Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a homa fire ceremony in an outdoor courtyard. A large square wooden fire pit with a bright orange flame stands in the foreground. Six girls in traditional South Indian dress sit in a row behind it, wearing jasmine and marigold garlands; their saris and blouses are red, green, orange and peach. A man in white ritual clothes with a red turban sits cross-legged at the left, hands folded before him. Brass oil lamps, a trident-shaped brass object and yellow flower offerings sit on the mat and beside the fire pit. Green plants and a red wall form the background, with a carved lion figure at the right edge.

More like this

Open the gallery
A photograph of a homa at an outdoor temple area. A priest in white dhoti and a red-and-white head cloth bends forward over a wooden-framed fire pit, where a tall flame rises from burning offerings. Five young girls sit on the floor behind the fire, wearing white jasmine garlands and red, green and orange silk dresses, several holding small yellow cloth bags. Brass oil lamps and small bowls stand on the ground, and an ornately carved temple structure with painted lion and elephant figures and flower garlands is visible on the right. Foliage and a red boundary wall sit behind. No identifiable a person figure is visible.2014-10-03October 03 20142014-10-03October 03 20142014-10-03A photograph of a homa fire ritual at an outdoor temple-style courtyard. A large square golden-yellow fire pit holds a bright flame, with white petal or powder offerings dotted around its rim. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold borders stands at the left, bending forward and offering items toward the fire. Another man in a white dhoti kneels at the far left, and a man in reddish-brown dhoti stands behind with hands folded. Five young girls in red and gold sarees with white flower garlands sit in a row behind the fire pit. A silver kalasha or vessel sits on the left edge, and a colourful deity shrine with yellow marigold garlands and carved lions is visible at the top right. Banana plants and a flagpole appear in the background.2014-10-03A photograph of an outdoor ritual homa at an ashram. A large blazing fire burns in a brick-and-wood fire pit on the left. A man in white dhoti kneels at a raised red-cloth platform, tending brass pots, bowls and offerings beside the fire. Seated before him are several young girls in saffron, green and cream clothes with white and orange flower garlands in their hair. Behind them, dozens of boys and young men in saffron robes and rudraksha beads sit on mats with garlands. A man in a rust-red shawl and flower garland sits on an orange armchair on a raised platform at the back, with a video camera on a tripod at the right. Red pillars and green trees frame the open pavilion.2014-10-03Outdoor ritual homa at an ashram courtyard. A large square wooden fire pit with a tall flame sits in the foreground, with a brass kalasha and a small oil lamp nearby. A man in white dhoti and a red turban kneels beside the fire, pouring offerings. Behind him, several young girls in orange and red saris with white jasmine garlands kneel and watch. On the left, a seated figure in saffron-orange robes and a long white and red garland rests in an orange armchair on a striped mat; the figure's appearance is not distinctive enough to confirm identity. Other robed attendants in saffron and white stand nearby, and a flower-filled plate lies on the mat.2014-10-03A photograph of a homa fire pit with flames rising from a tiered wooden platform. Behind it, six young girls sit cross-legged on a floor in traditional dress, each wearing white jasmine garlands; several wear red or orange silk blouses and skirts with green or teal borders. Some hold small objects in their hands. Behind them is a temple structure with red and white striped pillars, a lion figure, and a deity murti. A brass oil lamp stands at the right edge with yellow flowers. No a person candidate is visible; all people are girls seated in ritual attendance.2014-10-03A homa fire burns in a wooden-framed brick fire pit outdoors beside a temple-style structure with carved stone and painted deity figures, garlands of yellow and white flowers, and a lion and cobra carving. A man in a white dhoti with a saffron-coloured waist sash and a red-and-pink head cloth bends forward over the fire, placing offerings near the flames, with a rudraksha mala hanging from his neck. Five girls in red, green and orange saris and salwar kameez sit in a row on the platform, each wearing white jasmine garlands and holding small yellow cloth bags. Brass bowls with flower petals and small oil lamps sit on the floor. Whether the officiant is a person could not be confirmed from appearance.2014-10-03Outdoor fire ritual under a open pavilion with a large wooden fire pit blazing in the foreground. A man in a white dhoti kneels at the pit, tending the flames, while a row of young girls in green, pink and orange-red saris with flower garlands sits beside it. Brass vessels, a tray of flowers and an offering plate lie near the fire, and a decorated cart with a white cloth stands in the background among banana plants and bunting.2014-10-03Outdoor homa at dawn beside a wooden fire pit with a large flame. A man in a white dhoti seated on an orange armchair, wearing an orange-and-gold cloth and a floral garland, holds his palms joined in namaste. Beside him a priest in white dhoti with a red turban raises a lit lamp toward the fire. Behind the fire, young girls in red-orange traditional dress with flower garlands sit in a row. Marigold offerings and a brass oil lamp rest in the foreground on a striped rug, and a pink wall, palms and bunting frame the scene. a person: the seated man in orange and gold with a long garland matches the page's stated presence, but his face and features are not visible enough to confirm; he is seated apart from the priest.2014-10-03October 03 20142014-10-03Outdoor homa at a temple-style courtyard under a canopy with hanging garlands and pennants. A fire burns in a wooden yagna pit with stepped sides in the centre. Seated at left in an orange chair, a long-haired man in saffron-red robes and flower garlands sits on a striped cloth. Behind the fire, young girls in orange and red saris with flower garlands kneel with folded hands, and a boy in white dhoti holds offerings. A priest in white dhoti and red turban stands performing the ritual, with brass vessels, a kalasha and a decorated deity murti at right.2014-10-03