Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A homa fire ritual at night in a Tamil Nadu temple-style hall with blue walls. A man in white shirt and dhoti with gold border leans over a fire pit of brick tiers decorated with flowers, pouring offerings into the flames. Behind the fire, a framed portrait of a woman in red and gold is garlanded with marigolds, flanked by kalasha pots and brass lamps. Four men in white kneel or stand in prayer with palms joined, and a fifth man in orange stands at the rear near a striped mattress. Mango-leaf and flower decorations surround the altar.

More like this

Open the gallery
October 25 20062006-10-25A homa fire ritual in an outdoor courtyard at night, with a blue-painted temple facade behind. A standing priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold border holds a flaming orange-wrapped offering vessel high above a brick fire pit. Nearby, two men in white shirts stand with palms pressed together in namaskar, and a seated devotee in white kneels with hands folded. Potted plants with flowers, brass lamps, a kalasha-style vessel and a flower-draped altar sit around the fire pit on a blue tarp. Smoke rises from the flames.Night outdoor homa at a sacred fire pit. A priest in white dhoti with a white shawl and forehead markings pours ghee or offerings into a flame from a ladle, while a square white-and-red stepped fire pit holds burning fire and scattered marigold petals. Around it, men in white dhotis and a woman in a pink sari sit or stand with palms pressed together. Beside them, a framed portrait labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda" shows a figure in orange robes and rudraksha mala beneath a garland of yellow and orange flowers. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha-style vessel, and small banana-leaf offerings sit on a white-draped table. Strings of lights and potted plants appear in the background.2011-04-17April 17 20112011-04-172008 - Post August - Powerful homa in Sirkazhi by trained AcharyaNovember 28 20152015-11-28A fire ritual in a courtyard with a homa fire burning in a fire pit surrounded by wooden blocks and offerings. Four men in white kurta-style clothing with yellow shawls sit on mats; one seated in the centre has a yellow shawl and rudraksha mala and performs the ritual. A large framed portrait of a figure in orange robes, wearing a garland of red and yellow flowers and a beaded necklace, sits on a red armchair beside a brass oil lamp and kalasha, with plates of fruit and flowers in front. Small brass oil lamps are arranged on the floor at left, and red curtains and a red-and-white painted wall frame the scene.2010-06-06A photograph of a homa fire ceremony in a bare, whitewashed room. A standing man in white dhoti and white kurta, with a brass plate in his right hand, pours offerings toward a fire burning on a brick-lined fire pit. To the left, a woman in a white sari kneels with palms pressed together in prayer, a brass plate of offerings before her. On the wall behind, a framed picture shows a figure in saffron-orange robes seated before greenery and a flower garland, with brass oil lamps on either side of a table draped in white cloth. Two partially visible heads of seated attendees appear at the bottom edge of the frame.2009-10-10April 10 20162016-04-10A photograph of a ceremony in a covered hall with a tiled roof and open sides. A man in white dhoti and shirt bends forward to wave a small flame over a seated figure. The seated figure wears saffron-orange robes, a floral garland of white and multicoloured flowers, and sits on a red and white patterned mat with flower offerings in front. Behind him a tall kalasha-like red umbrella hangs at the right edge. A large framed portrait labelled "Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam" leans against the mat at the lower right, showing a figure in orange robes. Dozens of devotees in white clothes, with some in orange shawls, stand and sit with palms pressed together. A coconut tree and an outdoor statue are visible through the open doorway. The flame sits in a small brass lamp.2007-02-24Outdoor homa ceremony with several devotees seated on the ground in white clothes, palms pressed together in prayer. Brick-lined fire pits, one with a bright flame, are surrounded by brass bowls, a ladle, dried wood pieces, yellow marigold flowers and a red cloth offering. A man at left wears a rudraksha mala and holds his hands in namaskar; a middle-aged man in white with a rudraksha mala sits with hands folded. Other seated devotees in white and some women in light saris sit on mats behind the fire pits.2010-07-24November 23 20162016-11-23