Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Outdoor ritual at a sandy earthen pit filled with white ash or lime and scattered flowers, set among tall coconut palms. A standing man in saffron-orange robes with a long wooden staff and a rudraksha-style garland holds a ceremonial rod, while a kneeling figure in orange robes and a long orange wrap tends the pit beside a small stone or metal deity murti on a low wooden stand. Behind them a large crowd of people in white dhotis and white sarees stands in rows, many with hands folded in prayer, and a brass kalasha pot sits at the left edge. A homa-style fire pit or puja setup is visible at the right.

More like this

Open the gallery
Outdoor ritual at a rectangular earthen pit filled with white ash or lime, scattered with petals, under tall coconut palms. A figure in orange robes and a long orange-beaded mala stands at the front holding a ceremonial staff, while a second person in orange kneels at the pit's edge tending the rite. A small kalasha-like pot and offerings sit on a low wooden platform. Crowds stand behind a rope line: women in white and cream saris with hands folded in prayer on the left, and men in white dhotis and shirts, some with orange shawls, on the right. A few people wear orange saris. Temporary white tent structures are visible at the upper left.2008-12-31Outdoor ritual beside a long rectangular earthen trench lined with white ash or powder, with a small brass kalasha and a lit offering set at its head. Dozens of devotees stand along both sides in white and cream dhotis, saris and kurtas, many with palms pressed together in namaskar. A man in a saffron-orange robe kneels at the trench's edge with a vessel, while a woman in orange and another in a red and white sari stand near a tall ceremonial staff. Coconut palms and a pile of cut firewood frame the scene under bright daylight.2008-12-31Outdoor ritual at a sandy ground beside tall coconut palms, with a long rectangular pit filled with white ash or flowers as the centre. Along the left, a line of women in white and cream saris with pale blue and orange borders stand with palms pressed together in namaste. On the right, a standing figure in orange robes with a red-and-white garland and a rudraksha-style necklace holds a brass vessel near the pit, flanked by men in white dhotis and shirts and a second figure in orange sari-like robes. Small brass pots and a small deity murti sit on a low platform at the pit's edge. Stacked logs lie at right, and a white canopy and bunting appear in the background, with a crowd of onlookers behind. Outdoor ritual scene; the figure in orange with the garland is a visible candidate but his appearance is uncertain.2008-12-31A photograph of an outdoor homa (fire ritual) at an ashram. In the centre, a long-haired man in a saffron-orange robe stands at the edge of a square brick fire pit containing small burning sticks, with yellow flower petals on the bricks. He wears a large orange and white garland and holds a silver plate of flowers. A younger man in an orange robe and white dhoti stands behind him holding a wooden staff. Around them, a crowd of devotees dressed in white clothes with gold borders stands with palms pressed together in namaste; several women wear orange shawls. Brass vessels, a bowl of green leaves, a microphone on a stand and a cluster of pink and white flowers lie on the mat. Green trees and an orange canopy form the background.2008-07-27December 30 20072007-12-30July 12 20062006-07-12Outdoor ritual scene in a sandy yard beside a white tarp fence and palm trees. In the foreground a shallow pit holds white ash or burnt material, with brass pots and offerings set at its edge on the ground. A man in a lime-green kurta and white dhoti stands barefoot at the pit's edge, near a row of devotees in white and cream clothing, many with hands folded. A man in white shirt and dhoti with a lanyard stands at right beside a man in a white dhoti wrapped with an orange cloth, and a man in a white turban and blue shirt stands further right. Several dozen people stand behind a white rope barrier, many wearing name badges, with saris in yellow, green and pink.2008-12-31Outdoor fire-ritual scene beneath tall coconut palms. A long rectangular pit of white ash runs through reddish-brown earth, bordered by a raised earthen edge, with a small kalasha-style pot and offerings placed at its head. A man in a saffron/orange robe stands at the centre holding a tall staff, flanked by people in white dhotis and white garments, some wearing saffron shawls. A row of women in white and cream saris with blue and orange borders on the left stand with palms pressed together in anjali. Stacked firewood sits at the right edge. Several onlookers watch from behind a rope barrier and a tent canopy.2008-12-31July 27 20082008-07-27November 12 20082008-11-12Outdoors on bare red earth, a woman in an orange-red robe with long dark curly hair kneels at a square pit lined with white-painted bricks decorated with pink lotus flowers and yellow marigolds, lowering a long metal rod into the hole. Beside her a kalasha-like green coconut sits on a brass tray with a brass oil lamp garlanded in flowers. Nearby, a man in orange robe and rudraksha mala stands with palms joined, and a man in orange with a shawl stands behind. Around them, many devotees in white clothes and saffron or teal saris sit and stand with hands folded, while leaves, brass plates of offerings and a mound of excavated soil lie in the foreground. This appears to be a bhoomipooja ground-breaking ceremony.2008-11-12November 12 20082008-11-12