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October 18 2012

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October 18 20122012-10-18A homa ritual in a tent-like hall. In the centre, a man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged before a square brick fire pit with burning embers and offerings. Beside him, a priest in orange and a seated attendant tend the fire. Standing priests in white dhotis with gold-bordered shawls, rudraksha malas and bare shoulders surround the area. To the right, a tiered altar with a deity murti and gold-framed images, brass lamps, and kalasha-like vessels. A red and green striped mat lies on the floor. Roughly ten people are visible.2015-09-14Outdoor homa ritual at a fire pit built into a stone platform, with flames and smoke rising from offerings of grains and flowers. A priest in white dhoti with bare chest, gold-bordered cloth, and tilaka pours a liquid from a silver vessel into the fire while another priest in saffron-orange robes with a gold-bordered shawl and a light cloth stands nearby holding a small silver plate. Devotees in saffron and white kneel with palms joined in front of a red velvet armchair with gold trim. Behind them, a shrine with a deity murti sits under a golden arch, with palm trees, a red compound wall and a parked silver SUV. Small brass bowls of kumkum and flowers sit at the edge of the pit.2013-09-09A night-time homa at an outdoor ritual space. In the foreground, a square fire pit with bright orange flames sits on a white platform strewn with petals. A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti kneels at the fire, holding a brass bowl, while a second man in white and a striped cloth stands beside him holding a small brass vessel. Behind them, a figure in white stands near a gilded red throne, and a man in saffron/orange robes sits in a white chair with his hands together. Brass lamps, a garlanded image and a row of women in red saris are at left, and a string of red lights glows in the background. Smoke drifts through the scene.2010-10-16A homa fire burns in a metal fire pit on the floor of an indoor hall as a standing man in orange robes and red-bordered dhoti stands with palms joined. A shaved-headed priest in orange kneels at left beside brass vessels, fruit offerings and kalasha-like pots with white flowers. Behind the fire, about a dozen seated devotees in orange shawls and white clothes sit with hands folded. A gilded throne with a tiger-patterned cushion stands at left, and a camera tripod is visible. Smoke rises through a beam of light from a high window.2012-07-11October 08 20132013-10-08April 28 20172017-04-28Night-time homa at an open pavilion. In the foreground, a shirtless priest in white dhoti with a gold-bordered yellow cloth and a red tilak sits cross-legged before a wooden fire altar, holding a ladle over the fire. Beside him, other priests in white and saffron-orange cloths sit on mats. Smoke rises from the fire pit, which holds brass vessels, lit oil lamps, rice offerings and red flower petals. To the right, a figure with a red-and-orange turban, a long rudraksha mala and a brown-and-red robe sits on an ornate gold-and-red throne. Behind him, a screen shows a colourful image. Strings of lamps hang overhead, and deity murtis draped in garlands stand at the left.2016-12-07A photograph of a ritual at a pavilion lit by hanging decorative lamps. In the foreground, several men in white dhotis with coloured borders stand around a square fire pit of wooden frame, possibly a homa or yagna. One man in a yellow-and-orange-bordered dhoti holds a long ladle or implement over the pit, while another in white with an orange sash stands nearby. To the right sits a figure on a red cushioned seat under an ornate golden throne with sun-ray backrest; the seated person wears an orange-brown robe, a garland of white and orange flowers and a rudraksha-style necklace. Offerings of fruit, flowers, bananas, coconuts and betel leaves sit on banana-leaf trays beside the fire pit, and devotees sit on the floor in the background.2016-12-12Night-time ritual in an open-sided pavilion with a corrugated roof. On the left, a large deity murti is dressed in red and gold cloth and heavily garlanded with yellow and purple flowers. Beside it, a smaller figure sits on a raised seat. A yellow-cloth-covered homa pit holds small brass bowls, lamps and offerings, with smoke rising behind. A man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits on an orange chair, wearing a white flower garland, one hand raised to his head, facing the fire. Priests in white dhotis and orange robes sit at microphones on the right, a few devotees seated behind them, and a standing attendant holds a bowl. A bald devotee in orange sits in the lower right foreground. A fan and a microphone stand are visible.2014-09-06September 09 20132013-09-09November 07 20132013-11-07