April 03 2016 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

April 03 2016

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A night fire ritual at an open-air ceremonial site. A large tiered yellow homa platform holds a tall flame, with red flower petals scattered around it. A man with long matted hair, orange-red cloth, a rudraksha mala and a large ceremonial beaded garland sits behind the fire with a small bowl and a cloth-wrapped object, wearing dark-rimmed glasses. Beside him a man in white dhoti and shawl sits with a pink-bordered cloth. To the right, a man in a white shawl smiles near a low table laden with silver bowls of flowers, coconut, banana, fruit, and green vegetables. A seated line of people in white garments and orange shawls watches in the dark, lit by a single bright lamp. Hindu homa and yagna offerings are visible.

Outdoor fire ritual at dusk: a large square fire pit with a tall flame stands in the foreground, decorated with white kolam-style dots and scattered pink flower petals. A bearded priest with a shaved-headed, long-haired appearance wears an ornate red garment and a long beaded garland, holding an open book and gesturing with one hand. Beside him a man in white dhoti sits and tends the fire, and another man in white sits to the right above trays of coconuts, betel leaves, fruit, puffed grains, pink flowers and brass vessels. About a dozen seated devotees in white clothes with red sashes sit on striped mats in the background, and a woman in an orange sari stands at the right edge.

April 03 2016

February 16 2016

2016-02-16 +1 copies

A night-time homa fire ceremony in an open courtyard. A large wooden fire pit with a tiered, white-patterned base is ablaze, decorated with marigold flowers. A shirtless priest stands behind it, wearing a white dhoti and a long beaded necklace. Seated on a silver-edged platform to the right is a woman in a pink head wrap, a white sari with orange border and a long beaded garland, offering into the fire. Beside her a man in an orange shawl and orange-trimmed garland sits near brass vessels and offering bowls. Rows of seated devotees in white and saffron clothing fill a colourful striped mat behind them, and a dark deity murti stands in the background. Brass lamps and bowls rest on the foreground ground.

Night homa at an outdoor ashram courtyard. A fire burns in a yellow-bordered square fire pit in the foreground. Two priests in saffron-orange robes sit behind it; the nearer one wears an orange turban, rudraksha malas and gold necklaces, and offers grains or ghee from a brass bowl into the flames. A young person in orange kneels beside them with a tray of offerings. Dozens of seated devotees in white dhotis and shirts fill the courtyard behind, and bundles of mango leaves and fruit sit at the edge. Red-walled buildings and a lit lamp are visible in the background.

A photograph of a fire ritual inside a covered hall at night, with a large brick-and-stone fire pit blazing at centre. A man in saffron-orange robes, an orange turban and rudraksha beads leans forward with his arm extended over the flames, offering into the fire as part of a homa. Seated beside him in orange clothing is another man. Behind them rows of people in white and cream clothes sit on striped mats, and a few standing figures in white and yellow saris and shirts watch. Leaf-wrapped offerings and brass lamps lie on the right, and string lights hang along the ceiling. A printed poster sits at the top right.

February 21 2017

Night-time homa in an open hall: a large golden-framed fire pit with flames rising from it, decorated with yellow marigold garlands and pink petals. Behind it stand priests in orange dhotis and red-orange sashes; one bare-chested man in a white dhoti holds a microphone and a ceremonial gold collar, while another bare-chested man in white kneels at right holding a microphone and a rudraksha-style bead garland. A priest at center holds a brass-rimmed drum, and a bearded man in orange at right holds a ritual implement. Brass vessels, a bowl of pink flowers, offering plates and a silver urn sit on mats in front. Rows of seated devotees, many in white and orange, watch from the left under a bright stage light.

2016-02-16 +1 copies

Night-time homa at an outdoor ritual area: a wooden fire pit with flames, decorated with marigold flowers, stands in the foreground. Behind it, a priest in orange cloth with a rudraksha-style necklace and a pink-and-orange turban sits and tends the fire with a ladle, while a bare-chested assistant with marigold garlands sits to the right. A man in white with a green-and-gold shawl stands at the far right holding a tray of flowers. A large seated congregation in white and red shawls fills the background, with brass vessels and coconut offerings in the lower right.

2016-02-22 +1 copies

April 28 2017

A night-time homa at an outdoor ritual pavilion. A large yellow-painted square fire pit with a bright flame sits in the foreground, decorated with white and purple floral markings and scattered flower petals. Behind it, a priest in an orange-red turban and orange cloth, wearing a rudraksha mala, sits cross-legged and feeds offerings into the fire from a bowl. Beside him, another ritual assistant in an orange turban and orange cloth tends the fire. Standing men in white dhotis with gold borders, some bare-chested and some wearing shawls, stand in the background. Brass lamps, a tray of flower petals, a covered brass vessel and small offering plates sit on a striped mat, along with a silver puja tray holding pink flowers and lit wicks. Gold decorative arches stand behind the group.