Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A night fire ritual at a square stone homa pit blazing high with flames, scattered with marigold petals. In the foreground a priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a rudraksha mala, lifts a flaming vessel overhead. Behind him a second white-clad priest with a mala stands with hands folded, and a third at right holds a brass tray. Seated devotees in white clothes watch from the left in the dark, and a carved wooden disc and a small oil lamp appear at the edges, with strings of pennant leaves overhead.

More like this

Open the gallery
A night homa at a square stone fire pit, its tall flames rising in the centre. Two priests stand behind the pit in white dhotis and shawls; the one on the left wears an orange-yellow turban and holds a lit torch, while the one beside him, shaved-headed and in white with a red-bordered cloth, stands with hands together. Both wear beaded necklaces. A third man on the right in white holds a brass plate. Seated devotees in white sit on the left behind a white cloth, and a large carved wooden disc stands beside the pit. Marigold petals are scattered on the stone steps, and green leaf garlands and a hanging orange-and-red decoration hang overhead.2010-10-16A night homa at a square fire pit, with tall flames rising from the stone-edged pit. Three priests in white dhoti-style clothing stand at the fire. The left priest wears an orange-saffron turban and a gold bead necklace and holds a small flame-lit vessel. The middle priest, also with gold beads, stands beside him, and a third priest on the right in white carries a brass tray. Flower petals are scattered on the stone steps, a large carved wooden disc stands to the right, and a seated audience in white sits at the left edge. A strip of leaf garlands and hanging decorations is visible above.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight homa at a stone fire pit with a tall bright flame rising from the square brick-lined hearth, scattered flower petals on its stone tiers. Three priests in white dhotis and shawls stand behind it: the left one wears a light orange turban and a beaded garland, holding a lit oil lamp; the middle one holds a brass vessel with a rudraksha-style mala; the right one, bare-chested, holds a brass plate. A small lit lamp sits at the right edge of the pit. Seated devotees in white are visible at the far left, and a large carved red drum-like object stands to the right. Dark background with cloth bunting.2010-10-16A night homa in progress at a square stone fire pit with a tall column of flame rising from it, scattered flower petals on the stone edges. Two priests in white dhotis and shawls stand behind the fire: the one on the left wears an orange-and-white turban and rudraksha-style beads, holding an oil lamp with a small flame; the one beside him is bare-chested with a white upper cloth and holds a ritual vessel. A third attendant on the right in white holds a brass tray of lamps. Seated devotees in white line the left background in the dark, and a large carved wooden drum-like disc stands at right. A lit oil lamp sits on the lower right corner of the platform.2010-10-16Night homa ritual at an open-air fire pit, a stepped stone altar with a large blaze rising from its square well. Three priests in white dhotis and shawls stand around it: the front priest in a saffron-orange turban with a gold necklace holds a kalasha-like vessel; the middle priest with a shaved head holds a lit oil lamp and a silver plate; the third, on the right, in white with a red border, pours offerings. Marigold and rose petals are scattered on the altar steps. Seated devotees in white clothes watch from the left, and brass lamps and plates sit at the right edge. Painted pillars and leafy garlands hang in the background, and a carved wooden disc lies beside the fire pit.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight-time homa at a square stone fire pit with flames rising high, its steps scattered with red and yellow flower petals. Two priests in white dhotis and shawls stand at the fire; the foremost, wearing an orange-yellow turban and a beaded garland, holds up a lit torch. A second priest in white with a garland stands beside him, and a third at the right holds a brass offering tray. Seated devotees in white clothing watch from the left, and a carved wooden disc stands behind the fire. Strings of leaves and hanging decorations frame the dark background.2010-10-16A night-time homa fire ritual in an open courtyard. A large square brick fire pit with stepped stone edges blazes at centre, flames rising high. A priest in white dhoti and a white head wrap, with a gold necklace, stands at the pit feeding it with a long ladle. Beside him a man in white dhoti with a beaded mala holds a brass plate of offerings. Another attendant in white stands further back, and seated devotees in white fill the left background. In the foreground lower left, a bald person in white sits facing the fire. Scattered flower petals line the stone platform, with brass oil lamps and a garlanded brass vessel at lower right. A round carved wooden shield-like panel stands behind the pit, and yellow-green leaf garlands hang overhead.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA night homa ritual at an open-air ashram ground beside a square brick-and-stone fire pit with large flames rising from it. A woman in a white sari with a white head wrap and beaded necklaces leans over the fire, while a man in white dhoti and shawl with gold-coloured necklaces holds a brass vessel and pours offerings into the blaze. Another man in white clothes with a necklace stands at right. Behind them, a row of seated devotees in white and saffron fills the background, a round carved wooden or stone object stands near the fire, and a brass oil lamp and flower garland sit on the platform at right, with a string of leaf festoons overhead.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photograph of a Chandi Homa fire ritual in an open outdoor area. A tiered white stone fire pit blazes at center. A woman in white garments with a yellow-orange head wrap leans over the flames, while a standing priest in white dhoti and shawl with a gold-toned necklace holds a brass tray of offerings. A seated officiant in white kneels at the lower left and another in white stands at right. Behind the pit, a row of seated devotees in white clothes watches. Strings of green leaves hang overhead, and brass oil lamps, flower garlands and offering plates sit at the right edge. A wooden yagna vessel stands near the fire. No candidate for a person is distinctly identifiable.2010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photo of a homa fire ritual at an outdoor ashram courtyard. A large flame rises from a fire pit in the foreground. A man in a white dhoti and turban holds a flaming lamp aloft on the left. Beside him, a bald priest in white with a rudraksha mala stands with palms pressed together. On the right, a bald man in white and a yellow shawl holds a brass vessel and bows. Seated devotees in white fill the left side, and a woman in white stands with hands folded at the far right. Strings of yellow leaves and bunting hang overhead, with a decorated kalasha pillar and a wooden shield-shaped drum behind the fire. Brass plates of offerings sit at the base of the fire. The text overlay reads 2020 Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam and2010-10-16 +1 copiesA night-time homa at an open-air fire pit lined with brick and stone steps. A central figure in a white dhoti and white shawl, with a white turban, holds a burning ceremonial torch above the fire and smiles. Beside him, a bald man in a white cloth wears a beaded mala and holds a small offering. To the right, a younger priest in white with a gold-toned mala holds a brass plate of offerings. Another white-clad devotee stands with palms joined at the far right, and a seated audience in white and orange clothes watches from the left. Behind the fire, a copper-toned disc and yellow-and-white hanging ornaments decorate the space, with leafy garlands strung overhead. Brass oil lamps, plates of fruit and flowers and a red cloth sit on the table at the right.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA night homa fire rises from a stepped stone fire pit in an open courtyard strung with leafy banana-leaf garlands. Two priests stand at the fire: the nearer one wears a white dhoti and a saffron-yellow turban, carries a brass plate of offerings, and wears a beaded rudraksha-style mala; the other, bald and bare-chested, wears a white dhoti and mala and holds offerings over the flames. A seated priest in white with a mala is in the lower left foreground. Round brass kalasha pots, brass lamps, flower petals and a large carved wooden drum-shaped disc sit around the fire. Seated devotees in white and orange clothing watch from the left, and more people stand in the background.2010-10-16 +1 copies