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A night-time ritual under a canopy decorated with orange, green and yellow bunting and hanging banana leaves. A figure in saffron robes and a saffron head cloth, wearing a long beaded mala, stands at center holding a brass tray of lit lamps (aarti). Around a square homa/yagna pit lined with flower petals, devotees in orange and saffron clothing sit with palms pressed together, while men in white dhotis and yellow shawls chant and play instruments. At right, a tall painted deity murti with multiple arms and a red-and-gold face stands beside brass oil lamps and kalasha-style offerings. Potted plants in wire mesh baskets sit on a green cloth in the foreground.

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September 26 20092009-09-26 +1 copiesSeptember 26 20092009-09-26 +1 copiesSeptember 26 20092009-09-26 +1 copiesA night-time photograph of a Chandi homa in an open outdoor pavilion decorated with banana plants and strings of leaves. A standing man in an orange robe with a rudraksha mala holds up a lit aarti lamp toward the fire pit. Seated around the square homa altar are devotees in orange and saffron robes and men in white dhotis with yellow shawls. A woman in orange with her hands folded sits in the foreground, and a girl in yellow and orange sits at the lower left. To the right stands a large image of a goddess with a red face and raised arms, beside brass oil lamps, kalasha pots wrapped in woven cane and green leaves, and flower offerings on the altar.2009-09-26 +1 copiesA photograph of an outdoor-style pavilion ritual under a decorated canopy with colourful hanging panels and smoke drifting through the air. A standing man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala holds up a lit lamp or flame near a fire pit, while people in orange and white sit on the floor around a square fire-pit area. On the right, a decorated altar holds brass kalasha pots covered with mango leaves and golden flowers, next to a tall ornate figure of a deity murti with a trident-like form. A brass oil lamp stands in the foreground beside marigold petals. Several people wear saffron clothing and yellow shawls, and others in white sit nearby, consistent with a homa or puja.2009-09-26A night-time photograph of a ritual in an open-sided pavilion decorated with orange and green fabric and banana leaves. A man in an orange robe and a rudraksha mala stands at center holding a lit camphor flame on a tray for aarti. Seated before him in rows are people in orange and saffron robes, and others in white with yellow shawls, several with hands folded in prayer. On the right is a deity murti with flower garlands beside brass oil lamps, and a woman in white with an orange shawl sits in the foreground. Fruit and offerings are arranged on the floor.2009-09-26A ritual hall under a palm-leaf and orange-trimmed canopy with string lights, where a standing sannyasi in saffron-orange robes and a head wrap holds a plate before a small fire, with a rudraksha mala visible at his chest. Seated devotees in front, several in saffron and others in white with yellow shawls, sit with hands folded in prayer. On the right, a large decorated deity murti of three goddess figures stands on a white-draped altar lined with potted plants and brass vessels, with a brass lamp and garlands at its base. Marigold garlands and a dim, smoky interior complete the scene.2009-09-25October 17 20092009-10-17 +1 copiesA photograph of a Chandi homa ritual in a temple hall decorated with colourful fan-shaped paper ornaments overhead and banana plants at the sides. A man in an orange robe and a long orange shawl stands at centre holding a lit flame aloft in a brass vessel, while a deity murti with a white and black face, golden crown and yellow-trimmed sari stands at the right. Seated devotees in orange and white robes with yellow shawls kneel around a square fire pit with marigold petals, some with hands in prayer. Brass oil lamps burn at left, and a table holds woven baskets with kalasha-style pots and mango leaves. Smoke drifts through the room.2009-09-26September 25 20092009-09-25Evening puja at a decorated temple pavilion with a hanging canopy of orange and green fabric rings and banana leaves. A man in orange robes and a shawl stands center, raising a lit aarti plate with flame toward a deity murti on the right, which has a white and gold crown and face. In front, seated devotees in orange and saffron clothing, several with palms pressed together in namaskar, sit on a mat. Other men in white dhotis with yellow shawls assist beside a tray of offerings, flowers and brass oil lamps. Smoke fills the air and a brass lamp stands in the foreground.2009-09-27Night photograph of a homa or puja under a thatched canopy hung with decorative woven rings and banana-leaf fronds. A standing person in saffron-orange robes, with a rudraksha-style necklace, holds a tray or vessel above a fire pit near the centre. About a dozen seated devotees in orange and red garments sit on mats in front, some with hands folded in prayer; others wear white and yellow dhotis. To the right, an ornate silver-and-blue deity murti flanked by brass kalashas and small offerings sits on a draped altar. Strings of lights and a bright lamp light the scene.2009-09-25