Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a homa or puja at an outdoor evening event under a tent. A sitting man in saffron-orange robes with long swept-back black hair, a red forehead mark and a long beaded gold-toned necklace holds a brass plate and speaks into a microphone. Beside him, a second man in orange robes with long hair and a similar beaded necklace sits behind a low yellow platform. The platform holds banana fruit, orange, scattered flower petals, a small flame, a silver vessel and a decorated kalasha with white and pink garlands. Colourful painted pillars and draped cloth frame the background.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night outdoor homa ceremony at a raised orange-painted brick fire pit with an open flame, surrounded by flower garlands, fruit, brass vessels and offerings. A long-haired man in saffron-orange robes and multiple rudraksha-style beaded malas sits at a microphone, his forehead marked with white. Beside him a second man in orange robes and a gold necklace holds a brass plate and pours or offers from it. Behind them a large seated crowd, many with hands pressed in prayer, fills the dim open-air space.2010-02-12A night-time outdoor homa ceremony under a tent canopy. A man with long swept-back dark hair, orange robes, a gold-bead necklace and a tilak on his forehead sits on an orange cushion, holding a long ladle-like offering spoon over a fire, with flames and a yellow offering visible near the fire pit. Beside him a younger priest in orange robes and a gold-bead garland sits with a brass vessel and bowls in front of him. A microphone stands nearby, and a raised platform is decorated with flower garlands, fruits, and a kalasha with marigold garlands at the right edge. Colourful painted pillars and a green curtain frame the background.2010-02-12Night outdoor ritual on a raised platform with a crowd behind. A long-haired man in saffron-orange robes with a white forehead mark and gold-beaded necklaces holds up a round brass plate with one hand while speaking into a microphone. Beside him, a second man in orange robes and beaded necklaces bends over an offering table. The table holds marigold and flower garlands, a kalasha-style vessel, brass bowls and a fire pit with incense sticks, consistent with a homa or puja. Strings of white flowers and green leaves hang at the front.2010-02-12A photograph of a homa ritual at night under a tent. A man with long, swept-back dark hair and a vertical white-and-red forehead mark sits in saffron-orange robes and a gold bead necklace, pouring grains from a brass plate into a fire pit. The fire pit is lined with yellow brick, with a flame rising from it and smoke drifting behind. Bananas, oranges, flower garlands and a metal vessel sit in the foreground. Behind him, another person in a white shirt tends the fire, and colourful painted pillars stand at the tent edge. The man matches the page's Swamiji cues of long hair, saffron robes and gold beads, so he is marked as a probable in-person Swamiji.2010-02-12Night-time homa at an outdoor ritual platform. A fire burns in a yellow-orange brick fire pit decorated with red and pink flower petals, with a white jasmine garland along its edge. A figure in saffron-orange robes with a long, swept-back dark hair, a red-and-white forehead mark and a long beaded orange mala sits cross-legged at a microphone, hands joined in prayer, with an orange cloth beneath him. Beside him a second priest in orange with a maroon headcloth, gold chain and glasses tends the fire, placing offerings into it. Trays of fruit, bananas, apples, pineapple and brass lamps sit at the left, and a brass vessel with a kumkum-marked cloth is at the right. Behind them a large seated crowd in white clothing fills the ground, with a white banner and lights in the background. Probable Swamiji seated at the microphone with long swept-back hair, saffron robes and rudraksha-style orange mala, presiding over the homa.2010-02-12A photograph of a homa (fire ritual) in progress at night. Two saffron-robed sannyasis sit cross-legged behind a low brick fire pit lined with yellow bricks. The figure on the left, with long swept-back hair, a saffron shawl and a long garland of white flowers, holds a red tray with a flaming offering. The second sannyasi, in a saffron robe and garland, sits beside a brass kalasha and small metal vessels, pouring from a ladle. A flower-garlanded kalasha stands at the right edge. Smoke fills the background, where white-clad devotees stand near draped curtains with floral garlands and a sound speaker. Fruit and offerings lie in the foreground.2010-02-12A photograph of a homa-style ritual on a stage. A man with long swept-back dark hair, wearing an orange saffron garment, a rudraksha-style gold bead necklace and a sandalwood-marked forehead, sits on the left and holds a round brass plate over an offering area. Behind him, a second orange-clad person sits with a shaved head. In the foreground, a shaved-head devotee in white sits before a low brick fire pit strewn with bananas, oranges, marigolds and wood sticks. Behind the altar stands a painted mountain backdrop, a golden throne draped with flower garlands, a framed picture and a decorated Shiva linga surrounded by flower garlands and a kalasha.2010-02-12A photograph of a fire ritual at an outdoor pavilion. A man with long swept-back dark hair and a tilak on his forehead, wearing an orange saffron robe and a long gold-beaded necklace, holds a brass tray with a flaming camphor or ghee lamp over a red-draped offering. Beside him, a second man in an orange robe and beaded necklace rings a handbell. In front, a yellow brick homa pit holds brass vessels, flower petals and offerings. Behind them, white-clad participants sit among tall striped pillars, pink and yellow garlands, and a floral-decorated altar with a kalasha-like vessel. Smoke hangs in the air. Swamiji (probable) is the man holding the flame, identified by his long hair, orange saffron robe and gold necklace.2010-02-12A night-time ritual at an outdoor pandal with colourful striped pillars. A man with long swept-back dark hair, an orange robe and gold bead necklaces holds a long wooden stick with a flame at its tip above a fire pit or lamp, speaking into a microphone. Beside him, a second man in orange with a gold necklace sits behind a brass pot, with flowers, fruit and a white garland-decorated kalasha on a yellow platform in the foreground. Swamiji (probable): the seated man in the foreground shows long swept-back hair, an orange robe and gold beaded necklaces while presiding over the homa with a flaming stick, and is presumed to be the presiding figure of the event. Rudra Homa ritual in progress.2010-02-12A photograph of a ritual inside a decorated hall. A long-haired man in orange robes with a gold-looking chain sits on the left, placing his hand on the head of a seated devotee in the foreground who is bald and in the lower frame. Beside him a second man in orange with a gold necklace and bangle holds a brass bowl and a small metal vessel. In front is a wooden platform with a mound of fruit, flowers, incense sticks and a decorated kalasha or pot with a garland. Behind them a backdrop painting shows a mountain and sunset, a flat-screen monitor displays an image, and garlands and flower swags hang along the stage. Smoke rises near the altar. Several people are visible at the edges.2010-02-12Night ritual photograph of a homa at an outdoor pandal. A central figure in orange robes with long dark hair, a tilak on the forehead, and a gold-beaded rudraksha-style mala sits cross-legged before a yellow-brick fire pit where flames burn; he holds a brass vessel with a ladle-like spoon. Beside him, a second seated person in orange with a mala assists. At left, a robed attendant in orange with gold chain pours from a small brass pot. The altar holds bananas, oranges, apples, flower petals, a brass vessel, a decorated kalasha with white garland, and brass lamps. Behind, a screen shows a figure and white-clad devotees stand near floral garlands and a stage backdrop.2010-02-12A photograph of a fire ritual under a tent at night. A man seated on the left wears an orange-saffron robe, a gold bead necklace and a tilak mark on his forehead, and holds up a red and silver bowl with a bright flame rising from it. Smoke fills the air. Behind him a second person in orange clothing with a beaded necklace sits with a small metal vessel near the altar. Decorated cloth hangings, a flower-garlanded pot and a yellow altar platform with flower petals and incense sticks are in the foreground. Several people sit in the background. This appears to be a homa or yagna fire offering.2010-02-12