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A photograph of a homa fire ritual inside a temple shrine. A man in a white dhoti with a red-bordered cloth stands bent over a rectangular brick-red fire altar, pouring or placing an offering into a lit fire with a ladle. Behind him, a framed portrait of a saffron-clad figure with a rudraksha-style necklace is garlanded with red and white flowers, flanked by brass lamps and a kalasha. Two blue-clad standing deity murtis flank the shrine. At left, a man in white sits on a red cushion beside rows of small brass bowls holding offerings. At right, a seated man in a dark blue kurta sits on a red-and-white mat. Fruit, bananas and a green coconut sit on a brass plate at the base of the altar, and oil lamps are placed around the floor.

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A photograph of a homa being performed at an indoor shrine. A square brick fire pit with a rising flame and smoke sits at centre, and a priest in white clothes and a white shawl pours offerings or ghee into it with a ladle. Around him, two men in white garments kneel and assist, one holding a plate of offerings. A row of small brass lamps and plates is arranged on the floor at left, with bananas, mangoes, apples and other fruit on a tray in the foreground. At right, a man in a dark blue kurta sits near the fire, and brass oil lamps, flowers and a framed portrait hang at the side. Colourful striped fabric hangs from the pillars behind, and a deity image is visible at the top right.2009-05-28Photograph of a homa/yagna being performed inside a temple hall with a red-tinged marble floor. Three people sit on the floor: on the left a woman in white clothes with palms pressed together in prayer, in the centre a woman in a white sari with a red border, hands folded, and on the right a man in a dark blue kurta seated before the fire altar. A framed portrait of a saffron-robed figure with long hair and a garland stands on the altar behind a small deity murti and kalasha-like vessels. In the foreground are rows of small brass lamps filled with offerings, a plate of flowers, fruit, bananas, a brass oil lamp and a bowl of grains. Blue and orange robed statues stand in the background. The portrait is printed and not a physical person.2009-05-28A homa is being performed in a temple shrine with a square earthen fire pit in the foreground, its surface marked with white kolam lines and an om symbol, and brass bowls of yellow liquid nearby. On the left, a man in white ritual clothes and glasses sits cross-legged, hands in mudra, facing the altar. On the right, a man in a dark blue kurta with white dhoti reaches toward a small brass deity figure decorated with flowers. Behind them stands a framed printed portrait of a saffron-robed sannyasi with a rudraksha mala, garlanded with white and red flowers, labelled in part 'PARAMA...'. Two large dark stone dvarapala statues in blue and gold garments flank the entrance, and a murti of a deity is visible in the inner sanctum with oil lamps and banana leaves around the altar.2009-05-28A homa ritual in a temple hall with a square brick fire pit at centre. Three men sit on the marble floor: a man in white at left holding a ritual object over the pit, a man in a dark blue kurta in the middle pouring from a vessel, and a man in white with a rudraksha mala at right holding a brass pot. Behind them a framed portrait shows a smiling figure in orange robes with a rudraksha necklace, garlanded with flowers. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha, fruit plates, bananas and a neat grid of brass bowls filled with herbs and grains cover the floor, alongside bundles of wood sticks and vegetables. Orange and blue cloth hangs from the pillars.2009-05-28A homa is being performed in a shrine room with white pillars and painted cloth panels. A fire burns in a raised rectangular brick fire pit at centre, with a bowl of yellow liquid and brass vessels on its edge. A man in white dhoti and shirt kneels at the left feeding the fire, while a man in a dark blue kurta and white dhoti sits cross-legged on a red patterned mat at the right. Behind them stand two dark blue-robed deity statues flanking a central shrine with a small murti. A framed portrait of a saffron-robed figure with a garland sits on a table among brass lamps, fruit and flower offerings. Brass oil lamps and offering plates surround the floor in front.2009-05-28Two men perform a homa at a fire pit in a temple hall with white marble pillars and striped blue-red-orange decorative pillar cloths. On the left, an older man with glasses in white dhoti and shawl tends the flames. On the right, a man in a dark blue kurta and white dhoti bends forward holding a ritual implement over the fire. Behind them stands a deity murti in a shrine, with a framed portrait of a saint in orange garments garlanded with flowers on a draped table. Brass lamps, a kalasha, banana plants, fruit plates and a red cushion surround the scene.2009-05-28A homa performed in a temple shrine room with white walls and striped red, yellow and blue pillar hangings. Two seated priests face a square brick fire pit with a bright flame, stalks of grass and a coconut placed in front. The priest on the left wears white dhoti and an orange-bordered shawl, holding a bell and a notebook. The man on the right wears a navy kurta and white dhoti and is pouring or offering from a small vessel into the fire. Behind them stands a framed portrait of a smiling man in orange garments and a garland, flanked by two dark stone statues in blue cloth and a shrine with a deity murti. Brass oil lamps and kalasha pots surround the scene.2009-05-28A homa is performed inside a temple hall before a fire pit built of white stone blocks with a burning flame. A priest in white dhoti and white shawl stands at left, stirring the fire with a long ladle. Three men in white shirts and grey trousers sit cross-legged on the marble floor at right, two with hands folded in prayer. Brass lamps, a brass kalasha-style vessel and brass plates of flowers, fruit and sweets surround the fire pit. Behind them, a shrine holds deity murti in gold arches with red and green garlands, and a framed portrait at right shows a figure in saffron robes with rudraksha beads and a long garland, seated on a throne draped with red and orange cloth. White pillars and a garlanded arch frame the hall.Indoor homa at a temple hall with a brick fire pit burning in the centre. A priest in white dhoti and white upper cloth sits on a low seat at left, holding a ritual implement and an open book. Beside him, a younger man in white with a yellow shawl sits cross-legged on the floor. Brass lamps flank the fire pit, and metal plates of fruit, flowers, grains and prepared food surround it. Behind, a shrine holds deity murtis in an arched gold niche, with two dark stone dvarapala figures and a framed portrait of a bearded man in orange robes and rudraksha garland on a decorated seat at right.A homa fire pit made of red-brown earth with white lime designs sits at the centre of a shrine. Behind it, a framed portrait labelled "PARAMA..." shows a figure with long hair in saffron robes and a beaded mala, garlanded with white and red flowers. Below the portrait are gold and yellow deity murtis, a kalasha-style brass pot and oil lamps. On the left, a man in white dhoti with an orange shawl sits with palms joined in prayer beside a small wooden stand. On the right, a man in a dark blue kurta sits in white trousers with hands folded, eyes closed. Potted green plants, pink flowers and brass vessels surround the altar on a polished marble floor.2009-05-28A photograph inside a temple shrine during a homa. Two men sit cross-legged on a marble floor before a brick-red earthen fire altar (homa kund) decorated with white lines. The man on the left wears a white dhoti and shawl and presses his palms together in anjali; he sits behind a wooden stand holding an open book. The man on the right wears a dark blue kurta and white dhoti and sits with hands folded. Behind the altar, a framed portrait of a saffron-robed man with long hair and rudraksha beads is garlanded with red and white flowers, with a small deity murti set on a draped table. A brass kalasha with a coconut, banana leaves, oil lamps and a bowl of offerings are arranged around the altar, with blue-clad figures on the pillars above.2009-05-28A homa is being performed inside a white marble temple hall with a reddish polished floor. A brick fire pit with a lit flame sits at center, surrounded by brass oil lamps and plates of offerings including fruit, coconut, sweets, flowers, grains and powders. A priest in white dhoti with a yellow shawl sits on the floor at left, and another white-clad priest tends the fire with a long ladle near a seated deity murti. Behind them, a golden-framed shrine holds a deity murti with garlands, and two large dark deity statues in orange dhotis stand on either side. At right, a framed portrait on a cushioned golden sofa is draped in orange and red garlands, showing a saffron-robed figure with long hair and a rudraksha mala.