December 15 2016 - Nithyanandapedia

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December 15 2016

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November 29 2011

December 15 2016

A ritual scene before a red draped backdrop. A bare-chested priest in a red-and-white patterned turban and white dhoti pours liquid from a small spoon over a stone yajna altar or homa platform. Three seated men beside him wear rudraksha malas, one in a yellow cloth, and sit on red-patterned mats. On the right, a gold-framed arch stands above a red table draped in gold brocade, holding a row of small clay or metal sculpted heads or murti forms garlanded with yellow flowers. Brass vessels, a bowl, coconuts, bananas, oranges, betel leaves and flower offerings are arranged on the red floor.

Night ritual homa in a canopied temple hall strung with coloured lights. A fire burns in a tiered brass fire pit decorated with marigolds and red flowers, with fruit and offering trays in front. Two priests sit on the left in white dhotis and shawls; the central priest wears a yellow shawl, holds a ladle over the fire, and a bare-chested man on the right tends a basket of herbs. Behind them a golden deity murti and a golden throne with a seated figure in saffron-coloured robes sit beneath a garland. Yellow and green curtains and flower garlands frame the scene.

Three priests sit on an orange cloth before a brick fire pit where a flame rises during a homa. The central priest, bare-chested and wearing a white dhoti with gold border and a gold ceremonial necklace, pours offering from a ladle while a bell and microphone stand nearby. A priest on the left in white dhoti, rudraksha mala and spectacles tends the offerings, and a priest on the right wears an orange shawl, gold necklace and white forehead markings. Brass plates hold turmeric powder, marigold and rose offerings, dried twigs, banana leaves and a pot of grains. A fourth figure in white stands in the background.

A homa ritual in a decorated hall with gold-fringed yellow drapes and gold ceremonial umbrellas. Six men sit on the tiled floor around a low homa setup with a small fire, flower garlands, brass bowls of fruit and offerings, and a lamp stand. Several wear bare upper bodies, white dhotis and orange or red silk shawls, with rudraksha malas and garlands. A central figure in white robes and a shaved head sits at the far left with a wrap and mala, and others stand near the back. Behind them, a raised red platform holds deity murtis garlanded with yellow and white flowers, and a tall blue-and-white pedestal displays a flower-decorated kalasha. Brass and gold lamp stands line the room.

A homa fire ritual under a tent at night, with a square fire pit lined with pink flower petals and green leaf borders at the centre. Several men in white dhotis, some bare-chested with rudraksha-style beaded necklaces, sit or stand around the pit, one pouring from a small vessel. Orange-clad participants stand along the sides, and brass kalashas, flower garlands, mounds of rose petals, banana leaves and oil lamps surround the platform. Striped mats cover the floor and a few people in plain clothes watch from behind.

2017-09-05 +1 copies

A homa or yagna at a temple pavilion. A bare-chested young priest in an orange dhoti and a sacred thread stands at left holding a brass tray of offerings, and another priest in white dhoti holds a tray of grains and fruit beside him. A priest in a yellow shawl and white dhoti at centre pours an offering into a fire pit on a tiered platform decorated with yellow marigold garlands. Smoke rises through the hall. Behind the fire pit, a golden peetha with a decorated deity murti sits beneath a colourful canopy, with a bell-shaped kalasha and banana, apple and orange fruit offerings on banana-leaf mats in the foreground. Ceiling decorations and hanging lamps are visible, and a microphone is held nearby.

A homa fire burns on a tiered wooden platform decorated with yellow and white flower garlands, in an open tent with coloured hanging decorations. A priest in a bare-chested state with a white dhoti and yellow shawl extends a ritual implement over the flames while a man in white nearby speaks into a microphone. Behind the fire, a gilded throne with a sun-rays backdrop holds a deity murti and a seated figure in orange-ochre clothing with a rudraksha mala. Brass pots, banana and fruit offerings, and marigold garlands surround the fire pit, and several white-clad devotees sit on the striped floor cloth, with a few more people standing in the background.

September 26 2017

Photograph of a homa ritual in a temple hall with a fire pit of bricks at the centre, smoke rising from it. Several priests in white dhotis sit on the floor; one bare-chested man in an orange cloth and a red-headed priest assist with offerings, and a seated man speaks into a microphone. Behind the fire, a large deity murti decorated with marigold garlands stands on a decorated pedestal before a golden-orange cloth. To the right, two deity murtis draped in garlands sit on a throne-like altar. Brass oil lamps on tall stands, silver trays, bowls of fruit and a basket of bananas and mangoes surround the scene, and a striped rug covers part of the floor.

Two priests sit cross-legged before a square fire pit lined with orange powder and red petals, where a flame burns. The priest on the left wears a tall black and gold patterned hat and a white dhoti, holding a ladle over a copper bowl. The priest on the right wears a light cream turban, a white cloth over his shoulder and a beaded rudraksha-style mala, reading from an open book at a microphone stand. Both wear white flower garlands with red blooms. Fruit, bananas, a plate of sweets and a brass lamp sit on banana leaves nearby, with gold-ornate furniture and an orange-robed figure in the background. This depicts a homa or yagna ritual.