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A photograph of an outdoor homa at dusk. In the foreground a bare-chested priest in a red turban with gold-bordered orange cloth kneels before a square fire pit of yellow-painted bricks, feeding the flames. Behind the fire, a seated group of devotees in red, orange and white clothing watch and sit on grass, several with ritual marks on their foreheads. A silver vessel stands at the lower left edge, and an illuminated building with arches is in the background. Visible people number about twenty, many partly obscured by the fire and other figures.

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August 03 20142014-08-03 +2 copiesAugust 03 20142014-08-03December 09 20132013-12-09A night homa at an outdoor square: a raised wooden fire pit with bright flames sits in the foreground. Around it, about eight men in saffron-maroon robes and rudraksha malas sit cross-legged, several holding books or ritual items. On the right, a man in maroon robes and white flower garlands sits on a cushioned seat holding a metal tray. Behind them a large crowd in white and saffron clothing sits in rows, with a bronze deity murti and a carved temple structure in the background, plus kalasha-style vessels and small oil lamps on carpets in front.2014-10-27A night-time homa fire ritual outdoors, with a large flame rising from a brick-built fire pit in the foreground. A woman in red-orange sari with a marigold garland and gold necklace stirs or offers into the fire with a long ladle. Beside her, a shaved-headed priest in orange-red robes with rudraksha beads sits with hands joined in prayer, and further right a man in a red-orange head wrap and orange garments chants with palms pressed together. Brass bowls, a kalasha-like vessel, a trident wrapped in marigolds, and a decorated seat with deity murtis and flower garlands stand nearby. Floodlights illuminate a crowd of seated devotees behind the ritual area.2014-05-20October 27 20142014-10-27Night outdoor homa at a brick fire pit lit with a bright flame on green grass. A man on the right in an orange-saffron turban and orange robe, with a rudraksha mala, pours an offering with a ladle into the fire, with brass bowls, a small metal pot and vessels arranged beside him. Behind the fire, a seated group in white clothing and orange garments faces the fire, with a woman in red and sparkling fabric in the left foreground. A framed portrait on an easel to the right shows a smiling figure in saffron turban and robes beneath a small umbrella, and a floodlight and a wall sit in the background. The portrait's caption is not legible here. a person identity uncertain from appearance; the figure at the fire is a priest performing the offering.2014-08-03A night-time homa at a sacred fire pit lined with white ash and grains. A central figure in an orange turban, saffron-orange clothing and layered yellow-orange marigold garlands pours an offering from a metal bowl into the bright flames. Around him, several people in saffron and orange robes sit cross-legged with palms pressed together in namaskar. To the right, a row of women in orange and brown saris and robes kneel with hands folded. Clay pots, brass vessels and a small lamp sit on the floor, and a framed picture is visible behind. Smoke rises from the fire into the dim setting.2013-07-22A photograph of a homa at an evening gathering. A seated figure in saffron-orange robes and an orange turban, with long braided hair, rudraksha beads and a large gold pendant necklace, tends a small brick fire pit with flames. Brass bowls, a kalasha-style vessel, oil lamps and a tray of offerings sit around the fire, with bundled wood beside it. Behind them, about a dozen seated devotees in white clothing with mala beads watch and sit with hands folded. The setting is a tiled floor, and a blue cloth is visible at the right edge.2013-12-09A seated priest in orange-red robes and a matching orange turban performs a homa beside a sunken square fire pit with bright flames, marigold-yellow and white floral garlands, and brass vessels with offerings on a blue-and-red cloth. He wears a long rudraksha mala with a large gold ornament, reads from an open book, and has white tilak marks on his arms and forehead. Behind him, several figures in orange sit in the dim hall, and at right a young man in white dhoti with a gold-and-rudraksha necklace sits by the offerings. A tray of banana-like fruit and a basket of dried sticks sit nearby.2015-11-18Outdoors on a lawn, a homa fire burns inside a brick fire pit built from stacked reddish bricks. A person in an orange robe with an orange turban, large earrings, and beaded necklaces sits at right, holding a metal ladle or bowl over the fire. Around them, seated devotees watch: a woman in a red shawl and dark-red top holds a small offering near the flames, a bearded man in an orange jacket sits behind, and others wear white, red and grey wraps. A brass kalasha pot with green leaves sits at the left edge, and silver ritual vessels rest near the fire.2014-01-11A homa fire ritual at a square orange-brick fire pit with tall flames. A man in an orange-red turban, rudraksha mala and gold ceremonial necklace, wearing an orange-red shawl, leans over the fire and places an offering with his right hand. Behind him a younger man in white with a rudraksha mala and tilak sits holding a brass ladle over a brass bowl. Brass oil lamps, a basket, banana leaves and metal plates of offerings lie on mats around the pit. Seated people in white and orange robes with garlands are visible in the background.2015-10-12