Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night-time fire ritual under an open-sided pavilion hung with orange pennants. A bald man in orange robes with white markings on his forehead and arms holds a silver tray aloft above a square fire pit where flames rise. Men in white dhotis with rudraksha malas sit around the pit, some holding offering plates, and a standing man in orange watches. A red and gold throne stands at left, and a golden ceremonial pole rises at right. Smoke fills the air and a few onlookers are visible at the edges.

More like this

Open the gallery
November 05 20102010-11-05Night outdoor homa at the Bidadi campus under a canopy strung with yellow ribbon and red-and-orange pennants. A standing priest in saffron-orange robes with a shaved head holds a lit flame and a small vessel over a white square fire pit. Seated around it are priests in white dhotis and shawls, several with white and ochre markings, hands folded in prayer. Trays of fruit, rice, cooked dishes and offerings are arranged on the floor in the foreground. A red and gold throne stands to the left, with a woman in orange sitting beside it. Onlookers sit on chairs at the right under dim lights. A painted banner of deities hangs behind the fire pit. Smoke drifts through the scene. The priest in saffron is a shaved-headed ritual officiant, and the appearance does not establish a person identification.2010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05November 05 20102010-11-05Evening ritual at a pandal with banana leaves and palm fronds overhead. A standing man in saffron-orange robes and a matching hood, with gold beaded necklaces and bangles, holds a lit flame on a brass lamp and performs aarti. Several seated participants in white clothing with yellow shawls surround him; one holds a brass plate of offerings, and another plays a round frame drum. A microphone stands at left, and smoke drifts through the scene. A man in red-orange garments with a beaded necklace sits near the microphone.2009-09-25Night ritual outdoors beneath a pavilion strung with orange pennants and large golden om-style scrollwork. A bald priest in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl stands at right, holding a silver tray with flowers and offerings over a square fire pit lined with white stone, from which smoke rises. Several white-clad priests with folded hands sit around the pit, and a sitting figure in orange sits in a red throne at left. Trays of fruit, sweets and grain are arranged in the foreground, and onlookers in white and orange sit behind. This appears to be a homa fire ritual; the figure in orange is an appearance-based candidate for a person but is not confidently identifiable, so this is marked unsure.2010-11-05Night outdoor homa at a fire pit lined with white stone and marigold petals, smoke rising. A standing man in orange robes and a gold necklace pours offerings from a silver plate into the fire. Beside him a younger man in white with a yellow shawl holds a tray of red items. Two orange-robed men with rudraksha malas sit at the pit, another orange-clad woman sits at left, and seated figures in white and yellow line the background under a leafy canopy. Brass vessels and cloths rest on the ground.2009-10-17November 05 20102010-11-05A standing priest in saffron-orange robes with a matching head cloth and a beaded necklace holds a silver plate of flaming camphor or oil lamp fire aloft during a homa-style ritual at night. Smoke drifts through the scene beneath a canopy decorated with orange and green cloth streamers and banana leaves. Seated devotees in orange and red garments, some with palms pressed together, sit behind metal bowls at a fire pit. A framed portrait garlanded with marigolds stands at left, showing a figure in orange robes. Other attendees in dark clothing watch at the lower right.2009-09-25November 05 20102010-11-05A homa is performed at night outdoors beside a white stepped fire pit in which a bright flame burns. A bare-chested man in an orange dhoti and orange shawl stands at the pit pouring liquid from a vessel, with a dark-haired figure in orange nearby. Seated priests in white dhotis surround the altar, some holding offerings. Brass lamps with lit wicks, bowls of rice, sweets, fruits and yellow flowers are spread on a red cloth in the foreground. Behind them a red and gold throne stands empty under hanging orange and blue banners, and a camera operator films at the lower right. Hanging ornaments and an om-shaped motif decorate the pavilion. a person, identity uncertain from appearance, is the orange-clad man pouring at the fire pit, distinguished by his shaved head and orange robes but without other clear cues.2010-11-05