December 15 2016 - Nithyanandapedia

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December 15 2016

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January 07 2015

2015-01-07 +1 copies

Night ritual homa in a canopied temple hall strung with coloured lights. A fire burns in a tiered brass fire pit decorated with marigolds and red flowers, with fruit and offering trays in front. Two priests sit on the left in white dhotis and shawls; the central priest wears a yellow shawl, holds a ladle over the fire, and a bare-chested man on the right tends a basket of herbs. Behind them a golden deity murti and a golden throne with a seated figure in saffron-coloured robes sit beneath a garland. Yellow and green curtains and flower garlands frame the scene.

January 03 2015

A homa fire ritual in a pandal with gold-framed umbrellas and a decorated altar. Two priests sit at a brick fire pit: one bare-chested in a yellow dhoti with pink headwrap sprinkles grains, while another in white and a saffron shawl tends the flames. Behind, a throne-like altar holds deity murtis garlanded with flower mala, and a kalasha sits before a decorated pedestal. Three singers in white and red sit on a striped rug before microphones chanting. Devotees in white sit in chairs in the background, and smoke rises from the fire.

A nighttime homa or yagna at an open-air temple pavilion. A sacred fire burns in a tiered wooden fire altar wrapped in marigold and yellow flower garlands, with offerings in brass bowls and silver lamps beside it. Several priests sit cross-legged in white dhotis; a bearded man in a yellow shawl and white clothing holds a ladle over the fire, another man in white sits at the left, and a bald man in white sits behind. Behind them a large golden throne with ornate lion and sunburst carvings holds a seated figure in orange robes and a red headpiece, garlanded with flowers. Several other people stand near a deity murti decorated with flowers in the background. Tiered flower garlands, purple and gold drapery and string lights frame the scene.

A night-time homa at an open-air temple pavilion strung with multicoloured lights and hanging decorations. A fire burns in a central gold-trimmed fire pit, with smoke rising, surrounded by flower garlands, brass bowls, banana and fruit offerings, and bundled sticks. Several priests sit on a patterned mat chanting, some holding microphones. One priest in a white dhoti and yellow-orange shawl gestures with his hand toward the fire. Another in white with a brown shawl sits to the right, and a younger man in white with a bare torso sits in front. Behind the fire stands a golden deity murti under an ornate golden arch with a sun-like halo. Several devotees in the background, including women in pink and purple saris, watch the ritual.

December 12 2016

November 29 2011

A photograph of a homa or yagna at a temple hall. A fire burns in a brick fire pit decorated with marigold garlands on the left. Five men stand or kneel around it, most bare-chested in white dhotis with gold borders and gold necklaces; one kneeling man wears a purple-red turban and mala and tends the fire. On the right, a flower-decorated palanquin or deity canopy with marigold and jasmine garlands, pink and purple cloths, coconuts, brass vessels and a woven basket of offerings sits beside an orange-clad man with garlands who folds his hands. Strings of marigolds hang from the ceiling and red and paper lanterns decorate the hall. No candidate for a person is clearly visible.

A homa fire ritual inside a decorated tent. A fire burns in a brick fire pit bordered with coloured rangoli, with smoke rising. A man in an orange-yellow cloth and red rudraksha mala holds a lit oil lamp and a small brass vessel near the fire. Around him, priests in white dhotis sit on the floor, one bare-chested and one wearing a white shawl, with brass pots and offering bowls. Behind them stands a decorated deity murti garlanded with orange and yellow flowers, with a silver-trimmed throne and brass oil lamps nearby. A microphone stands at the edge of the fire. Four physical people are clearly visible, plus a child at the fire pit.

Outdoor-style temple pavilion during a puja. Priests in white dhotis, some bare-chested with gold necklaces and rudraksha malas, sit on a red cloth floor chanting into microphones. A deity murti stands decorated with red, orange and yellow flower garlands, a red and gold canopy overhead. Brass plates, kalasha pots, fruit, flower offerings and oil lamps are arranged before it. Umbrellas with gold trim line the sides. Several devotees sit on the right, hands folded. No individual is clearly identifiable as a person.