Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A priest sits cross-legged on a green cloth during a ritual setup, wearing a blue brocade shawl over bare shoulders, a white dhoti, a blue beaded necklace and a rudraksha-style mala, and a blue face mask. White vibhuti or sacred ash marks his forehead and upper arms. He holds a green, orange and pink woven basket and handles its contents. Nearby are a bowl of pink flower petals, a plate of yellow flowers and fruit, a green-leaved kalasha-like pot wrapped in red thread, and coconut and banana-leaf offerings. Another person in a yellow sari is partly visible at the upper right.

More like this

Open the gallery
A priest performs a homa at a brick fire pit, pouring ghee or offering into flames with a long wooden ladle. He wears a blue silk shawl over a white dhoti with a patterned border, has white tripundra markings on his forehead and arms, and a rudraksha mala around his neck. Red and pink rose petals and a small bowl of offering are arranged around the pit. Behind him stands an altar with garlanded deity murti, a green patterned cloth, a kalasha, and flower arrangements. One person is visible.2021-11-14November 14 20212021-11-14A close photo of a priest performing a ritual at a table draped with a green cloth. He wears a white dhoti with a striped border, a red-and-black patterned shawl and a red rudraksha-style mala. He cuts a green coconut on a metal plate, with rose petals scattered around. Nearby are brass oil lamps, a small metal bowl, a woven basket, a bundle of dried grass tied with a yellow cloth and green leaves, and a multicolored decorative box. The setting suggests a puja or abhishekam offering.2021-11-14A seated ritual gathering in a community hall during a Hindu homa or puja. Foreground: a bare-backed priest with his hair in a bun, wearing a blue and gold striped shawl over white dhoti, faces a row of worshippers. Centre: a group of men in white dhotis with white and tilak marks on their foreheads sit with palms joined in anjali on green mats. A woman in a yellow shawl and striped sari sits near the front. Before them are brass plates of yellow marigolds and pink petals, a small brass bell, a handbell, and several coconuts arranged in woven leaf baskets on banana leaves with rice. Behind, other devotees in saris and kurtas watch seated on the floor, and a white-shirted man stands to the side.2021-11-14November 14 20212021-11-14November 14 20212021-11-14Indoor ritual in a room with a green floor mat and a red-and-yellow pillar. A man with long dark hair and a white face mark, wearing a white dhoti and orange-striped shawl, seats himself cross-legged and places a hand on the head of a seated person in a white dhoti and bare chest, who wears a gold necklace and bead malas and has white ash marks on the forehead and body. A brass plate with a coconut and leaves sits in front. Behind them, a bare-chested man with rudraksha beads and a red tilak sits, and seated devotees in masks and saris watch from the background. A tall decorated banner and a ceremonial stand are visible at right, along with a tripod and a fire-lamp.2021-11-14A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with a face mask sits cross-legged on an orange cloth, performing puja before a deity murti of Devi Mahalakshmi decorated with a red flower garland. He holds a small brass vessel and a bell-like object near offerings on silver and steel trays, including fruit, sweets, rice and turmeric-coloured grains. A teal draped backdrop, marigold-style flowers and folded red, yellow and green silk cloths fill the scene, with rose petals in a silver bowl.2020-10-22November 14 20212021-11-14A seated priest with a bare upper torso and a yellow and green striped cloth wrapped around his waist faces away from the camera, arranging offerings on a colourful square yantra-style mandala drawn on a white cloth atop a low wooden platform. Yellow, orange, red, green and blue sections are scattered with pink and white flower petals, whole fruits including oranges, apples and bananas, a split coconut, and a small heap of white rice or flour on a banana leaf at his feet. A wristwatch is visible on his left wrist, and an oil lamp and brass pots sit nearby on the floor. The setting suggests a puja or homa preparation.2021-11-14November 14 20212021-11-14April 03 20172017-04-03