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A smoky temple hall during a homa fire ritual. A brick-lined fire pit in the centre has flames rising from it, and a standing priest in white with a tripod-mounted camera to his left is nearby. Seated devotees in front, some with hands pressed together in prayer, face the fire. On the left, brass pots wrapped in bamboo baskets with yellow flowers and mango leaves sit on a white cloth. A tall standing figure on the right wears an orange dhoti and a garland, holding a golden staff. Orange triangular bunting hangs across the back wall, and a decorated deity murti stands at the top left.

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A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a hall with a corrugated roof and rows of orange pennant flags overhead. A fire burns in a brick-lined square pit in the centre, with yellow and white flower petals scattered around it. Seated participants in white and orange clothes, some wearing flower garlands, sit close to the pit; a woman in a blue top and a man in a white shirt are at the left edge with a bright flame in front of them. A standing man at right wears an orange dhoti and a red sleeveless top with a white flower garland and holds a brass plate near the fire. A videographer in white stands on the left behind a camera on a tripod. Brass pots with yellow flowers sit in the lower left, and smoke hangs in the air across the hall, with many seated people behind.2007-12-26A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a hall with tall windows and a hanging of orange and white bunting. A square fire pit lined with white bricks and scattered flower petals sits at the centre, with a small flame and smoke rising. A priest in an orange robe kneels at the left near offerings, brass vessels and yellow marigolds. On the right, a figure in an orange robe with a rudraksha-style mala and white flower garland holds a tall gold trident, and a man in white carries a ceremonial item. Seated devotees in white and saffron, several with flower garlands, fill the room, and a cameraman with a tripod stands behind the fire. A pale red-and-gold cloth hangs on the left.2007-12-26Photo of a smoky ritual hall during a homa at a fire pit lined with white bricks. A standing priest in an orange-red garment and garland holds a golden trident and a lit flame, while seated devotees in white and orange sit before the fire. Behind them, a white bull statue with red and gold cloth and a deity murti are adorned with garlands. Brass-and-cane baskets with yellow flowers, a kalasha-style arrangement, and a cameraman with a tripod stand at left and centre. Pennants hang along the top of the wall.2007-12-26Indoor ritual scene in a hall hazy with smoke, where a fire pit of stacked white bricks holds burning flames and several small oil lamps. A man in a cream dhoti and white shirt with a flower garland stands at left beside brass kalasha pots wrapped in woven mesh and decorated with marigolds and yellow flowers. In the centre, a man in white with a garland holds a bundle of green palm fronds over the fire pit, while a woman in a dark sari with a garland stands nearby. At right, a figure in orange and red robes and a bare-shouldered wrap sits near a brass trident on a stand, with a microphone on a stand before them. Strings of white flowers and orange triangular flags hang from the ceiling.2007-12-26December 26 20072007-12-26A large hall filled with seated devotees during a fire ritual. In the foreground, a brick fire pit with white-painted bricks and a burning flame sits before a row of people, with yellow and pink flower petals scattered on the bricks. Men in orange robes and white clothes and women in saris and salwar kameez, many wearing red and white flower garlands, sit on the floor with brass bowls and oil lamps. A priest in orange at left and a woman in orange at right tend the ritual items. A tripod-mounted camera stands at left, and a microphone is at right. Many more seated people fill the background under tall windows.2007-12-26A photograph of a homa or yagna in a large hall filled with smoke and haze. A square fire pit lined with white bricks sits in the centre, flowers and marigold petals on its rim, with small brass lamps and offering bowls around it. A man in a cream kurta and a woman in a red and maroon sari stand together at left holding ritual items. Behind them a crowd of people in white and cream clothing stands among smoke, and a tall golden kalasha-like lamp stand rises at right. Seated devotees in saffron and orange garments sit at the front. A bundle of sugarcane leaves and a brass plate of offerings lie at the lower left.2007-12-26Photograph of a large hall filled with seated devotees during a fire ritual. A square brick fire pit with white bricks and flowers sits in the foreground, with flames rising from it. A central priest in an orange-brown garment and flower garland sits behind the fire pit. Women in red and orange saris and men in white kurtas wearing marigold garlands sit among the crowd. A tall brass or gold-topped staff stands at right beside a peacock-feather fan, and a white electric fan is visible. A cameraman with a tripod films at left. Orange and white bunting hangs along the ceiling, and smoke fills the hall.2007-12-26A photograph of a large hall during a homa fire ritual. A square fire pit built of white and red brick sits at the centre, with small flames and oil lamps near its edges. Many seated participants in white dhotis and white shirts wear white and orange garlands around their necks, and several women wear saris and salwar kameez. A man in a saffron-orange robe sits in the foreground at the left edge of the pit. On the right, brass kalashas wrapped in netting are decorated with yellow flowers and mango leaves. A video camera on a tripod stands at the left, and smoke or haze hangs in the room under a strip of small triangular pennants.2007-12-26A homa fire ceremony in a large hall with white walls, windows and a row of hanging yellow-and-white banners overhead. A square fire pit built of white bricks and scattered flower petals sits at the centre, with a small flame rising from it. Seated participants wear white, cream and pink clothes and many wear white and orange garlands. In the foreground a woman in an orange top with a microphone holds a brass vessel near the fire, while a man in white and a woman in a blue salwar sit at the pit's edge. A man in a white robe with an orange cloth stands at the left, and a video camera on a tripod records the ceremony. Hazy smoke fills the air above the crowd.2007-12-26December 26 20072007-12-26December 26 20072007-12-26