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Outdoor photograph of a row of seated women performing a Pancha Tapas style practice on sandy ground with circular fire pits of ash and charcoal. In the foreground a woman in white with an orange shawl sits cross-legged, eyes closed, a water bottle beside her on a stone. Other women in white and orange or yellow shawls sit at intervals among the pits, with smoke rising behind them. Palm trees, a white building with a corrugated roof, and small seated stone figures line the background under a pale sky.

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August 08 20102010-08-08Outdoor scene at dusk in a courtyard among tall coconut palms. Many women sit cross-legged in lotus-style postures on round, ash-ringed fire pits arranged in rows across dirt ground. Most wear white garments with yellow shawls, while some wear white with orange shawls. A small smoldering fire and drifting smoke rise near the back, and a man in white stands at left. Behind them are white and red-doored buildings and a row of small stone figures. No clearly identifiable a person is visible.2010-08-10 +1 copiesAugust 08 20102010-08-08 +1 copiesA photograph of female devotees seated cross-legged in meditation on bare ground outdoors, among palm and plantain trees. Each sits within a dark ring of ash and charcoal, with small mounds of red earth nearby. The foreground woman wears a white sari with an orange-red shawl draped over her shoulder, a vermilion tilak on her forehead and gold bangles, eyes closed with hands resting in her lap. Behind her, women in white saris with yellow shawls sit in similar rings. A man in a white dhoti stands at the back, and a child walks near the wall. Smoke rises at left and a plastic water bottle sits at lower right.2010-08-10 +1 copiesOutdoors on a bare dirt ground among tall palm trees, about twenty-five people sit cross-legged on mats in a wide arc, each beside a circular pit of grey ash with smoke rising. Most wear white dhotis or sarees with orange or yellow shawls and scarves; several in the front row wear orange shawls, and one woman in the foreground has orange cloth over white clothing. Behind them stand white stupa-like shrines, a tall saffron-and-white pillar, a dark stone sculpture, and a standing figure in white near the centre. A stone lingam and a large stone pedestal lie at the right edge, and a signboard stands at the far left. The scene appears to be a group fire-ritual or homa-style practice with individual fire pits.2010-08-10 +1 copiesAugust 08 20102010-08-08 +1 copiesA photograph of an outdoor Pancha Tapas ritual on a bare earth ground under palm trees. Many women sit cross-legged in rings of ash and burnt earth, with smoke rising around them. Foreground women wear white dhotis or sarees with orange shawls and hold their hands in meditative posture; others wear white with yellow shawls. Behind them are white stepped platforms, a tall wooden pole, and a signboard. A sannyasi-like figure in white stands at right. No candidate for a person is clearly visible, so no appearance-based identification is made.2010-08-10 +1 copiesOutdoor photo of women seated in rows on sand in front of white stone structures and palm trees. Each woman sits on a small mat inside a circular ring of dark ash and grey ash, with thin smoke rising from several rings. Many wear white dresses with yellow or orange shawls. A man in a striped shirt walks among them, and a signboard and white-pillared shrine stand in the background. This appears to be a fire-based ritual session, with people seated around homa or yagna-style ash circles.2010-08-10 +1 copiesOutdoor photograph of a row of devotees seated cross-legged on bare earth at dawn during a Pancha Tapas practice. Each seated person sits within a dark ash-covered circular pit, with smoke rising from several fires. The foreground devotee wears an orange shawl over white dhoti-style clothing, with rudraksha beads and glasses. Other devotees wear orange or yellow shawls and white garments. Behind them stand a tall lamp-post-like pillar, white raised platforms, a stone nandi or bull-like statue, a small information board, and coconut palms against a pale sky.2010-08-10 +1 copiesOutdoor photograph of a Pancha Tapas practice at dusk in a palm-tree compound. Around a dozen women sit cross-legged on ash-ringed circular fire pits in white clothes with yellow shawls and orange-red scarves or sashes. Smoke rises from a fire at left, and a man in a striped shirt stands nearby. Behind them are small white ashram buildings, a row of stone statues along the right side, and striped mats and an orange cushion in the foreground.2010-08-10 +1 copiesOutdoor photograph of several women seated on the ground in a palm-garden courtyard, each beside a circular ash-filled fire pit with dark soil around it. In the foreground a woman in an orange-red shawl and cream sari sits with hands resting on her lap. Behind her, a woman in white robes with a yellow headscarf sits with hands folded. Further back, other women in white and yellow sit near smoking pits, and a woman in a white robe and yellow cloth sits at the far right. Behind them stand an orange-and-white stone shrine base, a black stone kalasha-like pillar, and tropical plants. The setting suggests a homa or fire ritual.2011-08-10Outdoor photo of a ritual fire-offering area in an open dirt courtyard beside a tall copper-coloured lamp pillar and a white stone platform with a large white statue of a seated deity. Several dozen participants sit cross-legged in a row inside circular ash-rimmed fire pits, with smoke rising. Most wear white clothes; a few wear yellow or saffron-orange shawls and orange sashes. Tall coconut palms and a low tiled building with a green roof form the background. Visible people are seated, in a homa-style ritual setting.2010-07-11