Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night ritual photograph in which a large fire blazes on a low stone fire pit in front of a white deity murti decorated with orange and yellow marigold garlands and a white flower crown. A priest in a saffron-red dress stands at left with hands raised in offering beside brass lamps and bells. At right a man with a white and pink flower garland sits on an ornate gold-trimmed throne with a gold canopy, his palms pressed together. A white fan stands near the throne and strings of green leaves and red-and-yellow cloth hang from the top right. A garland-decorated tray sits in the foreground. The scene suggests a homa or fire ritual during a festive evening.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night-time ritual photo at an open-sided temple pavilion. In the foreground, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti and a purple turban sits before a fire pit (homa) with a bright flame and brass vessels with offerings. Centre, a deity murti stands in an ornate gilded shrine arch beneath a multicoloured canopy, draped with white garlands. Right, a figure in a gold-and-red throne (peetha) under a red, green and yellow umbrella, hands folded in namaskar, wearing a dark cap, red shawl and layered flower garlands. Standing attendants in white clothes and a large ceremonial fan stand behind. Floral decorations and kalasha-style offerings surround the platform.2016-02-22 +2 copiesNight ritual inside an open-sided hall with a corrugated metal roof, hung with fresh leaf garlands and a banner above. A fire burns in a square homa pit on a striped cloth-covered dais. Standing figures in white dhotis and bare upper bodies, plus a figure in an orange-gold cloth and a person in a yellow sari, attend the fire, one holding a lit lamp. Behind them are large decorated deity murtis with white floral arches and garlands. In the foreground a gold-trimmed red throne-like seat and a brass kalasha sit beside a small brass vessel. Camera operators stand at the right edge.2016-10-10October 13 20132013-10-13Night-time homa at an open-air shrine. A man in saffron-orange cloth and a saffron turban stands at left, watching. At right, a bare-chested priest in reddish-orange dhoti pours liquid from a brass vessel onto a large blazing fire pit, sending flames and smoke upward. Behind them stands a deity murti decorated with garlands of yellow and white flowers, and an oil lamp burns on the floor with brass pots, plates and offerings around the fire. A table fan is visible behind the fire.2013-10-13July 16 20152015-07-16A homa fire ritual in a tented shrine. A bare-chested priest with red rudraksha malas and an orange-yellow dhoti raises a lit oil lamp toward a fire pit lined with brick, with bright flames rising from it. Two seated assistants in white dhotis and shawls sit at left, and a standing attendant at right. Behind them stand a large deity murti draped in garlands and a silver-framed shrine containing a standing figure with a crown and garlands. Orange triangular banners with floral designs flank the altar, and a microphone stands near the priest.2015-07-16Night outdoor ritual before a large blazing fire pit (homa) on a raised stone platform. A standing white-robed deity murti with garlands and a crown stands behind the fire. On the right, a seated figure in a dark red garment, with a flower garland draped over his shoulders, sits on an ornate gold-and-silver throne, and a white-clad figure with bare arms holds a garland. On the left, a priest in a red-orange dhoti and turban stands at the fire, with brass oil lamps, a kalasha, and a tall ornamented ceremonial umbrella. Flower garlands and marigold offerings lie on the platform, and strands of mango leaves and orange cloth decorate the canopy above.2016-10-29A photograph of a homa fire ritual at night in a tent-like hall. A large fire burns in a brick-lined pit bordered with marigold petals. A man stands at right, bare-chested, wearing an orange and striped dhoti with a red cloth at the waist, a red rudraksha mala around his neck, and gold ornaments, holding a small round hand drum and singing into a handheld microphone held by a person at the upper right edge. A seated priest in white dhoti with a bare upper body tends offerings in a brass bowl at the fire's edge. Behind the fire, a silver-framed throne with a green backdrop holds a deity murti decorated with yellow and orange flower garlands and a crown. Silver ceremonial umbrellas and decorated standards frame the scene, and flower-garlanded images stand at right.2015-07-16Night-time homa at an open-sided temple pavilion. A fire blazes in a raised square fire pit decorated with marigold petals, with brass vessels and offerings in front. At left, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti and purple turban sits cross-legged before the fire. Behind the fire, a large ornate shrine holds a deity murti draped with white garlands and a red cloth. At right, a seated figure in a red garment, with long dark hair, rudraksha-style beads and floral wrists, sits on an ornate gilded throne under a multicoloured umbrella, hands joined in prayer. Several white-clad attendants stand in the background beside a large cymbal, and a tall decorated kalasha-style shrine stands at far left.2016-02-22 +1 copiesA night puja at a temple shrine with a fire pit (homa kunda) in the foreground. A priest in a white dhoti with bare upper body and sacred ash marks stands before a flaming camphor or oil lamp (aarti), held over a decorated deity murti heavily garlanded with red, white and yellow flowers on an orange cloth. Two assistant priests in white dhotis, one holding a bell and a small vessel, stand at left; another wears a yellow shawl and a rudraksha-style necklace. Bananas and fruit sit on a tray at right. a person is not visibly present; no appearance-based candidate qualifies.2013-07-17October 10 20162016-10-10December 07 20162016-12-07