October 16 2013 - Nithyanandapedia

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October 16 2013

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October 16 2013

Night-time homa at a sacred fire pit lined with yellow-painted edges and a blue-and-yellow decorative tile. A young priest in white dhoti and white turban, with rudraksha mala and white forehead markings, tends a flaming fire of wood and offerings. Behind and beside him, several men in saffron-orange robes with rudraksha malas and white markings sit around the fire, one holding a brass bowl. A bare-chested young man in white cloth with a rudraksha mala sits at the right, hands folded, and a fourth figure in white sits in the background. Smoke rises, and yellow flowers and dry grass lie around the fire pit.

A night homa ritual at an outdoor fire altar, with a rectangular white-and-yellow fire pit blazing in the centre. Around it sit about ten people: several shaved-headed young boys and monks in saffron-orange robes with rudraksha malas, one older man in orange with a grey beard, and two men in white dhotis with white shawls, one wearing a white turban and the other with a white-marked forehead. Brass pots and a lamp stand beside the fire, with bananas, coconuts and flower garlands at the right edge. Spectators in white and dark clothes sit in the background.

A photograph of a homa fire ceremony at night in a hall filled with smoke. A white rectangular fire pit with yellow borders and a central emblem sits in the foreground, with burning logs and coconuts nearby. Around it sit about eight young men with shaved heads and white forehead markings. Several wear saffron-orange cloths and rudraksha malas, while two in the centre wear white dhoti-style garments, one with a white head wrap. They sit cross-legged on an orange cloth, hands joined or holding ritual items. Brass oil lamps with lit flames and a garland stand at the right edge. Several onlookers in white are seated behind. No a person candidate is clearly visible, so no identity is asserted.

Evening homa at a yellow-tiered fire pit with a large flame rising from the ash. Five young people in saffron-orange robes sit on an orange mat, several with tilak and rudraksha malas; one reads from a small book while others chant or sit with folded hands. Behind them, a crowd of men in white dhotis and shirts sits watching. On the right, a man in an orange turban, orange robe and beaded mala sits cross-legged beside the fire, with brass vessels, a covered bowl and a plate of offerings nearby. Marigold petals decorate the platform edges.

A homa is performed on a white-tiled square fire pit with a burning fire, marigold petals scattered around it. A shaved-headed officiant in saffron-orange robes and a long beaded necklace sits at the right, holding a ladle and a sheet of printed text, with white-and-orange tilak marks on his forehead. Around him sit a seated crowd of boys and young men dressed in white kurtas and dhotis, several with white tilak on their foreheads, some with hands folded in prayer. Brass plates and vessels sit near the fire, and dry leaves cover the floor at left. A white wall forms the backdrop. Some older men in orange shawls sit among the group.

October 16 2013

Night-time homa at an open-air ashram courtyard. A yellow-painted square fire pit is surrounded by marigold and flower garlands, with smoke rising from it. Around it sit about seven young sannyasis in saffron-orange robes, faces marked with white tilak and rudraksha malas, pouring offerings and gesturing toward the fire. One seated figure in white dhoti with a white turban holds a microphone. A red patterned mat lies in the foreground, and seated devotees in white and red shawls watch from the background.

A night photograph of a homa fire ceremony in an open ashram courtyard. A fire burns in a rectangular golden-edged fire pit in the foreground, with a bowl and offerings beside it. On the left, a bare-shouldered figure in a brown-red cloth with a flower garland stands with hands folded toward the fire. Seated beside the pit are a young man in orange cloth with beaded necklaces and a child in cream clothing with hands joined. Standing at the centre-right, a young man in orange silk with gold borders and a long beaded necklace holds a small object near a white-clad attendant with a microphone and a tray. On the right, a youth in orange with a gold-trimmed cloth and a headdress holds a tray of flowers and offerings. Behind them, a large crowd of about 30 people in orange and white clothes stands with hands joined in prayer, and a small golden deity figure and a lion statue sit at the right edge.

A night-time homa at an outdoor ashram setting. A large yellow-painted fire pit burns brightly in the foreground, with lemons placed around its rim and bundled sticks feeding the flames. Behind it, a young man in white dhoti and shawl, wearing a green head cloth, a gold necklace and red-and-gold armbands, raises a metal lamp with a flame high in one hand. Around the fire, several young men in saffron-orange cloths and rudraksha-style beaded necklaces sit with white painted markings on their faces and arms; one has hands folded in prayer and another sits behind a microphone stand. Two onlookers in white stand in the background near a wooden pillar.

Four people in saffron-orange robes sit around a yellow-bordered square homa fire pit at night on a paved ground. A flame burns in the pit. The seated man at right wears an orange turban, rudraksha malas and bangles, and pours from a small vessel, while beside him a younger boy in orange tends a brass bowl of offerings. Another man in orange sits near the fire, and a figure at left with curly hair and a rudraksha mala sits on a low seat. Brass oil lamps, a banana and a plate of offerings sit on a striped cloth in front, with a flower-strewn tray in the foreground.

September 30 2013