Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A shaved-headed man in white ritual dhoti and shawl with red border sits cross-legged before a fire pit, hands pressed together in namaskar with eyes closed. He wears a long gold-and-beaded necklace and bangles, and has a tilak on his forehead. Before him are a brass bowl with a ladle, plates of offerings including bananas, and a brass oil lamp. Behind him stand a pink Ganesha murti with red garland and a goddess murti in green and gold, beside a small gold deity figure garlanded with white and orange flowers under strings of colourful lights. The scene suggests an evening homa.

More like this

Open the gallery
A photograph of a shaven-headed priest in white ritual dhoti and shawl, with a gold necklace, seated on a mat at a fire pit (homa kunda) performing an offering with a ladle and bowl. Behind him stand large colourful statues of Ganesha in pink and gold and a goddess figure, with a golden oil lamp and offering plates of flowers, grains and fruit in the foreground. A lit string of multicoloured lights hangs in the background. The priest appears to be the only physical person visible.2010-10-13A shaved-headed priest in a white dhoti and white upper cloth with red-bordered edges sits cross-legged on a cushion beside a fire pit lined with pale stone. He wears a long gold-bead necklace and a gold bangle, with white and red tilak marks on his forehead, and holds a brass spoon over a metal bowl of offerings while looking down. Behind him stand a pink and gold Ganesha murti garlanded with red flowers and a female deity murti in white and pink, beside brass oil lamps, a kalasha and string lights. On the right, a dark stone deity murti with a gold crown is decorated with white and yellow flower garlands. The scene suggests a homa or puja in progress.2010-10-13A seated priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a gold-beaded necklace and a shaved head with a white tilak, performs a homa at a fire pit in front of colorful deity murtis. Behind him a pink-and-gold Ganesha figure with a red garland stands beside a white-decorated goddess murti, and a lion figure is visible at the upper right. Brass oil lamps (deepa) and silver bowls holding offerings sit on the altar, and a small deity murti decorated with white and yellow flower garlands sits at right. Strings of colored lights hang in the background. No physical person matches the a person appearance cues.2010-10-13A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl, with a gold-beaded necklace and tilak, kneels on a mat before a fire pit and feeds offerings into it with a wooden ladle. Behind him stand ornate clay deity murtis, including an elephant-headed deity with a pink face and orange-gold garment and a garland, and a figure in white and gold. A row of brass oil lamps stands by the fire pit, with a bowl of grains and sweets at his left. At right, a small deity figure in white and gold is decorated with white flowers and orange-red garlands. Strings of coloured lights hang behind the scene, and a lion-form figure appears at upper right.2010-10-13A 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 bald priest with a white vertical tilak on his forehead sits cross-legged on a white floor before a black stone fire pit, placing offerings into the flames. He wears a white dhoti with a red border and a gold necklace. Behind him stand a pink-faced Ganesha murti in golden drapery with a red garland and a female deity murti in white and pink, beside brass oil lamps, a silver thali of food, and a small bowl of rice. To the right a golden deity with a garlanded flower arrangement is visible. Colourful string lights hang in the background. This is a homa ritual at the fire pit.2010-10-13A photograph of a priest seated cross-legged beside a rectangular fire pit (homa/yagna kund) with dark ash inside, performing a ritual at a small altar. The priest has a shaved head, wears a white dhoti and a gold necklace and bracelet, and sits with palms pressed together in prayer near a microphone on a stand. Behind him stand large decorated murtis of Ganesha in pink and gold, and a female deity figure in pink and white garments, with a lion-shaped carved throne. A brass oil lamp stands on the altar, a bowl sits at the edge of the pit, and garlands of yellow and red flowers adorn a seated murti in front. The scene is an indoor puja setting, with no clearly visible a person candidate.2010-10-15A 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 homa fire ritual in a temple courtyard. Two priests in white dhoti and shawl sit on mats before a brick fire pit where flames rise. The seated priest on the left wears a long beaded rudraksha-style mala and glasses, and the younger man in the centre has his palms pressed together in prayer with a gold-bordered white shawl and beaded neck garland. Behind them, brass kalasha pots with mango leaves and coconuts stand before three deity murtis adorned with white flower garlands, and a red-and-blue cloth covers the altar. Brass bowls and a small oil lamp sit on the ground in front, and a drummer is visible at the far left. Nobody appears to be wearing saffron or ornate a person-style regalia.2010-12-26December 23 20102010-12-23October 08 20102010-10-08October 08 20102010-10-08