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Night-time homa at an open-sided pavilion. A bare-shouldered priest in a white dhoti with gold border kneels before a fire pit with a bright flame, holding offerings and plates of flowers. Behind him a standing priest in a rust-orange dhoti and shawl holds a small vessel and faces the altar. Three decorated deity murti on the left wear garlands of red, yellow and white flowers and gold ornaments, with a red cloth-covered table below. On the right a shrouded murti with a green backdrop and garlands stands, and a woman in an orange sari sits in an orange armchair watching the ritual.

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November 25 20142014-11-25November 25 20142014-11-25November 25 20142014-11-25A night-time ritual at an open-sided pavilion. A standing priest in a rust-orange dhoti and shawl holds a ritual implement near a row of decorated deity murtis draped in marigold and multicolour garlands on a red-cloth altar at left. A kneeling attendant in white dhoti with gold border tends a fire pit with a lit flame, surrounded by brass plates of offerings and flowers. Smoke rises beside a tall decorated deity murti at right. A seated person in an orange chair and orange-brown clothing watches the puja. Oil lamps and garlands fill the scene.2014-11-25A temple shrine interior at night with a fire pit lined with yellow bricks in the lower left, flames rising from it. A bald priest in white dhoti and white upper cloth with a gold border stands barefoot on an orange cloth, holding a lit lamp toward several shrines. Behind him a man in orange clothing stands at a microphone, holding a white sheet. Three shrines are decorated with garlands of red, pink, yellow and white flowers and green draped cloth; the central deity murti and seated figures are dressed in red and gold, and a deity in the upper right shrine has a golden crown. Brass lamps and offering plates sit on the floor, with scattered red petals and a banana plant behind.2011-11-29Night temple ritual in front of a gilded shrine with carved stone pillars and a golden arch. Two young priests in white dhotis and white shawls, one in a white turban and one in a tall ornate headdress, stand with garlanded arms; the left priest holds a brass plate with a flaming camphor lamp. A third man in an orange-red dhoti and draped orange shawl raises his hand toward the shrine. Two richly decorated deity murtis sit on red and green draped platforms, heavily adorned with marigold and garland swags, gold jewellery and crowns. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha, offering plates, a keyboard and a wooden box with yellow powder sit in the foreground, with scattered petals on the floor. The scene reads as a puja or aarti performed before the deities.2012-05-02An outdoor pavilion at night hosts a puja before a row of decorated deity murtis draped in marigold and rose garlands, with gold ornaments and blue crowns. In the foreground a priest in saffron-orange dhoti and shawl, seen from behind, raises a hand beside a yellow-tiled homa or fire pit holding oil lamps, a kalasha, brass vessels and offerings. On the right, a man in a red-orange wrap sits cross-legged in an orange armchair with a water bottle nearby, watching the ritual. Flower offerings, a plate of petals and a book lie on the floor, and a silver lamp stands by the pit.2014-11-25A photograph of a homa ritual in a temple hall. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl sits cross-legged before a yellow-brick fire pit with offerings, hands folded in prayer, with a microphone on a stand before him. Beside him sits a man in saffron-orange robes and a garland, hands resting on his lap. Behind them are three decorated shrines with deity murtis garlanded in red, yellow and white flowers, and a bowl of flower petals and turmeric sits on a plate in front. Brass lamps and a kalasha are in the frame.2011-11-29 +1 copiesJuly 13 20152015-07-13November 25 20142014-11-25A photograph of a Meenakshi Tirukalyanam ritual staged before a golden arched backdrop with elaborately garlanded deity murtis, including a seated and a standing form adorned with flower garlands and jewellery. In the centre foreground, a man in a white turban and red dhoti seated before a fire pit (homa) of stacked bricks, with a flame rising from a vessel and metal bowls of offerings and flowers around him. To the left, a man in an orange turban and saffron-orange garments sits on a mat, and beside the fire a priest in a red-brown dhoti pours from a vessel. On the right, a man in an orange turban and red garments with flower garlands sits beside the fire. Brass pots, kalasha-style vessels and rose petals lie on the floor.2015-04-30February 22 20162016-02-22 +1 copies