Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night photo of a homa fire ceremony in an outdoor or open-sided space. A large bright fire burns in the centre on a stacked pile of white blocks, with a brass kalasha and oil lamp to the side. Two men in white clothes with saffron/orange shawls sit behind the fire facing it, while many seated men in white and women in saris sit in a circle around it. The women wear blue, yellow, purple, pink and maroon saris, many with flowers in their hair, and some have their hands folded in prayer. A woven mat covers the ground and a small white box sits on the right. a person not clearly identifiable from appearance.

More like this

Open the gallery
October 25 20062006-10-25A photograph of a homa fire ritual in an indoor hall. A brick-lined fire pit with bright flames sits on a woven mat in the foreground, with pots, a metal vessel, a plate of yellow food, a flower garland and offerings arranged beside it. A priest in white clothing with an orange cloth over his shoulder sits at the front left, tending the fire. About a dozen women in saris of white, cream, pink, purple and yellow sit in a semicircle behind, along with a few children, including a girl in an orange dress. Some women are in white saris with gold borders. Watching quietly, they form the audience for the fire offering.2006-10-25October 25 20062006-10-25October 25 20062006-10-25October 25 20062006-10-25October 25 20062006-10-25A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a floor-level indoor setting. A brick-enclosed fire pit burns brightly at centre, with a priest in white clothes and an orange-saffron shawl kneeling at the near side, feeding offerings and tending the flames with a long wooden stick. Around the fire lie bowls of yellow flowers and offerings, a metal vessel, and a folded white cloth. Behind the fire, about two dozen women and children in sarees of cream, yellow, pink and purple sit on mats and watch quietly. The ritual is shown in dim evening light.2006-10-25Night 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.2006-10-25October 25 20062006-10-25October 25 20062006-10-25Night 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.2006-10-25A photograph of a homa or yagna at a fire pit built from stacked bricks, with flames and rising smoke in the centre. Several women in saris stand and kneel around it inside a pillared hall, and a woman in a purple sari bends low to tend the fire. Brass oil lamps and small offerings sit near the pit, and a crowd of devotees fills the background. A date stamp in the lower right reads 25 10 2006.2006-10-25