October 25 2006 - Nithyanandapedia

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October 25 2006

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Evening outdoor fire ritual under a canopy of green banana leaves and hanging bunches of green bananas. Two priests in white dhotis with orange shawls sit before a blazing fire pit ringed with stacked white blocks, one with a red-marked forehead. Seated around the fire are many devotees, mostly women in colourful saris (red, yellow, purple, maroon, blue) and men in white. Another man in a blue shirt and white dhoti stands at the back. A white banner or board hangs on a stand at left. The visible fire and offerings suggest a homa, though no a person candidate is clearly identifiable by appearance.

Night outdoor ritual under a canopy of green banana bunches and leaves strung along a bamboo frame and corrugated roof. At left, a robed man in white with an orange-saffron shawl sits before a blazing fire pit lined with white bricks, a microphone stand beside him. A row of women in colourful saris sit cross-legged on mats and blue cloth facing the fire, several with flowers in their hair and some with white head coverings. Other devotees sit in the background, and a white projection screen stands at right. Partially visible men in white dhotis stand near the back. The setting is a homa or yagna with devotees seated for satsang.

An outdoor evening ritual under a thatched canopy strung with leaves and small orange flowers. A yellow brick fire pit (homa kunda) sits on sand in the centre, decorated with pink flower petals, with brass vessels and offerings placed around it. A priest in white with a white shawl and a tripundra on his forehead holds a microphone and gestures over the pit. Men in white dress and rudraksha malas sit on mats near the pit, and a man standing at the right in white with a rudraksha mala holds his hands in anjali. A seated elderly man in white with rudraksha beads sits at the left. Behind them a large crowd of mostly children and women in colourful saris and salwars sits on white plastic chairs and mats, many with hands pressed in prayer. Fruit, flowers and a brass lamp are arranged on a table at the right.

Night photo of a homa or fire ritual in an open-air temple courtyard. A small fire burns in a pit of stacked bricks at the lower right, with a brass pot and offerings nearby. A large crowd of women in saris sits cross-legged on mats in a circle, many in orange, blue, green and purple. A woman in a green sari stands at the left, and a priest in white kneels at the right beside the fire. Green mango-leaf torans hang overhead, and bright lights illuminate the scene. Pillars and a shrine area with lamps are visible behind.

Night-time outdoor ritual at an open-sided pavilion. Dozens of seated women in saris and salwar kameez, many in orange, red, magenta, blue and yellow, sit on the paved floor facing a raised platform at right. On the platform, a row of women in white and green garlanded saris sit in front of a bright fire pit. Standing near the platform, a man in an orange turban and orange robe holds a lamp, while other robed attendees in saffron and orange stand behind him. A large oil lamp and small lamps are lit in front. A black bull statue draped with garlands sits at left, and a green banner with a world-map graphic hangs at top right.

December 16 2010

April 17 2011

June 19 2014

2014-06-19 +1 copies

A night-time outdoor ritual under a large tent canopy with green, orange and yellow decorative fabric hanging from the ceiling. Several people in saffron and orange robes sit on a raised platform and tend a fire pit, with smoke rising in the air. Rows of devotees in white clothes and yellow garments sit on mats and floor cushions, and a few seated people watch from plastic chairs on the left. Banana plants and bamboo poles frame the space, and strings of lights and a decorated shrine with deity murti are visible at the back. The scene appears to be a homa or yagna with an offering fire.

Night photograph of a dense crowd at an outdoor street gathering. In the centre, a man in a white dhoti and white shirt with a white tilak on his forehead holds up his hands toward a lit flame or camphor held by a woman in a yellow sari. A younger man with a saffron-orange shawl over white clothes stands in front, back to camera, and a boy in a dark top stands at left. Around them, many devotees sit and stand, several women in saffron, orange and yellow saris with vermilion dots, and men in white and pastel shirts. A printed sheet is visible in hands at right. The scene is lit by the flame and a dim streetlamp.

October 25 2006

A night outdoor homa or yagna at an open-air ritual site under a canopy of leafy branches strung with hanging garlands and small lights. A square yellow brick fire pit sits on a raised earthen platform, decorated with pink flower petals and offerings including coconuts, bananas and brass vessels. A bare-chested priest with a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged at left in white clothes, and a woman in white with a sacred ash marking sits beside him. A woman seated at the pit holds a microphone and recites, while standing men in white dhotis and shirts with folded hands watch. A large seated crowd of devotees, many children, fills the foreground and background.