September 13 2013 - Nithyanandapedia

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September 13 2013

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September 13 2013

Night outdoor ritual at a yellow-painted tiered altar decorated with red and white flowers. Three young priests in saffron-orange robes stand behind it with white tripundra markings on their foreheads and arms; the nearest wears rudraksha beads and holds a brass vessel. Dried grass stalks and wooden logs stand in a fire pit at the centre. A large seated audience in white and light clothing fills the background, with a woman in white in the lower left foreground. No clear a person candidate is distinguishable; the figures are priests and devotees.

September 13 2013

September 13 2013

A night puja at a temple shrine with a fire pit (homa kunda) in the foreground. A priest in a white dhoti with bare upper body and sacred ash marks stands before a flaming camphor or oil lamp (aarti), held over a decorated deity murti heavily garlanded with red, white and yellow flowers on an orange cloth. Two assistant priests in white dhotis, one holding a bell and a small vessel, stand at left; another wears a yellow shawl and a rudraksha-style necklace. Bananas and fruit sit on a tray at right. a person is not visibly present; no appearance-based candidate qualifies.

An outdoor ritual at a homa fire pit in a temple courtyard. A priest in white dhoti with bare upper body, a yellow turban and sandalwood-marked arms holds a plate over the burning fire pit. Behind him, a deity murti is decorated with a large garland of red, yellow and orange flowers, flanked by marigold offerings and kalasha pots on a red-draped platform. On the left, a shaved-headed man and a young attendant in orange robes sit with folded hands. On the right, a young woman in orange sari with rudraksha mala sits near the fire. Brass vessels and ritual implements rest on the stone fire pit.

Outdoor night homa at a brick fire pit where a priest in white dhoti with a green turban and marigold garland pours offerings into bright flames, while another priest bare-chested in white dhoti assists nearby. In the foreground a seated person in a red and gold saffron-toned garment with a long dark hairstyle sits on a red cushion facing the fire, and a second seated woman with a forehead mark is at the right edge. On the left, a silver tray holds white and green decorated figures and a deity murti, with flower petals scattered on the ground. A silver car is parked behind a corrugated wall.

September 19 2015

A night homa in progress at a yellow-and-white square fire pit filled with logs and burning embers, with smoke rising. A young priest in white dhoti and a white head wrap, bare-chested with rudraksha malas and sandalwood markings, pours or tends offerings at the fire with a stick. Behind him, a shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits attentively, and several women in orange saris with rudraksha malas and white forehead markings sit at left. Devotees in white shirts and dark clothes sit in the background among dim lights.

A night homa ritual beside a brick fire pit with a bright flame, lined with yellow-painted edges. A young boy seated on a low wooden seat with a patterned cloth, wearing orange saffron cloth and a rudraksha mala, white body markings on his arms and chest, looks toward the fire. Beside him, a shaved-headed boy in orange and rudraksha malas sits on the floor pouring offerings, while another boy in orange with a tilak holds a bowl. Brass bowls of offerings, a bundle of sticks and a lamp sit in front. A young attendant in an orange turban and multiple malas holds a tray of herbs and offerings. Lamps and a brass vessel are visible at the edges.

A photograph of a night homa in progress at a fire pit set in a yellow-bordered square, with a bright flame rising from it. Several people in white dhotis with gold borders sit around the pit; the three in the foreground face away from the camera, wearing rudraksha malas. Behind the fire, a group of robed priests in orange and saffron sit on a mat, some with white markings on their foreheads, one playing a small hand instrument. At the centre, a seated figure in an orange turban and saffron robe, with a rudraksha mala, sits before the fire. To the right, a large golden seat draped in red and green cloth is garlanded with yellow and red flowers, and a mound of smoke drifts through the scene.

A photograph of a homa fire ceremony at night in an open pavilion. A large flame rises from a square yellow-painted fire pit decorated with green mangoes and bundles of sacred twigs. Seated around it are several young men in saffron-orange cloth with white body markings, rudraksha-style beaded necklaces and gold pendants. The central figure wears white dhoti and shawl with a green head wrap and a red tilak, holding a ritual vessel and spoon-like implement. Another seated youth at right holds a ritual item, while others press palms together in prayer. A man in white stands in the background near a shrine display.