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A photograph of a fire ritual inside a decorated hall with red carpeting, colourful painted pillars and banana leaves. In the foreground a priest in a bare-chested state, wearing a yellow dhoti, pours a substance from a wooden vessel onto a fire pit of brick offerings decorated with flowers and smoke. Behind him a standing priest in white dhoti and shawl holds a brass plate of fruit and flowers. On the right a man in a brown dhoti with a pink-and-white flower garland holds a fruit offering, and a young man in orange clothing stands with palms joined in namaskar, wearing a rudraksha mala. Several others in orange, saffron and white clothing stand around in the background. Brass vessels and a lamp sit near the fire pit. This appears to be a homa or yagna.

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A ritual fire ceremony in a temple courtyard with a smoking fire pit lined with bricks and flower garlands. A priest in a white dhoti and a sacred thread kneels and tends the fire, while another priest in white holds a brass plate of fruit and offerings. To the right, a man in a maroon dhoti and a long garland of white and pink flowers stands with palms joined, and a man in an orange dhoti and rudraksha beads stands beside him with hands folded. Other men in saffron and white robes stand around the fire, and brass vessels sit in the foreground. Colourful striped pillars and a green canopy decorate the hall. The gathering suggests a homa or yagna. a person is probable as the central figure in the maroon dhoti, identified by his distinctive hair and garland. The group also includes several priests and devotees.2018-04-14Inside a decorated hall with bare brick walls and colourful hanging pennants, a ritual fire pit is lit at the centre. Several bricks stacked with flowers and garlands surround the flames, and smoke rises. A man in an orange-yellow cloth kneels at the fire, tending it. Standing nearby, a man in a white dhoti with a purple sash holds a tray of fruit and flowers, and other priests in white and orange stand with folded hands. On the right, a bare-chested man in a reddish-brown robe wears a long flower garland and a tall hair bun, while a man in orange robes stands with palms pressed together. Brass vessels sit on the red-and-white floor cloth. This is a homa-style fire ritual, with sannyasis in orange and attendants in white.2018-04-14A fire ritual inside a temple hall with a smoking homa fire pit at lower left, its brick-built altar decorated with marigold and other flower garlands. A bare-chested priest in an orange-yellow dhoti kneels at the fire, feeding offerings from a tray of fruit and offerings. A central priest in a white dhoti and purple-edged cloth holds a tray of fruit and coconuts. Beside him a man in a maroon robe with a large black turban and a floral garland stands holding offerings. At right a figure in an orange robe with a dark head wrap stands with hands folded in prayer. Behind them, several white-clad and orange-clad attendants stand, with steel vessels on the floor and painted decorative pillars in the background.2018-04-14A ritual fire ceremony in a temple hall decorated with colourful pillar banners, hanging umbrellas and marigold garlands. Several priests in white dhotis and orange-yellow cloths stand around a fire pit built of stacked red bricks decorated with flowers, from which flames and smoke rise. A bare-chested man in a yellow dhoti kneels at the fire, and a priest in a purple-bordered white dhoti holds a dish of offerings. A tall figure with long hair in orange robes and a garland stands with hands joined in namaste at the centre-back, while a brass lamp and copper vessels sit on red-and-white striped mats. A deity murti is visible on an ornate altar behind the fire.2018-04-14April 14 20182018-04-14A homa fire ritual inside a temple hall with a red-and-white striped floor mat, brick-built fire pit surrounded by flower garlands and offerings, and smoke rising. A priest in a yellow dhoti and saffron-coloured sash pours offerings while a man in a saffron dhoti holds a tray of fruit. A bare-chested man in a white dhoti holds a microphone, and a man on the right with a tall black turban, gold necklace and white flower garland presses his palms together. Colourful decorated pillars and banana leaves frame the scene.2018-04-14A homa fire burns in a brick-lined fire pit on a red-and-white cloth in a hall with pillars and hanging colourful cloth banners. A priest in a saffron/orange dhoti and a second man in a pale pink cloth pour offerings beside the flames. A man in white dhoti and shawl with a gold-coloured necklace stands near the fire, holding a ritual implement. At right, a man in a maroon robe with a long white and pink flower garland and gold chains stands with palms pressed together in namaskar, with a rudraksha-style necklace and a dark shawl over the shoulders; the pale hair is pulled up in a knot with a red tilak. Behind him a bare-chested man in a yellow dhoti sits near steel vessels, and a man in an orange top with a headband folds his hands. A green umbrella and ornate poles stand behind, and marigold and jasmine garlands decorate the fire area. a person is the man in the maroon robe with a long garland and gold necklaces, standing at the homa.2018-04-14A photograph of a homa fire ritual at a temple construction site, with a sacrificial fire pit lined with red-and-brown bricks and flower petals. Several priests in orange and saffron dhotis, some bare-chested with rudraksha malas, stand and kneel around the fire. One priest in a mustard-yellow shawl holds a long ladle and offerings over the flames, while another in white dhoti pours from a brass vessel. A brass kalasha and lamps sit on red striped mats, marigold garlands hang from the tall ceiling, and a green umbrella and decorated poles stand in the background. A woman in a white top stands at the right edge, photographing the scene.2018-04-14 +1 copiesA homa or yagna at an altar of stacked, flower-decorated bricks with a flame and smoke rising from a fire pit in a temple hall with hanging marigold garlands and colourful pillars. A bare-chested priest in saffron-orange dhoti leans in to the fire on the right, while a priest in saffron-orange shawl and yellow sash holds a silver tray of offerings and fruit at left. A man in white dhoti with a sash and white garland stands centre-left, and a figure in plain white ritual cloth and white garland holds a kalasha-like vessel nearby. Brass oil lamps, a metal vessel and a green canopy frame the scene.2018-04-14 +1 copiesA homa fire burns in a pit built of stacked bricks, decorated with marigold and flower petals, inside a hall strung with marigold garlands and hanging lamps. A man in a saffron-yellow dhoti and shawl, wearing a white garland and ceremonial necklace, holds an orange offering and stands beside the fire. Next to him a figure in white and red robes with a flower garland is in prayer posture, and a bare-chested attendant in a yellow cloth pours from a brass vessel on the right. Brass lamps, a kalasha pot, decorated umbrellas, and other priests in white dhotis surround the ritual area, with incense smoke rising.2018-04-14 +1 copiesA homa fire ritual in a temple hall with a red and white striped mat floor. A fire burns in a brick-lined fire pit with flower-decorated bricks, smoke rising. Several priests in white dhotis and shawls stand around it, one in an orange-yellow cloth performing offerings from a tray of petals. Garlands of marigolds and banana leaves line the space, with colourful hanging decorations and umbrellas overhead. Robed devotees with folded hands stand at the back, and a cameraman films the scene on the right.2018-04-14A homa fire ritual at a construction site, with a sacred fire burning inside a square pit lined with red bricks and scattered with marigold petals. A bearded priest in a white dhoti and yellow shawl holds a silver ladle over the flames, while beside him another priest in yellow robes holds a brass vessel. Men in saffron and yellow dhotis stand around, one kneeling at right with a brass bowl and a fruit tray placed nearby. Marigold garlands hang along the pillars, a green decorated umbrella is raised above, and brass lamps stand on a red-and-gold striped mat. Several people are seated and standing in the background.2018-04-14