Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a homa or yagna at an outdoor temple-style pavilion at night. A bald priest in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl, wearing a gold necklace, stands at a square fire pit and pours an offering from a metal dish with a long-handled ladle. Behind him an older priest in white bends toward the left edge. To the right, a golden deity murti of a seated figure on a golden peetha is decorated with a large arc of red, yellow and white flower garlands, with two smaller figures on either side. Brass oil lamps stand around the pit and a kalasha sits at the front. Orange walls, a multicoloured fringed canopy and a tall painted post frame the scene.

More like this

Open the gallery
A night-time photograph of a homa fire pit in a temple courtyard. A man in saffron-orange robes, bare-chested with a bead necklace, pours or offers from a silver vessel into a square fire pit. Beside him, a man in white dhoti kneels and tends the pit. Behind them, a golden deity murti of a seated form with a deer and garlands sits under a canopy decorated with flower garlands, mango-leaf and multicoloured tassels. Brass oil lamps and a kalasha-like vessel stand on the platform, and a sign reading mandir hangs in the upper left. The a person candidate is the saffron-robed man at the fire pit; his appearance is not distinctive enough to confirm identity.2010-11-09A night-time temple ritual in an orange-walled hall. A shaven-headed priest in saffron-orange dhoti and shawl, with a gold chain and rudraksha-style beads, stands at a square fire pit, holding a large brass plate and pouring or offering into the pit. To the left a second man in white clothes kneels beside a carved wooden stool. Behind the fire pit stand gilded deity figures, a golden peetha/vahana carrying two figures with floral garlands in red, yellow and white, and an ornate umbrella canopy with fringed tassels. Brass oil lamps and a kalasha-style vessel surround the scene, and a small pot of flowers sits on the ground. Hindu homa or puja ritual with visible fire pit and offerings.2010-11-09A photograph of a temple ritual at night. A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha-style bead necklace pours liquid from a silver vessel into a stone fire pit or homa kund at the centre foreground. Behind him stands a deity murti dressed in white and draped with garlands of red, yellow and white flowers, under a canopy with orange and multicoloured tassels. Beside it, a golden animal vehicle figure sits on a gold pedestal. Brass oil lamps stand around the pit and a small deity figure with a gold crown is at left. A white-clad figure stands in the background. A signboard at upper left reads a Hindi word meaning temple. The a person attribution is unsure: the priest's appearance is only partly visible and cannot be confirmed.2010-11-09A priest in orange ochre robes and a saffron shawl stands at a square homa fire pit, pouring liquid from a silver vessel into the pit. He wears a beaded rudraksha-style mala and a bracelet. Behind him stands a decorated deity murti on a pedestal with a flower garland, and in the foreground a golden kalasha and brass oil lamps surround the fire pit. To the right, a golden bull figure, possibly Nandi, sits beneath a flower-garlanded canopy with red, yellow and white blossoms and a deity figure with a crown. Ritual objects and a brass lamp rest on the floor, with a red and white striped wall behind.2010-11-09 +1 copiesA night-time ritual at a temple-style shrine with a fire pit (homa kund) in the foreground. A bald man in a saffron-orange dhoti and upper cloth stoops over the square fire pit, stirring or feeding it with a long iron ladle. To the left, a man in white ceremonial dhoti with a gold necklace and folded hands stands beside the pit. Behind them, a deity murti is dressed with garlands of red, yellow and green flowers, and a golden peacock-like vahana and ornate silver-and-gold processional figures stand on the right under a decorated canopy hung with coloured tassels. Brass oil lamps, kalasha-style vessels and a bowl of offerings sit around the pit, with smoke rising in the lamplight. The orange-clad figure has no visible crown, turban, long hair or rudraksha malas, so his identity is not established.2010-11-09A photograph of an evening ritual in a temple-like hall lit by oil lamps. A man in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha-style bead necklace stands at a square stone fire pit, pouring liquid from a silver vessel. Behind him a deity murti of a seated figure sits on a golden throne, garlanded with red, yellow and white flowers and beneath a fringed canopy in multicolour tassels. A brass lamp stands on the left and an oil lamp burns near the base of the pit. A second person in white dhoti, bare-chested with gold chain, stands at the far left edge. The setting suggests a homa or puja ritual.2010-11-09November 09 20102010-11-09 +1 copiesA saffron-robed priest stands at a stone fire pit at night, holding a silver tray raised above his head during a ritual offering. He is bare-chested with a shaved head and wears a golden crown-like headdress. A woman in a white sari with a patterned border stands at left with palms pressed together in prayer. Behind the fire pit stands a golden deity murti of a figure seated on a golden animal vehicle, decorated with garlands in red, yellow and green. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha-style pot and a brass lamp stand sit on the stone platform, and a lit flame burns at the right edge. A tiered wall with a sign reading Anandeshwar Mandir and a decorated ceremonial umbrella complete the scene.2010-11-09Night photograph of a temple shrine during a homa or fire ritual. A man with a shaved head, wearing saffron-orange robes and a beaded necklace, sits cross-legged on a carved wooden seat and holds up a small vessel toward the sacred fire pit at centre-front. Behind him are two decorated deity murtis draped in garlands of marigolds in yellow, orange and green, with brass oil lamps and a metal kalasha on the floor. A large bronze-coloured animal figure with flower garlands sits on a platform at right. Red-painted walls and a white-and-red stepped border frame the scene, with a silver bowl and a small ritual tray in the foreground.2010-11-09A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange robes kneels at the lower left of a shrine, extending a hand toward a gilded deity murti mounted on a golden vahana with a rounded tail, seated before a richly decorated backdrop. The murti is framed by a long arch of marigold and multicoloured garlands in red, yellow, green and purple, with two smaller attendant figures flanking it. Brass oil lamps stand on the marble platform, and a brass kalasha-style ornament rises at each side. A second man in white stands in the background near the wall, and an attendant in white is visible at the far left edge.2010-11-09November 09 20102010-11-09 +1 copiesA priest in saffron-orange robes sits on a carved wooden seat before a square homa fire pit, raising a small brass vessel and lamp in his right hand while his left hand rests near a bowl of offerings. He wears a beaded necklace and a bracelet, and has a shaved head. Behind him stands a deity murti draped in marigold garlands, and to the right a golden vahana-style figure with ornate garland drapery decorates the shrine. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha-style vessel and flower offerings surround the ritual space in an evening temple setting.2010-11-09