Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Outdoor homa ritual at an open-air ground under a canopy with banana leaves and blue poles. A square fire pit built from white brick blocks holds a small flame, with flower petals, marigolds and offerings on the tiers. Men in white dhotis and white shirts with yellow shawls sit and perform the rite; the foreground man raises a brass vessel with one hand. Behind them seated devotees in white watch, and a red stage backdrop stands at the rear. Coconuts in woven netting and brass plates of food line the right side.

More like this

Open the gallery
Outdoor homa being performed on a sandy ground under a bright sky. A square fire pit built of whitewashed bricks stands at centre, decorated with yellow flowers and banana leaves, with a brass vessel and offerings of fruit and bananas nearby. Two men in white dhotis and yellow shawls sit cross-legged at the front; the nearer one, with a tilak on his forehead, holds a small bell and ladle. Behind them, rows of seated participants in white clothing with lanyards sit on the ground, and a few people stand at the back beside a red tent and a wooden fence. Coconuts in woven baskets and stainless-steel plates of offerings line the foreground.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony in progress. A central fire pit is built from stacked white bricks decorated with yellow and orange marigold flowers and red blossoms, with brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot and fruit offerings arranged around it. In the foreground, a young man in white dhoti and kurta with a yellow shawl and a red tilak sits cross-legged and pours an offering into the fire from a small bowl. Beside him, another man in white with a yellow shawl and rudraksha mala sits close to the fire. Behind them, several white-clad devotees sit on the ground, and a red tent backdrop with banana plants stands in the background. No one in the scene is visibly identifiable as a person.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ritual at a brick fire pit built in tiers and decorated with yellow marigold petals and red flowers. Behind it sits a row of devotees in white clothing; a man in white at centre gestures with his hands, and a woman in white with an orange-and-white garment sits beside him. Two young men on the right wear white kurtas with yellow shawls and rudraksha malas, one with a vibhuti mark on his forehead. Bananas, fruit and metal bowls of offerings sit on the left, and a red cloth bundle lies near the pit. A red curtain and bamboo fencing form the backdrop. Approximately eight to ten people are visible.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ritual at a fire pit built of white bricks and decorated with yellow and orange marigold petals. A young man in white dhoti and shirt with a yellow shawl and rudraksha mala pours or offers something with his right hand toward the pit. Beside him, another man in a yellow shawl and mala sits cross-legged. Behind them, several people in white clothes sit on the ground, and a red cloth backdrop with banana plants stands behind the altar. Trays of bananas, apples and other fruit sit at the left edge, along with brass vessels and a small brass bowl on the pit.2010-07-24Outdoor homa at dusk: a priest in white dhoti and white shirt with a yellow shawl sits before a white brick fire pit with a bright flame, pouring offerings from a ladle while a second priest in white with a yellow shawl and mala sits beside him. Marigold petals and flowers are scattered on the bricks, with small brass oil lamps and bowls of offerings arranged at the left. Behind them, a row of women in white and colourful saris sit on the ground, some with orange-and-white badges, and a white canopy stands at right.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony in progress on bare ground. A central fire burns inside a square fire pit built from white-painted bricks, decorated with marigold petals. A man in white dhoti and white shirt with a yellow shawl pours or offers into the fire, seated beside another man in white with a yellow shawl. Behind them many devotees, mostly women in white and colourful saris, sit on the ground watching. To the right, tiers of brass-rimmed clay pots with mango leaves and coconuts are arranged on white-draped platforms. Brass plates of offerings and flowers lie to the left, with an orange cloth in the foreground and a red-and-white backdrop behind the crowd.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony under a canopy with banana leaves and a red cloth backdrop. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts sit cross-legged behind rows of white brick fire pits, where flames rise. The man in the foreground, wearing a rudraksha mala, holds a long ladle over the fire. Behind them, women in saris and devotees sit on the ground, and a white-clad man stands at the back. Brass bowls, marigold petals, fruit and coconuts are arranged on trays nearby.2010-07-24Outdoor homa fire ceremony at dusk on a brick fire pit built in tiers and strewn with yellow and orange marigold petals. A small flame burns at the centre with a brass vessel beside it. Three men in white dhotis sit cross-legged behind the pit; the central man wears a yellow shawl, a white kurta and a small red tilak, and extends one finger toward the fire while the man beside him in a yellow shawl and white clothes watches. A third man at left holds a ladle over a bowl. Behind them a seated audience of women in white and cream saris and children watches, with a red cloth backdrop and banana leaves. Woven baskets of offerings sit at lower right.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony on bare ground in front of a red tent with banana plants. Rows of white-clad participants sit cross-legged behind low square fire pits built from white bricks, with yellow flowers scattered on the bricks. In the foreground a seated man in white with a rudraksha mala and a blue rosette badge tends a fire, with dry sticks, herbs and a small bowl of offerings on a tray before him. Smoke rises from the pits, and a brass bowl sits on one brick altar. Other participants in white garments and lanyards sit in the background, and a standing attendant in white stands at the right.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony in progress at a fire pit built from white bricks and decorated with yellow and red flowers. A man in white clothes with a yellow shawl and a small microphone clipped to his collar pours liquid from a metal vessel into the fire, holding a handbell in his other hand. Beside him another man in white with a yellow shawl and a rudraksha mala watches. Behind them, rows of seated devotees in white clothes, some with brass plates, sit on a sandy ground in front of a red draped tent decorated with banana leaves. A bunch of bananas and orange cloth lie at the left edge. No identity of any person is established from appearance.2010-07-24Outdoor homa ceremony under a red and white tent on bare ground. Several men in white kurta-style clothes sit cross-legged on woven mats, many wearing yellow or saffron shawls. Small square fire pits made of white brick hold a small flame, with brass vessels and flower petals around them. Metal trays of fruit, flowers, and offerings lie on the ground, and an elaborately decorated stage with a kalasha display stands at right. Around a dozen seated onlookers in the background watch from behind the mats. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance.2010-07-24A photograph of an outdoor homa ceremony on bare ground. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts sit cross-legged behind rows of white brick fire pits, feeding offerings into small flames with long ladles and spoons. Smoke rises from the pits. Metal plates hold leaves, herbs, and bundled wood, and a long cloth-covered table on the right displays bananas, fruit, and red-and-orange cloth offerings. Behind them, rows of seated devotees in white, several women in colourful saris, and a few bright orange and red garments fill the background. Chalk kolam-style patterns mark the ground, with scattered flower petals near the fire pits.2010-07-24