Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night-time ritual under an open-sided shelter. A seated figure in orange robes with hands pressed together sits on an ornate red and gold throne, with smoke rising from a fire pit in front. A standing priest in an orange dhoti and orange shawl, wearing a headset microphone, faces the scene near brass vessels and oil lamps. Five young girls in colourful silk saris, including orange, yellow, pink, green and blue, sit on a striped mat before a decorated deity murti with white and gold ornamentation and marigold garlands. Scattered yellow flowers and two electric fans complete the setting.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night-time homa at an open-air ashram pavilion. A standing priest in orange turban and orange-saffron dhoti holds an open book and faces a fire pit where a flame burns on a stone platform with brass vessels, a plate of flowers and scattered petals. Six young women in colourful silk saris, including blue, orange, yellow and pink, sit on striped mats in a row, some holding fans and flowers, with white-and-gold headbands and jewellery. Behind them a decorated deity murti with garlands and a white floral arch. Further back, a seated figure in a red cushioned throne with gold trim, wearing orange-saffron clothing, is flanked by a second orange-robed man. Two fans and hanging red circular decorations complete the scene.2013-10-13Night-time homa ritual at an open-air pavilion beneath a tarpaulin roof, with smoke rising from a fire pit in the centre. Five young women sit in a row in colourful silk saris: orange and maroon, orange and green, bright yellow and green, pink and magenta, and turquoise blue. Several hold pink flowers, small ceremonial implements and brass items, and one wears a pale headpiece. Behind them stands a decorated deity murti garlanded with yellow marigold garlands, and a seated figure in saffron-orange robes with a gold-edged red throne behind him presses his palms together. Another saffron-clad man sits at the right with a plate of flowers. Brass pots, offerings and petals lie on the floor.2013-10-13October 13 20132013-10-13Night ritual outdoors under a corrugated roof. A fire burns in a brass fire pit with offerings. Five young women in colourful silk saris sit on a striped mat, several holding brass or wooden items, one in a blue sari with a flower in her hair. At right, a priest with a shaved head and orange turban and orange-and-gold shawl tends the fire and offerings. Behind him, a figure in orange sits on a gold-trimmed throne, with a brass bowl and lamps on the floor. At left, a decorated deity murti stands on a blue-draped platform, adorned with white and yellow flower garlands, possibly Saraswati-related. Two electric fans stand nearby and a tall tree is visible behind the structure.2013-10-13October 13 20132013-10-13October 13 20132013-10-13Night outdoor puja before a large illuminated deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms, seated on a lion, surrounded by smaller figures and garlands of marigolds. A sacred fire burns on a stepped platform in front of the murti, with brass vessels and oil lamps around it. Several young people sit on a striped mat in red, orange, yellow and white clothes, some with white forehead markings. A man in an orange-and-saffron garment sits on a red and gold throne-like chair at right, hands joined in namaskar, beside an electric fan. A devotee in white kneels at lower left. Smoke drifts in the dark background.2013-10-13Night outdoor ritual under a corrugated roof beside a deity murti decorated with yellow and orange garlands and a white floral backdrop. A fire burns in a homa pit on a raised platform covered with a striped cloth. Several women in saris, some in red, blue and orange, sit cross-legged making offerings. A man in a saffron-orange garment bends low at right, and another figure in orange sits at a red-and-gold throne-like seat behind the fire, with a white-clad figure nearby. A standing fan and smoke drift across the scene.2013-10-13October 13 20132013-10-13October 13 20132013-10-13Night outdoor ritual with smoke rising around a fire pit (homa or yagna) in front of a red-cushioned gold throne. A man in saffron-orange robes with bare upper body and sacred threads sits on the throne, hands folded. Beside the fire, a robed attendant in orange holds a plate of offerings. Several young women in saris sit on mats: one in green and maroon, one in blue, one in maroon with orange, and one in blue with a white dupatta, holding pink flowers. A man in white dhoti stands at right, and figures in maroon sit in the background. Garlands of yellow and orange marigolds, brass lamps and vessels, an open book and a standing fan surround the ritual area on striped mats.2013-10-13Night ritual outdoors under a corrugated roof before an illuminated deity murti decorated with white paper ornaments, yellow and orange flower garlands. A large fire burns in a homa pit in front of the murti. Several young women in red, orange, blue and green saris with forehead markings sit on a striped mat, holding flowers and offerings. In the foreground, a man in orange cloth bows low with his hands near the ground beside the fire. To the right, a man in orange robes with a rudraksha-style neck garland stands with folded hands beside an ornate red and gold throne-like seat, and another seated man in orange sits at the right edge beside offering plates. Two fans stand near the fire.2013-10-13