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Outdoor Rudra homa fire ritual. A bare-chested priest in a yellow head cloth and white dhoti, wearing a rudraksha mala and gold beaded necklace, feeds offerings into a large flame rising from a pit built of stacked yellow-ochre bricks decorated with red flower petals. Behind him, a crowd of dozens of people in white clothes and red shawls sit in rows, many with orange forehead marks and orange lanyards. Brass vessels, a basket of grain, flowers and fruit lie on a green cloth in the foreground. A few people in white stand at the back of the crowd.

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A photograph of a Rudra Homa fire ritual outdoors on green mats. A large fire burns on a stepped altar of yellow-painted bricks decorated with red flower petals. Two priests in white dhotis sit bare-chested at the fire; the front priest wears a yellow turban, a golden garland and a green-and-white sacred thread, and holds a ladle over the offerings. Behind them a seated crowd in white clothes and red-orange shawls watches; several participants fold their hands in prayer. To the right stands a decorated shrine with a golden figure and offering plates, and metal vessels of grains and fruit sit in the foreground.2016-07-02A photograph of a Vedic Rudra homa in progress. A bare-chested priest with a yellow head wrap, rudraksha-style gold necklaces and a green checked cloth sits at a large fire pit with a tall flame, feeding offerings into it. Beside him a younger man in an orange shawl and gold necklaces assists at the fire. Behind them a crowd of participants sits on mats in white and red garments, several with orange tilak marks on their foreheads, many with hands joined in prayer. Rose petals and grains sit on the yellow-edged fire platform with brass bowls nearby. No individual is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance; the figures are shown as priests and devotees.2016-07-02A photograph of a Vedic fire ritual. A bare-chested priest with a yellow-and-brown turban, rudraksha-style gold necklaces and a green-and-white cloth over his shoulder holds a brass kalasha-style vessel above a large flaming homa fire pit. The yellow brick fire altar is decorated with pink flower petals. Behind him seated participants in white and red-bordered garments, with orange tilak marks on their foreheads, sit with palms pressed together in prayer. Several saffron-robed attendees stand in the background, and a young priest in orange cloth tends the fire. Brass bowls with grains and offerings rest on a cloth on the ground.2016-07-02Outdoor Vedic fire ritual (homa) in progress. A large flame rises from a yellow-brick fire pit decorated with pink flower petals, with brass vessels and offerings on a striped cloth. A priest in white dhoti and green shawl, bare-chested with rudraksha beads and a gold chain, feeds the fire. A second priest in white dhoti with a purple border and orange-and-gold shawl kneels with folded hands. Behind them, a seated crowd in white and red-orange shawls and saffron robes watches with palms pressed together, and some people have tilak marks on their foreheads. No figure with distinctive a person presentation cues is clearly identifiable.2016-07-02July 02 20162016-07-02July 02 20162016-07-02 +1 copiesJuly 02 20162016-07-02A night homa fire burns in a raised stone fire pit at a devotional gathering. Marigold and red flower offerings surround the pit's edges, with brass plates of flowers and a small oil lamp on a stand nearby. On the right, a man in a white dhoti and shawl with a striped wrap sits cross-legged, holding a small ladle over the fire, while a woman in an orange headband and striped white sari sits beside him. Behind them, a seated audience in white and pink clothing fills the rows, many with hands joined in prayer. Striped mats cover the stone platform.2013-07-04Night outdoor fire ritual (homa) at a brick-lined fire pit bordered with yellow marigold garlands, with a bright flame and smoke rising. A bare-chested priest with a red and white beaded garland kneels on the right, raising a hand, beside a steel bowl with a ladle. Beside the fire, a man in white dhoti with a gold chain and a bead garland sits with eyes closed. A plate of grain sits at the lower left. Around them, seated devotees in white and light clothing, some with hands folded and some raising palms, fill the background under blue-purple lighting. The right-hand priest may be a person, with a shaved head, rudraksha-style red beaded garland and orange cloth; appearance cues are limited, so identity is uncertain.2015-12-11Outdoor ritual homa in a garden with a large crowd seated on mats. In the foreground, a priest in white dhoti and pink headband pours offerings into a wooden fire pit with flames, with baskets of rice and bowls of yellow flowers beside it. Another priest in white and an orange shawl sits nearby, holding a microphone. Behind them, rows of devotees in white and orange clothing sit on mats, many wearing rudraksha malas. A gold-cushioned seat with a trident stands at left, and a tall ceremonial pillar with rings stands in the background among palm trees. a person is not clearly identifiable from appearance, so no candidate is named.2016-09-09January 11 20142014-01-11Outdoor fire ritual under a canopy with a visible homa fire pit ringed by yellow-marigold and red flower garlands and offerings. A bare-chested priest in yellow dhoti and pink-and-gold shawl, with a gold headpiece, pours from a bowl into the flames. Behind, a man in a red turban and red-and-gold garland stands with palms joined in namaskar, flanked by many devotees in white dhotis and kurtas with tilak. Coconut palms and a fabric canopy frame the scene.2015-08-09