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Night photograph of an outdoor ritual gathering. In the foreground a young man in white dhoti and white shawl stands with his back to the camera at left. Beside him, a figure in an orange-red cloth wrap holds a lit flame or oil lamp in one hand, with smoke rising behind it. Rows of seated devotees in white and dark clothing fill the background, facing the ritual space. Blue and green stage lighting, with a string of lights in the distance. Small brass vessels and lamps sit on a mandala-like ground formation at lower left and centre.

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December 11 20152015-12-11Night outdoor ritual photo of a homa fire pit, a rectangular wooden platform framed with yellow and orange marigold garlands, with a bright flame rising from it amid smoke. A shirtless man in an orange-red dhoti with a red-beaded rudraksha necklace stands behind the fire, holding a metal plate and pouring or offering material into the flames. To the right, a shirtless man in a white dhoti holds a handheld microphone and watches. Seated devotees in light clothing sit at left, including a man in glasses and a bare-torsoed seated man in a light cloth, with a metal bowl of grains in the foreground. Blue-purple lighting and haze fill the background.2015-12-11December 11 20152015-12-11December 11 20152015-12-11Night outdoor gathering on a grassy field lit by green and white stage lights. Dozens of seated attendees in white clothes fill the foreground and right side, facing a small fire pit burning in the centre. A bare-chested man in a white dhoti stands at left beside a drum and low ritual objects, with smoke rising behind him. Audience members in light clothing sit in rows, and a building with lit windows stands in the background.2015-12-11December 11 20152015-12-11Night photo of an outdoor fire ritual on grass. A bare-chested priest in an orange dhoti with a pink cloth over his shoulder pours liquid from a brass vessel onto a flaming fire pit lined with bricks and decorated with marigold garlands. Behind him a seated man in a red-orange robe with a shawl and beaded necklaces sits in a red-cushioned chair, with a long dark swept-back hairstyle and a crown-like headdress, appearance. Around the fire, a crowd of about twenty seated and standing participants in white and orange clothes watches, and a man with palms pressed together stands at the left. Marigold petals lie on the ground.2015-12-11December 11 20152015-12-11Night photograph of a fire ritual on an outdoor ground. A brick-lined homa pit with a bright flame and yellow-orange flower garland border sits at centre, with smoke rising. A man in a white dhoti kneels at the pit tending the fire. Standing at right, a figure in a white dhoti with bare upper body is beside a second man in a red-orange garment. Seated audience of roughly 30 men, several wearing lanyards, sit in the background in dim light. Two figures stand near the centre-right. A carved wooden chair with orange cushion is at the left edge.2015-12-11Night photo of an outdoor fire ritual. A brick-built fire pit edged with yellow and orange marigold garlands burns brightly in the foreground, with smoke drifting across the frame. A bare-chested man in a white dhoti stands at right holding a small object. Beside the fire, a robed figure in an orange-red cloth and a rudraksha-style mala stands holding a ritual item aloft. Seated at left, rows of people in casual and white clothing, many wearing lanyards, watch the ceremony on the ground. A carved wooden chair or throne sits at the left edge.2015-12-11Night outdoor ritual at a fire pit. A woman in an orange sari with a red and white beaded necklace holds a lit aarti lamp aloft in the centre, with blue smoke rising around her. A bare-chested man in white dhoti stands beside her near a low table draped in purple and dark cloth, laden with flower garlands, brass lamps and offering plates. At the right, a fire burns in a square pit surrounded by marigold petals and small dishes. Behind, a seated audience of many devotees and several people standing with raised arms face the ceremony under dark trees, with stage lights and a tripod-mounted camera at the left edge.2015-12-11December 11 20152015-12-11 +1 copies