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Inside a temple shrine, a priest in white dhoti and shawl with a red sash kneels at a brick-red fire pit (homa kunda) where a flame burns, pouring offerings from a brass vessel. A man in a dark navy kurta sits cross-legged on a red patterned rug opposite him. Behind the fire pit stands a framed portrait with a garland of red flowers and a figure in saffron with a rudraksha mala, flanked by brass lamps, banana leaves and flower arrangements. Brass oil lamps, plates of fruit including apples, oranges and bananas, and small bowls of offerings sit in the foreground. Large painted deity statues in blue and yellow garments stand on either side of the shrine.

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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.2009-05-28A homa fire ceremony in a temple shrine. A raised earthen fire pit with a burning flame sits at center, decorated with green leaves and flower garlands. Behind it hangs a framed photograph of a long-haired man in orange clothing wearing a rudraksha mala, garlanded with flowers, placed as a portrait. Two dark blue deity murti figures flank the shrine under colourful pillar cloths. On the left, a man in white dhoti and shirt sits and reads from a book. On the right, a man in a navy kurta sits on a red-patterned mat, pouring an offering from a ladle into the fire. Brass oil lamps, bowls of food, fruits including bananas, apples and oranges, and a kalasha vessel surround the fire pit.2009-05-28A photograph of a homa inside a temple shrine. A fire burns in a raised brick fire pit at the centre, with a kalasha and a wooden ladle near it. Two men sit on the floor: on the left a priest in white dhoti and shirt with a yellow shawl, reading from papers and holding a ladle, and on the right a man in a dark blue kurta and white dhoti sitting on a red patterned mat with hands folded. Brass oil lamps, bowls of offerings, fruit and bananas surround the pit. Behind them stands a printed portrait of a saffron-robed sannyasi with garlands, flanked by a deity murti in a glass case and two dark standing statues in blue and yellow garments. Banana plants and yellow and orange draped cloth decorate the shrine.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.2009-05-28Photograph 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 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.2009-05-28Two 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 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 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 photograph inside a temple shrine room where two priests in white ritual clothes perform a homa at a brick fire pit. The taller priest on the left has hair tied back and holds a palm-leaf book, while the priest bending over the fire pit drapes a red cloth over the altar area. Behind them stand two dark stone deity statues with blue and gold garments, a decorated shrine with a deity murti, and a framed portrait labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda" garlanded with flowers. Brass oil lamps, a brass bowl and a small dry grass bundle sit on the floor, and a red patterned rug lies at right. The portrait's figure wears orange clothing and a rudraksha mala.2009-05-28Night ritual photograph at an outdoor shrine before a decorated deity murti framed by a gold arch, draped in garlands of yellow and multicoloured flowers. A figure in white dhoti with gold border and white turban pours liquid from a vessel over the murti, with a long cloth draped down into a fire pit burning in front. Two young boys in orange cloth with beaded necklaces and shaved heads sit at the fire pit's edge. Red-and-purple cloths drape the altar, with coconut, kalasha-like vessels and flower offerings around it. Ritual abhishekam with homa fire.2013-11-20A priest in white dhoti and shirt with a red-bordered shawl sits at a homa fire pit, pouring an offering from a brass vessel into the flames. The fire pit is a raised earthen platform with a bowl and burning flames. Behind the fire, a framed portrait shows a figure in orange robes and rudraksha mala, with a garland of white and red flowers, set among banana leaves. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha and a broom of grass sit nearby, and a blue-clad statue stands in the background.2009-05-28