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Nithyanandapedia
September 14 2006

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A photograph of a fire ritual (homa/yagna) under a pandal decorated with palm fronds and purple cloth. A figure with long, swept-back dark hair wears saffron-orange robes, a gold necklace and a rudraksha-style mala and sits behind a raised altar bed covered with pink, red and white flowers, with a microphone in front. a person is in the central seat; he appears to be the officiant. Around him, white-clad devotees with orange shawls sit in rows, some holding offerings, and a silver vessel stands at right. A deity shrine with a framed image sits on a stage at upper left, and garlands of pink and white flowers line the foreground.2006-07-18September 14 20062006-09-14September 09 20162016-09-09Photo of a fire-offering ritual under a decorated pandal with bamboo poles and palm fronds. In the centre, a man with long swept-back dark hair wears orange robes, a gold necklace and a sacred thread, tending a square fire pit (homa kunda) edged with pink and white flowers. Beside him, a younger man in white dhoti and orange shawl assists. Seated devotees in white and orange clothing fill the ground, with a silver kalasha and brass oil lamps at the front. A purple-draped shrine with a deity murti and a large backdrop photo appear behind. Roughly two dozen people are visible.2006-07-18Outdoor homa or abhishekam ritual under an open thatched shelter with palm trees behind. A seated figure in white with a yellow head wrap and a gold-bordered dhoti faces the fire pit, pouring offerings into a stone yagna kund with a small flame. Two young boys in saffron-orange robes with white forehead markings sit nearby, one preparing items and one holding a bowl of rice. Another saffron-clad boy with a rudraksha mala sits in front of a flower-decorated deity murti garlanded in marigolds and multicolored flowers. On the right, a figure in an orange and gold robe sits on a red and gold throne, with a mala and a gold-bordered shawl, watching the ritual. Fruits, marigold flowers, kumkum and a silver lamp sit on an orange cloth in the foreground, with microphones on stands.2013-09-09Outdoor temple ritual under a open-sided pavilion with palm and banana leaves. A shaved-headed man in orange-saffron robes and a beaded necklace stands with palms pressed together at a square black fire pit (homa kund) edged with white and marsh flower garlands. Behind him, devotees in white clothes sit on the ground with hands folded, including a woman in yellow and a woman with long grey hair. Brass kalasha pots topped with orange-yellow mounds stand on a white-draped table to the right, and metal vessels and offerings sit near the fire pit. Terracotta-coloured ashram buildings and decorative stone figures appear in the background.2011-07-15September 09 20132013-09-09September 09 20132013-09-09A homa fire burns in a raised, yellow-painted fire pit decorated with yellow and orange marigold flowers and white kolam lines, under a corrugated roof hung with coloured tassels. Several priests sit cross-legged behind the fire: a bare-chested man at left in orange cloth, a central priest with a pink turban, white dhoti and a large floral garland, and others in white dhotis and orange shawls, one pouring from a basket. Around them, a large seated crowd of mostly bare-chested young men in white dhotis, some wearing orange rudraksha-style mala necklaces, sits on colourful striped mats. Brass vessels, fruit and flowers sit at the right edge, and red-walled buildings and palm trees stand behind. The central figure is a priest conducting the homa rather than a clearly identifiable a person.2016-09-09A homa or yagna ritual is performed in an open pavilion decorated with banana plants and leaf garlands strung overhead. Smoke rises from a central fire pit. Several people in orange and saffron robes sit cross-legged around it, with one saffron-clad man in the centre wearing a white tilak and a rudraksha mala, seated behind the pit. Seated devotees in orange clothing face the altar. A younger woman in a white sari with gold border sits in the foreground beside a brass oil lamp with a bright flame. Brass vessels, a brass lamp, fruit, flowers, and woven baskets with offerings fill the altar to the right. People in white and yellow stand and sit at the edges, and a woman with long hair appears in the back of the group.2009-09-27July 17 20062006-07-17A central figure with long dark hair wears an orange-saffron shawl and an ornate gold necklace, seated cross-legged before a fire-offering pit lined with red and pink flower garlands and white jasmine strands. He holds his hands together in a devotional gesture while assistants in white garments and orange shawls sit nearby, and a large silver kalasha stands at the right edge. Behind the rows of devotees, a purple-draped stage holds an ornate deity murti with flower garlands. Swamiji (probable): the long swept-back hair, saffron wrap, ceremonial gold necklace and presiding position at the homa match the page's yajna context. Several people in white and orange sit in the background at a yagna ceremony.2006-07-18