December 28 2017 - Nithyanandapedia

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December 28 2017

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A large fire burns atop a tiered structure of yellow-painted bricks scattered with red flower petals, a homa or yagna fire pit. Two shirtless men in orange cloth and rudraksha malas tend the flames, one in an orange turban and one with long hair bound up. Behind them, women in orange saris and red bindis stand near the fire. Foreground tables hold steel plates of grains, pulses, seeds, dried fruits, powdered substances, marigolds and rose petals as offerings, with a stone mortar and pestle. A crowd of onlookers in white and orange is visible in the background, and a bamboo scaffold stands at left.

December 28 2017

January 01 2018

A large outdoor homa fire blazes on a stepped platform of yellow-painted bricks scattered with red and pink flower petals, with burning logs at the top. In the foreground, plates and mounds of coloured powders in yellow, red, white and orange sit beside bowls of dried herbs, roots and grains, used as offerings. Behind the fire, a tripod of tall metal poles frames the scene. A large crowd of mostly women in white, red and blue clothing, some wearing rudraksha malas, sits or stands under a canopy and watches the ritual. A man in a light robe stands near the tripod, and a video camera on a stand is visible at left. The setting appears to be an open-air ritual ground in daylight.

December 20 2017

Night homa ritual at an outdoor fire altar with a white tiered platform. A bald man in saffron-orange robes sits cross-legged at right, extending a long ladle-like stick toward a bright flame rising from the fire pit. Several men in white dhotis and shawls sit around the altar, some bare-chested with rudraksha malas, and one wears a tilak. Behind them a woman in orange and red sits on an ornate gold-trimmed red throne, and a smoky haze fills the air. Trays of food, rice, vegetables, prawns and bowls of offerings are arranged in front, with a brass plate and kalasha-style vessels, and a crowd of devotees watches from the dark background.

2010-11-05 +1 copies

A homa fire ritual in an indoor hall with a fire burning on a stack of yellow-painted bricks. A shaved-headed priest in an orange-red dhoti with a sacred thread and beaded neck garland sits at left, gripping grass bundles and feeding them toward the flames. Beside him, a younger priest in orange cloth with a white tilak on his forehead watches the fire. Behind them, several men in white kurtas, one wearing rudraksha beads, sit observing. Silver puja vessels, a metal tray and a brass oil lamp rest on the floor in the foreground, and a woman in white is partly visible at the right edge.

December 12 2017

October 08 2013

A photograph of a night homa at a brick-lined square fire pit, with a bright flame rising from burning wood. Several shaved-headed priests in maroon and rust-red robes with rudraksha malas sit cross-legged around the pit, one pouring an offering into the fire from a small bowl, others tending the fire. Silver bowls of liquid, a tray of rose petals and marigold-orange petals lie on the brick edges, and a plate of seeds sits nearby. Behind them a seated crowd in the dim violet light watches, with orange garlands and hanging ropes above. A priest in saffron cloth stands at the left edge.

August 31 2017

A homa is performed at night outdoors beside a white stepped fire pit in which a bright flame burns. A bare-chested man in an orange dhoti and orange shawl stands at the pit pouring liquid from a vessel, with a dark-haired figure in orange nearby. Seated priests in white dhotis surround the altar, some holding offerings. Brass lamps with lit wicks, bowls of rice, sweets, fruits and yellow flowers are spread on a red cloth in the foreground. Behind them a red and gold throne stands empty under hanging orange and blue banners, and a camera operator films at the lower right. Hanging ornaments and an om-shaped motif decorate the pavilion. a person, identity uncertain from appearance, is the orange-clad man pouring at the fire pit, distinguished by his shaved head and orange robes but without other clear cues.