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A seated man in rust-brown robes and a pale pink-and-white flower garland sits on an ornate heart-shaped throne decorated with mirrored mosaic, yellow marigold garlands and gilded lion figures. Three young men stand to the left in saffron dhotis with gold-bordered cloths, bare upper bodies, gold and bead necklaces and painted white and red markings on their faces and chests. The front man holds a trident-like staff and an oil lamp with a flame, while the others have hands in anjali and a handheld item. In the foreground a yellow-bordered fire pit with a burning flame and offering bowls indicates a homa or puja. Flower bouquets sit at the lower right and a woman in a yellow sari stands at the right edge.

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December 19 20162016-12-19A ritual fire ceremony at an ashram-style hall. Three young men in saffron-orange dhotis with gold borders stand before a fire pit, with a flame rising from its tray. The man at right, holding a lit lamp and a small silver vessel, wears a saffron shawl, a rudraksha-style mala and a gold pendant. The man at centre has his palms pressed together in prayer, and the man at left, wearing a mala, holds a microphone to his mouth. Their bodies are marked with white sacred ash, and their hair is bound in topknots. Behind them stands a golden throne decorated with a leopard-skin cushion and gold lion finials, backed by a large ornate arch covered in mirror-work, green and purple patterns and yellow flowers. A brass kalasha bowl and marigold and jasmine garlands lie at the front. The scene suggests a homa or puja.2016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19December 19 20162016-12-19Photograph of a fire ritual (homa) at a temple-style stage. A seated bearded man with long hair, wearing a rust-brown robe and a pink-and-white flower garland, sits with palms pressed together in prayer on an ornate throne with leopard-print cushions, backed by a heart-shaped frame of yellow marigolds and mirror-work. Three standing ritual assistants in orange and gold dhotis, bare-chested with white body markings and dreadlocked hair, face the central sacrificial fire pit; one holds a trident and another carries a lit flame. Offerings, brass vessels and flower bundles sit in the foreground, and a cameraman with a tripod stands at the left edge. Whether the seated man is a person cannot be determined from appearance here.2016-12-19Photograph of a fire ritual inside a decorated hall. In the foreground a gold-edged fire pit blazes with tall flames and smoke, with white offerings and a brass bowl on the ledge. Behind it a seated man in an orange-brown robe and a pink-and-white flower garland sits on a leopard-print seat before an ornate heart-shaped backdrop covered in yellow marigolds and jewelled borders. On the left a man in orange and gold dhoti, with a trident beside him and a handheld microphone, speaks or chants. A woman in orange and a gold necklace sits to the right near a fan. Floral and gold-trimmed ceremonial details fill the scene.2016-12-19April 14 20182018-04-14December 19 20162016-12-19A ritual fire ceremony in a temple-style hall. A seated man in brown-orange robes with a pink and white flower garland and a white tripundra mark on his forehead rests his hands in prayer before a large ornate throne covered in yellow marigolds and jeweled gold-and-blue patterned backdrop, with lion-armrest carvings. Three young priests in saffron-orange dhotis stand at a square fire pit with visible flames; the central priest, bare-backed with red-and-white markings, raises a lit lamp, while the left priest holds a microphone and the other joins palms. Brass pots, offerings and flower baskets sit at the front, and a video camera on a tripod records the scene.2016-12-19April 14 20182018-04-14December 19 20162016-12-19April 14 20182018-04-14 +1 copies