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Photograph of a homa fire ritual at night under a temporary thatched canopy with banana leaves. In the centre, a man in orange robes with a red-and-orange head wrap and a heavy gold bead necklace with a pendant leans over a raised fire pit, gripping a red cloth that is being fed toward the flames, with smoke rising around him. A younger man in white kurta and yellow shawl stands beside him helping hold the cloth. At left, another orange-robed man with a gold bead necklace sits cross-legged beside brass vessels. Behind them a crowd of onlookers in white and orange watches. The altar is decorated with yellow marigold petals, kumkum-marked patterns, brass pots, lamps and a small bowl of offerings.

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September 25 20092009-09-25A smoky indoor homa or yagna at a fire pit lined with yellow marigolds. On the right, a man in saffron robes and a gold mala pours or lifts a long wooden ladle or stick while a red silk cloth is held up beside the fire. Beside him a young man in white kurta and yellow shawl assists, holding the cloth. A seated man in orange robes and gold beads sits at left with a brass vessel and spoon. Behind them, a seated audience of devotees, some with white shawls and rudraksha malas, watches under a hanging tube light and banana leaves. Brass pots and kalasha vessels sit on the altar edge.2009-09-25Night homa ceremony under a thatched open pavilion decorated with banana plants and leaves, with smoke rising in the air. A bald man in saffron-orange robes and a long gold necklace kneels at a fire pit covered with a red and gold cloth, his hands folded, while a man in white with a yellow shawl leans in beside him holding a ladle. Around the pit are brass pots, bowls, marigold garlands and yellow flowers. Seated along the left are men in orange robes with long beards and gold chains, and on the right a row of devotees in white clothes with yellow shawls and rudraksha malas watch and sit with hands folded. a person: the saffron-robed kneeling figure with gold necklace is presented as the ceremony's central officiant. A lamp hangs from the ceiling above.2009-09-25September 25 20092009-09-25 +1 copiesA night homa fire ceremony under a decorated open-sided pavilion hung with orange and blue fabric and green leaf strands. Smoke rises from a fire pit bordered with yellow and white flower petals. A saffron-robed priest stands at centre holding a brass tray of offerings, wearing an orange shawl, an orange head wrap and a beaded necklace. To the left, two orange-robed priests kneel with brass bowls of yellow flowers and grains. Behind them, a man in white with a yellow shawl holds a basket. To the right, two seated devotees in white dhotis with yellow shawls sit before a brass oil lamp stand, banana bunches and a wooden table of offerings. Several audience members are seen at the bottom edge.2009-09-26Night-time homa at a yellow-edged fire pit with flames and smoke rising. Three men in ritual dress stand at the fire. The foreground man in front wears an orange-brown robe and glasses, holding a yellow and white flower garland. A man in a white dhoti and white head cloth with gold border and rudraksha beads kneels, placing a dark purple and orange cloth into the fire. A third man in an orange robe stands behind holding a brass plate. Seated devotees in white clothing watch in the background.2013-11-07Night outdoor homa at a fire pit lined with marigold petals, under a thatched canopy with banana leaves and hanging foliage. A standing man in saffron-orange dhoti and shawl with a mala necklace holds a silver plate of offerings over the pit with his right hand. Beside him a man in white with a yellow shawl carries a tray. Seated on the left, a bearded man in orange with a gold-beaded mala and a younger man in orange tend the fire, and several women in white and yellow sit behind them. A brass plate of sweets and oil lamps are on a cloth at right, and a young man in white and yellow sits at far right.2009-10-17Night photo of a fire ritual at a yellow-edged fire pit. A bald priest in rust-orange robes with glasses and a headset mic holds an orange cloth over the flames while a younger man in a white dhoti and white turban, with rudraksha malas, bangles and white body markings, reaches in to place it. A third priest in orange stands behind, a yellow flower garland hangs nearby, and seated devotees watch in the background. Smoke rises, and a silver bowl and ladle sit beside the fire pit.2013-11-07A photograph of an evening fire ritual at a homa pit lined with brick, with a bright flame burning at left. A central figure with long dark hair wears an orange robe and a red-pink wrap draped over his shoulders, seated behind the pit while others sit around it. A younger man in orange garments with a rudraksha mala assists by holding a fabric wrap. Brass bowls with yellow liquid, ladles, marigold petals and a fan are arranged around the pit. Behind them, a table with decorated kalasha pots and a lit brass oil lamp, and a seated worshipper in orange at the far left. Several people in orange garments are seated in the foreground, with a microphone stand on the right.2006-09-30A photograph of a homa fire ritual inside a temple hall decorated with banana plants and mango leaves, with smoke rising. A standing figure in saffron-orange robes and an orange head cloth, with a gold pendant necklace and bangles, stands with hands pressed together in namaskar over the fire pit, which is strewn with yellow marigold petals. Around him, bearded men in saffron robes and beaded malas sit near brass vessels and oil lamps, while many devotees in white dhotis and yellow shawls sit or stand in rows behind. Brass pots, a kalasha-style vessel and flower offerings lie on the ritual platform. Several people in the front row are seated with bells and offerings. a person candidate present, appearance uncertain.2009-09-25April 23 20122012-04-23A night ritual photograph in which a shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes and a long gold bead necklace holds a silver aarti lamp with a large open flame, performing the flame offering. Behind him a man in white with a yellow shawl stands with palms pressed together in namaste. At the lower left, a seated man in white and yellow holds another lit lamp. Fresh banana leaves and neem leaves hang above, smoke drifts through the scene, and brass plates with yellow flower petals and offerings lie in the foreground. The orange-robed man is a person by appearance: a saffron robe, ornate gold beads and the central role in the aarti, though the appearance is only partly distinctive.2009-09-25