange and saffron sits on a red and gold throne draped with marigold garlands. A gold shrine arch frames a decorated deity murti with a crown and garlands on a pink cloth, with a lit oil lamp at the side.2015-04-30A photograph of a ritual at a fire pit with flames at the lower left. A bare-chested priest in rust-red dhoti and wrap stands at left holding a silver vessel with a lit flame. Seated on an ornate gold-and-red throne with striped red and gold backrest and gold lion-form armrests is a figure in saffron-orange robes with a red-and-white flower garland and a rudraksha mala, holding a ceremonial staff. Several saffron-clad attendants in orange head cloths sit with hands folded in namaste. Garlanded flowers, a silver vessel and brass items sit on the floor, and a decorated deity murti with flower garlands stands at right. Marigold petals are scattered on the floor.2015-04-30April 30 20152015-04-30A photograph of a ritual ceremony in an indoor hall with a maroon curtain and gold-framed decor. Seated on a large ornate red and gold throne decorated with multicoloured garlands, a man in saffron robes with a rudraksha mala and a gold necklace presses his palms together; a person candidate, with the page attributing this event to him, though the appearance is only partially clear from this distance. At front left, a priest in saffron robes and rudraksha mala performs rites beside a yellow-draped fire pit with a small flame, and a second saffron-clad attendant with an orange turban sits behind him. In the centre, a saffron-clad devotee in an orange turban holds his hands in anjali, with a brass kalasha and pots of offerings nearby. At right, a man in a white turban, white-and-red garland and red shawl sits with folded hands in front of an altar decorated with flower garlands and an ornate deity murti.2015-04-30A ceremonial wedding ritual in a hall with a dark curtain backdrop. Two golden thrones draped with floral garlands sit behind, flanking a central pedestal bearing deity murti decorated with white and red flower garlands. On the right, a priest in pink dhoti and orange turban lifts a lamp toward a second garlanded deity figure on a blue-draped stand. A shirtless priest in red dhoti stands holding a flaming lamp. A kneeling man in a maroon dhoti with joined palms sits before a yellow brick fire pit (homa) with flames. Three young men in orange robes and orange headwear sit on the left with joined palms, near a silver vessel, bowls and a basket of offerings. Scattered petals cover the floor. Printed on the image: 'a person ' and ''2015-04-30A photograph of a homa fire ritual inside a hall with a tiled floor covered in woven mats. A square brick fire pit with a burning flame sits in the centre. A man in an orange robe with a shawl stands at the pit, while a woman in a purple sari with a shawl nearby assists with offerings. Around them, priests in dark red and orange dhotis wear rudraksha and gold-bead necklaces, and others wear white dhotis. On the right, an ornate golden-and-red deity palanquin or altar stands with a lion figure and offering trays of lit lamps.2015-09-14April 30 20152015-04-30