Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a homa ceremony held under a teal canopy with yellow pillars in a white-walled hall. Two saffron-robed figures sit on a patterned rug at the centre, one in an orange robe with a shaved head seated before a small fire pit, while a white-clad priest kneels beside them. Several rows of clay dishes filled with offerings line the white cloth in the foreground, alongside a plate of fruit including bananas and apples. Small fires burn in pits to the right among seated devotees in white and pink saris. Behind, a woman in orange sits on a white-draped table near baskets and a decorated pole, and a standing man in white attends the scene. Spectators sit in rows, and a camera on a tripod records the event.

More like this

Open the gallery
A homa (fire ritual) in an open-sided pavilion with turquoise canopy and yellow pillars. A seated priest in saffron robes with a rudraksha mala sits at a wooden stand near a woven rug, with a shaved-headed man in white dhoti beside him. In the foreground, rows of small clay plates hold offerings, and a brass bell and a tray with fruit sit on the cloth. A woman in orange sits at left near white-draped tables with coconuts and baskets. A line of white-clad and orange-clad devotees sits along the right under the canopy, and a video camera on a tripod records the scene.2007-11-07A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a hall with yellow pillars and a white painted wall. Two women in orange robes sit cross-legged on a patterned rug before a low brick fire pit, one holding a lit flame in a bowl while the other sits with hands joined in prayer. Brass bell, wooden stand, books, a basket and plates of fruit and offerings lie on the rug, with banana, apple and clay dishes around. Beyond the pit, a woman in orange sits on a white-draped mat near coconuts and a kalasha, and several people in white and orange stand in the background and sit on rugs at the right in a seated congregation. Several people are visible, including a woman in a red sari and others in pale clothing.2007-11-07A homa is being performed under a covered pavilion. In the foreground a square brick fire pit with a flame is decorated with flowers and petals. Seated at the fire, a man in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha-style beaded necklace leads the ritual, holding a ladle-like implement, with a bronze vessel nearby. Beside him, another man in orange and a white-robed priest assist. Rows of devotees in white clothes sit on mats behind the fire pit, while others in saris and kurtas watch. Coconuts wrapped in woven straw sit in the foreground, and a painted pillar with floral and elephant motifs stands at right. A camera on a tripod is visible near the seated congregation.2007-11-07December 26 20082008-12-26A courtyard ritual gathering under a corrugated roof decorated with green leaf garlands and paper lanterns. On the right, a man in saffron-orange robes and ornate gold necklaces sits on a red patterned carpet-covered seat, holding a golden staff; he has long swept-back hair and rudraksha beads, and appears to be the central figure receiving the assembly. Facing him on the left, several people in orange and white robes sit at a low ritual setup of brass plates holding fruit, flowers, sweets, coconuts and small oil lamps, with a bundle of sticks and a cloth-wrapped item nearby. A seated woman in a yellow and white sari attends the offerings. Rows of seated devotees in saffron, white, pink and blue saris and kurtas fill the floor, while a cameraman in white stands at the upper left. Brass and yellow plates arranged on mats complete the scene.2008-12-26December 26 20082008-12-26A photograph of a covered outdoor pavilion with a teal fabric canopy supported by yellow pillars and decorated multicolour pillar wraps. Seated devotees sit on mats in rows on the floor, many in white and orange clothes, facing a small fire pit where a flame burns among offerings. Brass and brass-coloured vessels with coconuts and flowers sit on a white-draped table at right. A woman in orange stands at left beside a white-covered low bed, and another woman in orange sits near the bed. A table at the back holds offerings and a pot, and a fan stands near the bed.2007-11-07December 26 20082008-12-26December 26 20082008-12-26Indoor ritual hall with a bare concrete floor and white walls hung with a few framed photos and a banana-leaf canopy. A homa fire burns in a metal fire pit on an orange cloth at the right, where a man in white with a yellow shawl sits with hands folded in prayer beside a second seated man in white. Rows of brass oil lamps and small lit diyas are arranged on the floor, with brass plates of offerings in the foreground. Around twenty seated devotees in white and maroon clothes sit on mats at the left, and a large metal vessel with an orange cloth wrap stands in the centre foreground.2010-01-14December 26 20082008-12-26A homa ritual in a bright hall with yellow pillars. Two priests in saffron-orange robes and head cloths sit on a woven rug before a brick fire pit with a small flame, one holding a plate with burning camphor or fire offering while the other sits with palms pressed together. Brass vessels, a bell, fruit, coconuts and banana bunches are arranged on the mat. Seated devotees in white and pastel clothes line the room behind them, a cameraman with a tripod stands among them, and a woman in white stands near a doorway on the left. Stacked mats and boxes fill the background.2007-11-07