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A fire ritual on a raised stage at a homa or yagna. A central figure in saffron-orange robes wears a tall white and red headdress with a peacock feather and a long garland of red, orange and multicoloured flowers, and holds a brass tray of offerings while standing beside a blazing fire pit. Beside him, a man in saffron robes and gold necklace holds a microphone. To the left, an older man in white dhoti with a yellow shawl bows toward the fire, and another saffron-robed figure stands behind. A man in white with a gold garland stands at right. Flower petals are scattered on white altar blocks, a brass vessel sits by the fire, and a floral arch with orange, pink and red blooms frames the stage with maroon drapery behind.

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December 24 20092009-12-24December 24 20092009-12-24A fire ritual. A young man in orange robes and a red, white and gold crown with a peacock feather stands at center, wearing a thick red, yellow and white flower garland and holding a brass plate of fire. Behind him an older attendant in orange and another in white hold ritual items. At left, a bearded man in white with a yellow shawl kneels, and a man in orange with long hair and a garland rings a brass bell. Red curtains and a floral arch frame the hall.2009-12-24December 31 20092009-12-31December 24 20092009-12-24Outdoor ritual at dawn-like hazy light: a woman in a rust-red turban with a small gold emblem and ornate beaded gold necklaces, wearing a dark embroidered garment, smiles while her hands rest over a metal tray holding a small flame. Beside her an older man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala holds a lit flame over the tray, and another older man in saffron robes with a shaved head and white beard extends his hands over the fire. Behind them, several men in orange and white robes and turbans stand watching, and a few hold palm leaves or cloth. This appears to be a fire offering or homa-style ritual.2015-01-13A ceremonial Meenakshi Tirukalyanam scene in a hall with dark red curtains. A seated figure on an ornate gold-and-red throne with carved lion armrests wears a saffron-orange cloth and a long red-and-white garland, holding a staff. In front, a priest in a red-brown dhoti with rudraksha mala sits cross-legged before a yellow-painted fire pit, with brass vessels, a kalasha and flower offerings. Two young attendants in orange robes and orange turbans stand nearby, one holding a rudraksha mala. At right, a standing man in a red dhoti with gold border, white garlands, a white turban and gold armband holds an orange-yellow offering. Behind them are flower-decorated colourful structures and a deity murti display.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.2015-09-14September 14 20152015-09-14June 10 20172017-06-10December 24 20092009-12-24A photograph of an aarti ritual inside a plain white-walled room. A woman in an orange-and-cream sari holds a brass aarti lamp with a large flame and smoke rising. Beside her, an elderly man in white clothes with a red shawl presses his palms together, and another man in white with a red shawl stands at left. In the foreground, a man in a tall orange turban, orange sleeveless robe and a white and red flower garland stands with his hand raised; a younger man in orange robes stands behind him. a person is the man in the orange turban and robe, with long hair, a flower garland and a rudraksha-style presence, shown in a ritual role. Brass bells and a small offering are visible at the lower edges.2008-07-28