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A homa is being performed in a temple hall with a brick fire pit where a flame burns. A man in white dhoti with gold-bordered cloth and a sacred thread, hands folded in prayer, sits behind the fire on a low seat. Beside him a bald man in white with a beaded necklace sits. On the left, a bald man in white with a garland and a woman in a green sari with a red border and gold bangles sit on mats with hands joined. In the foreground, a man in grey kurta with a flower garland and a woman in purple sit facing the fire. Offerings of oil lamps, brass plates of rice and sweets, and a kalasha-like vessel lie on orange cloth. Behind them, deity murtis in bright garlands and a golden throne-like seat stand in the hall, with drummers at the back.

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December 23 20102010-12-23Inside an orange-walled temple hall, a priest in white dhoti sits at a brick fire pit in front of a garlanded altar of deity murtis, with brass kalasha pots and oil lamps before them. Two devotees, one in a red sari, sit on orange cloth with hands folded, and a monk in a white robe sits nearby. A gold-and-red throne stands empty at left, and deity murtis draped with flower garlands line the shrine on the right.2010-12-23December 23 20102010-12-23December 23 20102010-12-23December 23 20102010-12-23A homa or fire ritual in a temple hall. A young priest in white dhoti and shawl with a gold-coloured sash sits behind a fire pit built of stacked yellow bricks, holding a flaming ladle over the kindling. A priest in white and red-bordered dhoti kneels at right beside a brass plate of offerings. Behind them, a standing man in an orange robe and a cameraman in white stand near a gold ornate throne-like chair with red cushion. On the right, several deity murtis are dressed with white and orange garlands, with brass kalasha pots holding coconut and mango leaves on a pink cloth. A seated man and other devotees sit in the background. A woman with dark hair in the lower left foreground has hands folded in prayer.2010-12-23A homa or yagna ritual in a temple hall with an orange floor cloth. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with a rudraksha-style necklace sits cross-legged before a square pit built of stacked yellow-brown bricks, feeding offerings with a spoon while a small flame burns beside him. Another priest in white with a shaved head kneels at right, holding a plate of offerings. Behind them a decorated deity murti group with flower garlands sits on a pink-draped altar with brass pots and pineapples. A golden ornate throne stands at left. A cameraman in white films the scene, and devotees sit in the lower corners.2010-12-23A photo of a homa in an orange-walled temple hall. A fire burns in a small brick fire pit on an orange cloth in the foreground, with bowls of rice, grains and offerings set beside it. A priest in white dhoti and shawl stands at the fire. Seated devotees on the left wear garlands and one wears a yellow top. On the right, a row of deity murtis and idols are draped in garlands and cloth, with brass kalasha-style pots and lamps on silver-edged platforms. A golden throne-like seat stands at left and a small figure in white moves in the background. No candidate for a person is clearly visible in the scene.2010-12-26A homa ritual in an orange-walled hall. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with a saffron-trimmed cloth sits behind a brick-built fire pit where a flame burns, with offerings of rice, grains, fruit and sweets in steel bowls on orange mats. Four guests sit on the floor in garlands: a woman in a maroon sari with red flowers, a man in grey top and white trousers, a woman in yellow blouse and maroon sari, and a bald man in white clothes. Behind them, a red throne and an ornate gold throne stand empty. A kalasha with red cloth sits on a tray at right, and a standing attendant in white is visible at upper right.2010-12-23December 23 20102010-12-23Inside an open-sided temple hall with orange walls and a corrugated roof, a homa is performed in front of a shrine. A priest in a saffron-toned garment sits behind a small brick fire pit with a flame, while a seated priest in white and a few devotees in orange and white clothing sit on orange and blue mats. Brass kalasha pots with mango leaves stand on a pedestal in front of the shrine, where decorated deity murtis are garlanded with white flowers and sit on orange and blue cloths. Seated devotees in the foreground wear white flower garlands. At left, a cameraperson in white clothing films beside an ornate golden throne with a red cushion, and a person in saffron stands near the doorway. Four to six people are visible.2010-12-23A photograph of an outdoor ritual space with an orange-washed wall and a corrugated awning. In the centre a standing priest in white dhoti and shawl raises a lit camphor or oil flame toward the deity shrine. Seated on orange cloth in front, devotees with hands folded include a bald man in orange-and-white clothing, a woman in a green sari, and a woman in a brown sari. A small square fire pit with burning wood sits in front of them, surrounded by brass kalashas, steel bowls of food and fruit. On the right, several figurines and deity murtis are garlanded with white flowers, with a bright gold-and-red decorated shrine and yellow cloth behind. A gilded throne with red cushion stands empty on the left.2010-12-26