Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A homa ritual at a temple shrine with a deity murti decorated with red and yellow garlands behind an altar. A priest in white dhoti with gold trim pours a liquid from a bottle into a square fire pit with a flame. To the left, a shaved-headed man in orange robes and a white garland stands holding a metal bowl. Seated devotees in white clothes with flower garlands sit around the fire pit, including a woman in an orange sari holding a small child in teal, and a man in white. A videographer in a striped yellow shirt films on the right. Brass vessels, bananas and a bowl of rice sit on the floor.

More like this

Open the gallery
Evening ritual at a temple shrine. A fire burns on a raised stone hearth in front of an ornate shrine decorated with marigold garlands and holding a deity murti. A man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala stands at left holding a dish, and a young priest in white dhoti with a gold-trimmed cloth lifts a flaming aarti lamp toward the shrine. Seated devotees wear white with flower garlands, one woman in a red and green sari, and a small child in blue sits on a lap at right. Brass lamps and steel vessels are arranged around; banana leaves frame the scene.2011-11-06A photograph of a homa at an ashram shrine. A bald priest in an orange dhoti with an orange shawl and beaded necklace stands at left holding a small bowl. Beside him a young man in white dhoti with gold border and white shawl pours a liquid from a silver vessel into a small brick fire pit with an open flame. Behind them a deity murti is garlanded with yellow and orange flowers under a gold arch, with brass lamps and offerings. Seated at right, a woman in orange holds a small child in teal, and a man in white with a flower garland watches. Other seated devotees in white with flower garlands sit near the fire, and bananas and brass vessels rest on the floor at left.2011-11-06Night outdoor ritual under a white and orange canopy. A shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange robes with gold borders pours from a golden vessel over two deity murtis draped in yellow and orange garlands, set on a golden platform. Two seated priests in white dhotis with gold necklaces sit at left and right; the left one holds a microphone and the right one has hands folded in prayer. A brass abhishekam setup, small kalashas and a brass lamp sit on a wooden yagna-style base. Several onlookers stand behind a railing in the dim background, mostly in white and light shirts.2012-01-08A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a temple-like hall. A shirtless priest in a white dhoti with a green and gold border pours or offers material with a ladle, while an ash-colored bald elder in white sits cross-legged beside a man in an orange-and-gold shawl. A square wooden fire pit with a burning fire and smoke is covered with white flower petals and red blossoms. A standing shirtless attendant in a dhoti watches. A large brass kalasha stands near offerings, and red and white garlands hang on decorated pillars at right. Several seated devotees in white are in the background, some with folded hands. A camera is visible near the back.2016-12-07October 15 20102010-10-15February 07 20162016-02-07September 17 20152015-09-17November 06 20112011-11-06A night-time homa at an open-sided temple pavilion with a lit fire pit in the foreground, its brick-lined altar edged in yellow and white rangoli and scattered with grains. Two sannyasi in saffron-orange robes and orange turbans stand bent forward over the fire, one pouring from a small vessel. A seated figure in red and white behind them is partly visible. To the left, a dark deity murti wearing a garland of marigold and red flowers stands beside a silver-covered stand and brass lion figure. Behind the fire, a golden shrine holds gilded deity figures with flower garlands, and colourful striped cloth covers the floor. Three people are visible, all partly shown.2017-09-24 +1 copiesNovember 06 20112011-11-06A homa fire ritual in an indoor hall. In the foreground, a shaven-headed priest in an orange-saffron dhoti and upper cloth, with white horizontal markings on his arms and gold ornaments, feeds offerings into a square brick fire pit with a bright flame. Behind him, about a dozen devotees in white clothes and white shawls sit on the floor with hands folded in prayer. Two metal deity murtis garlanded with white flowers stand on a gold-embroidered cloth at the back, flanked by brass oil lamps. Trays of banana-leaf offerings with flower decorations and small clay bowls sit near the fire.2012-09-04September 05 20122012-09-05