Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night-time homa at an open-air ritual site. A square white fire pit (homa kunda) with stepped edges sits in the foreground, surrounded by offering plates of limes, coconuts, red chillies, flowers, a bright orange cloth and a silver tray. Behind it, a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with a beaded mala and yellow marks on his forehead performs the rite with raised hands, while two women in white and yellow saris sit at the altar. Strings of multicoloured lights and draped cloth decorate the background, and a brass lamp stands at the right edge.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night photo of an outdoor homa ritual on a white-draped platform. A raised white square fire pit with a dark central basin sits at centre-right. Three people sit before it: a woman in a white sari with pink floral accents on the left, a young girl in a yellow garment in the middle, and a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold chains on the right, holding ritual items. Plates of mangoes, limes, coconuts, red chillies, sweets and marigold-like flowers are arranged on the cloth in front. Strings of fairy lights and a banana-leaf arch decorate the background, and a brass oil lamp stands by the pit.2010-10-12A night-time homa or yagna at an outdoor shrine lit with string lights. A white-raised square fire pit stands in front of a deity murti with a crown and garlands. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with rudraksha beads sits behind the pit. A woman in a white sari and a young girl in white sit beside him, and a man in white stands in the background near the pit. Trays of fruit, red flowers, coconuts, bananas and kumkum-coloured offerings are spread across a white cloth in the foreground. Hanging decorative banners in red, orange and white frame the scene, and a kalasha and oil lamps are visible on the right.2010-10-12Night outdoor homa ritual on a white cloth-covered table laden with offerings: heaped dried red chilies, coconuts in a brass tray, bowls of limes and yellow lemons, a plate of white sweets, bananas, apples, pink flower petals and an orange silk cloth on a silver tray. Two women in white saris sit behind the offerings, one in white with a red mark, another in pale yellow. At right, a shaved-headed priest in white with a gold-beaded necklace tends a brass vessel with a lamp beside a white stepped altar platform. Colourful striped decorative poles and a banana plant stand in the background.2010-10-12Night ritual scene at a homa fire pit: a square white-tiled altar with a dark central pit sits on a white cloth. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a gold necklace and a white tilak on his forehead kneels behind it, holding a ladle over the pit. Two women in white and yellow saris sit to the left beside platters of red chillies, limes, coconuts and marigolds. Behind the altar stands a large illuminated deity murti, with a multi-armed goddess holding weapons and riding a lion, a Ganesha figure, lit brass oil lamps and a decorated arch. Strings of multicolored lights hang on a building in the background.2010-10-12November 05 20102010-11-05October 15 20102010-10-15Indoor photograph of a homa fire ceremony in a temple hall at night. A square fire pit built of white bricks has a flame burning inside it. A man in white clothing with a yellow shawl sits cross-legged behind the pit, holding a ladle and offerings. Another man in white with a yellow cloth sits to the left, and two women in salwar-style dress sit on the floor at right facing the fire. Brass oil lamps stand around the pit, with brass plates of fruit, flowers, dried leaves and offerings on the floor. Behind them are small deity murti set in golden arches decorated with garlands, and a tall orange-robed figure stands in the upper background.2009-09-20Night outdoor homa at a fire pit lined with white marble in a temple courtyard. A priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a beaded necklace, stands at the centre holding a flaming torch to the fire. Seated priests in white clothes with beaded necklaces, one with hands folded in prayer, surround the pit, with brass plates of offerings, flowers, nuts and fruit in front. Behind them a pink Ganesha murti is garlanded with flowers, with brass lamps, a green cloth and strings of coloured lights overhead. Five visible people; no identifiable a person in appearance.2010-10-16 +1 copiesA homa is performed inside a white temple hall with a small brick fire pit burning in the centre. A man in white dhoti and shirt sits cross-legged on the left, tending the fire, and a woman in white sits beside him. Three women in saris, one in red and gold and others in yellow and gold, kneel in front of the fire pit and offerings. Brass plates of fruit, bananas, coconuts, flowers and betel leaves are arranged on the floor. Behind them stand two orange-clad deity murtis flanking a shrine, and on the right a framed portrait draped with orange and red garlands sits on a throne-like seat with a brass lamp, showing a seated figure in orange robes with a rudraksha mala.October 26 20112011-10-26October 08 20102010-10-08November 05 20102010-11-05