Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of an evening homa at night. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with red borders sits cross-legged on a tiger-skin mat, wearing a gold beaded necklace and a bangle, and holds a leaf or wooden offering over a fire pit. A visible fire burns at the right of the pit, with sticks and a small pile of offerings beside it, and a silver bowl containing liquid and flowers sits before the fire. Behind are decorated clay murti of deities including a Ganesha with an elephant head and a lion-headed figure, adorned with white lace, garlands and lamps, with a silver-framed deity display and brass oil lamps nearby. A small logo appears in the upper left corner.

More like this

Open the gallery
A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with red borders sits cross-legged on a tiger-striped mat, offering dried leaves and herbs from a brass plate into a flame before a decorated altar. He wears a gold necklace, gold bangles, and sacred ash marks on his forehead and arms. Behind him stand a deity murti with a lion mount, a ganesha murti with pink garlands, and oil lamps on brass stands, with a silver bowl and flowers on a stone platform in front. The scene suggests a homa ritual, with the priest offering into the fire.2010-10-12A seated priest in white dhoti and shawl with red border, bare-shouldered, with gold chain and white tripundra on forehead, holds a brass tray of burning offerings with a flame during a homa. Behind him stand large colourful deity murtis including an elephant-headed figure and a multi-armed goddess with a lion, and an oil lamp stands on a brass stand. To the right, a decorated deity murti sits draped in pink and white flower garlands and silver ornaments on a red cloth. A brass vessel and flowers rest on a stone platform in front of the priest.2010-10-12A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl sits cross-legged on a mat before a homa fire pit, extending his right hand over the offering area. He wears a gold necklace and a gold bangle, with a tilak on his forehead. Behind him stand brightly decorated deity murtis, including a pink and gold Ganesha with a red garland and a female figure in green and gold. A brass oil lamp and brass bowls with offerings sit on the altar, and a small deity murti in white and orange flower garlands sits at right. Fairy lights line the backdrop, and a lion figure appears at the far right.2010-10-13A priest in white dhoti and shawl with a red border sits on a striped cushion, pouring ghee from a ladle into a fire pit lined with stone. Brass oil lamps and a lit clay lamp surround the homa area, with a bronze bowl and trays of offerings nearby. Behind him, a large deity murti with a lion mount and multi-armed figures stands in front of white floral decorations, with garlanded female figures and a pink Ganesha at the sides. Marigold garlands and kumkum-colored offerings are visible on the floor. The priest's face is turned down toward the homa and is not clearly visible.2010-10-13October 08 20102010-10-08A photograph of an evening homa-style ritual at a temple-like shrine. A bald man in white ritual dress with a red border and a white shawl sits on a tiger-skin seat, reaching toward a flower-garlanded object on a stone platform. Brass oil lamps, a lit lamp and a silver bowl with a ladle sit before him. Behind are large deity murtis, including a lion figure and an elephant-headed form, decorated with white garlands and red flower garlands, with yellow kumkum and offerings nearby.2010-10-13A photograph of a temple puja at night. A man with a shaved head and a bare chest, wearing a white dhoti with a red border and gold chains and a gold pendant, holds a bundle of burning sticks or a flaming lamp over an offering. Beside him, a man in white kurta stands in the background. Behind the offering stand, a pink-faced Ganesha murti in gold and red garments, a female deity murti with a white floral backdrop, and a fierce lion-mounted deity murti in white lace-like decoration are arranged on the altar. A white ceremonial umbrella and a brass oil lamp stand are visible, along with a blue-lettered sign reading part of 'Mandir'. Ornate white and gold decorations frame the shrine.2010-10-15Night ritual homa at a temple pavilion. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti stands at left holding a flaming ladle over a square fire pit of blazing wood. Around the fire, about a dozen seated men in white dhotis and cloths, some wearing gold-bead necklaces, sit on mats with brass plates of offerings, fruits and flowers. To the right, large ornate deity murtis in white and silver decorations, including a figure with a crown and weapons, stand beside brass lamps and strings of fairy lights. Hanging banners and painted pillars frame the scene.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 15 20102010-10-15October 08 20102010-10-08October 15 20102010-10-15A photo of a ritual inside a temple hall at night. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a red border and white sacred markings on his torso and arms kneels on a tiger-skin mat, pouring liquid from a long-handled brass ladle into a square black-lined fire pit or homa kund edged with white and flower petals. Brass vessels, a silver bowl with flowers, a brass lamp stand and yellow marigolds surround him. Behind him, a second man in white sits with a rudraksha-style necklace. In the background stand a pink-faced Ganesha murti and a goddess murti in red and white, beneath a large painted image of a multi-armed goddess riding a lion. The scene suggests a homa or abhishekam performed during a festival.2010-10-08