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A homa fire ritual in a stone-walled room with a dark carved wooden doorway. A fire burns in a pit on the floor, surrounded by marigold garlands, a brass kalasha-style vessel, plates, offerings and a basket of sticks. A priest in white dhoti with a saffron border stands at the threshold and pours or adds material near the fire. A man with a pink-and-white headcloth and bare chest sits beside the fire. A seated man in a yellow shawl and white dhoti with a sandalwood mark and beaded necklace tends the offerings at the right, and other priests in white stand in the doorway behind. Smoke fills the room.

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A smoky homa fire blazes inside a brick-walled room beside a carved wooden doorway. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti and gold-banded cloth stands at left, a shaved-headed man in white stands in the doorway, and several seated priests attend the fire pit. A seated priest in pink headwear and a bare-chested man in yellow cloth sit around the fire, marigold garlands wrap the altar, and brass plates, a kalasha, and offerings of fruit and flowers are arranged on the cloth. A ritual fire pit with offerings suggests a homa. Nearby, a wall sign lists readable text.2017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26A photograph of a homa fire ritual inside a temple corridor with brick walls and a wooden doorway. A central fire pit blazes with flames and smoke, surrounded by yellow and orange marigold garlands, banana leaves with fruit, brass bowls and plates, and a basket of sticks. Four men in white dhotis perform the rite: a standing bare-chested man with red-orange cloth over his shoulder and a beaded necklace, a priest in a pink turban and rudraksha mala seated before the fire, another seated man in a saffron wrap, and a man in a yellow shawl with purple-striped white garment at right. Behind the fire a man kneels in white garments near the doorway, and a further figure stands in the background. No visible face is identified; the setting suggests a Shiva Deeksha initiation.2017-04-26A homa fire ritual in a stone-walled building with a fire pit surrounded by marigold garlands and offerings of fruit, bananas, coconut and a brass vessel. A shirtless priest in a white dhoti with red-orange cloth and a rudraksha-style necklace tends the flames, and another priest in a white dhoti and a pink-striped turban sits beside him. A third man in white dhoti stands at left with a gold-bordered yellow cloth and beaded necklace nearby, and a bald man in white dhoti and garlands stands in a doorway behind the fire. Mats, a woven basket and a silver plate complete the scene.2017-04-26A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a stone-walled interior. At the centre a fire burns in a decorated yellow-and-red pit surrounded by marigold garlands, with smoke rising. A bare-chested man in white dhoti with a pink turban sits and tends the fire, while another seated man in a saffron wrap and a standing man in white dhoti with an orange-striped shawl assist. A man in a yellow shawl with rudraksha mala sits at right. Behind them a white-clad priest with a sacred thread stands in a doorway with a mala. Banana leaves hold fruit, brass vessels and flower offerings lie on a striped mat, and a wicker basket of sticks rests nearby. Several people are visible in the background.2017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26A photograph of a fire ritual inside a temple-like room with brick walls and a wooden doorway. In the foreground, a bare-chested priest with a pink headcloth and rudraksha beads tends a blazing homa fire in a brass vessel decorated with marigold garlands, with a basket of sticks and brass plates of offerings nearby. Several white-dhoti-clad priests sit on striped mats around the fire. A man in a yellow shawl and white dhoti sits to the right with a rudraksha mala. In the doorway beyond, an older bald man in a white dhoti stands with other devotees, appearance uncertain. The scene suggests a homa or yagna with offerings, flowers and lamps.2017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a brick-walled room with a carved wooden doorway. A fire burns in a square fire pit framed with yellow marigold garlands, with offerings and plates of fruit around it. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl stands in the doorway. A man with a white turban and bare chest sits at the fire tending it, another bare-chested priest sits beside him, and a standing man in white dhoti with a red sash and a rudraksha-style mala holds an offering. A sign on the wall lists facility names. Brass vessels, bundled sticks and yellow garlands lie on the floor mat.2017-04-26A homa fire ceremony in a brick-walled room with an ornate carved wooden doorway. A bright fire burns in a yellow-and-orange ritual pit surrounded by marigold garlands, offerings, brass vessels and a basket of sticks. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with saffron cloth and rudraksha mala sits at the fire pouring offerings, while another sits nearby in a pink turban. A bald man in white dhoti with a rudraksha mala stands in the doorway, and a standing attendant in white dhoti and garlands watches on the left. A sign with blue and white text hangs on the wall. Several other participants are visible in the background.2017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26A homa fire ritual in a stone-walled hall. A fire burns in a square fire pit on a striped mat, surrounded by marigold garlands, bananas, fruit, coconuts, brass vessels and a basket of sticks. A bare-chested priest with a pink headwrap and beaded necklaces sits at the pit, pouring offerings. A standing man in white dhoti with a red shawl stands at left. Another priest in white sits at right tending items, and a man in yellow shawl and white dhoti sits at lower right. Through a doorway behind, more people in white dhotis are gathered. A wall sign lists room directions.2017-04-26