Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A ritual scene before a red draped backdrop. A bare-chested priest in a red-and-white patterned turban and white dhoti pours liquid from a small spoon over a stone yajna altar or homa platform. Three seated men beside him wear rudraksha malas, one in a yellow cloth, and sit on red-patterned mats. On the right, a gold-framed arch stands above a red table draped in gold brocade, holding a row of small clay or metal sculpted heads or murti forms garlanded with yellow flowers. Brass vessels, a bowl, coconuts, bananas, oranges, betel leaves and flower offerings are arranged on the red floor.

More like this

Open the gallery
A ritual scene in a temple-like hall with red draped walls. In the foreground, a priest in white dhoti with a multicoloured turban and orange-red stripes, and two men in yellow shawls with rudraksha malas, sit beside a stone yoni-shaped abhishekam stone decorated with flowers and leaves. The priest applies a white paste to a seated man's forehead. Behind them, a shirtless man in a white dhoti stands near a gold arched frame decorated with yellow marigold garlands, coconuts and kalasha pots, set on an orange brocade-draped table. Brass bowls and offerings sit on the floor.2018-01-31January 31 20182018-01-31A ritual abhishekam at a stone yoni-pitha altar draped with red cloth. Two bare-chested priests sit on the red floor: the left priest in a pink and orange turban, white dhoti and rudraksha mala, extends his arm toward the altar while holding a brass bowl; a second priest in a white dhoti and yellow shawl sits beside him with a brass vessel. Behind them, a table covered in orange brocade holds decorated coconuts wrapped in yellow and white marigold garlands, plus banana and fruit offerings. A gold ornate arch frames the scene. Scattered flower petals, bananas and brass pots fill the foreground.2018-01-31A photograph of a homa or yagna ritual at a fire pit (kunda) carved from stone with flower petals scattered around it. A priest on the left, bare-chested in white dhoti with a pink and orange head cloth, pours an offering from a ladle into the fire while holding a brass bowl. Three men sit behind him: one in a yellow cloth with a rudraksha mala, one wearing spectacles and a yellow cloth, and one bare-chested with beaded necklaces. On the right, a red-and-gold-draped altar holds several kalasha pots wrapped in yellow marigold garlands, with red flowers. Red curtains form the backdrop. No a person candidate is clearly visible, so the role-based description stands.2018-01-31A photograph of a homa or yagna setup on a red-carpeted stage with red drapes behind. In the foreground a square stone fire pit with a dark opening is decorated with red flower petals and white marks. Behind it, an altar draped in orange and gold brocade holds yellow marigold garlands, coconuts and a brass dish of fruit. On the right, a deity murti is adorned with pink and yellow flower garlands beside a brass kalasha. Four men stand behind the altar in white dhotis and sacred threads; the man at left has a red-and-white turban, bare upper body and white markings, and his hands are folded in prayer. Other items include a brass lamp, plates and a woven basket.2018-01-31A ritual scene at an altar lit by warm lamplight against deep red drapes. On the left, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti with an orange-and-pink turban applies a mark with his right hand to the forehead of a seated man beside him, who wears a white dhoti, a yellow shawl and a rudraksha mala with a white horizontal forehead mark. Another seated man in a yellow shawl and white dhoti sits between them with a brass bowl at his side. A kalasha-style offering table on the right is draped in red and gold brocade, decorated with yellow marigold garlands, coconuts and a gold arch-shaped frame, with flower petals scattered on a stone slab in the foreground. A figure in the background wears an orange cloth. Three people are visible.2018-01-31May 20 20142014-05-20August 21 20172017-08-21April 14 20182018-04-14Photograph of a ritual homa at an outdoor-style temple setting with red draped backdrop and red floor. A central square stone fire pit (kunda) holds dark ash, scattered with red flower petals and white powder. A man in white dhoti with bare chest and white markings speaks into a microphone while holding a small object; a rudraksha-style bead necklace is visible. Behind him stands an attendant in an orange robe and turban holding a long staff. Three priests in white dhotis with bare torsos and beaded necklaces, one with a pink headband, tend the ritual; one squats at the pit. On the right is a flower-garlanded altar with yellow marigold garlands, a golden arched frame, and white conch-shaped vessels. Fruits, bananas, brass plates and oil lamps sit in the foreground. The man with the microphone shows no identifiable a person-type cues such as hair, crown or saffron clothing, so identity is uncertain. Six people are visible.2018-01-31A night-time homa in an ashram hall: a bare-chested priest with a green headcloth and yellow shawl holds a ritual vessel over a blazing fire pit set on a yellow-tiled platform strewn with red flowers and fruit. Behind, a seated priest in white dhoti and rudraksha mala plays a small instrument, and a standing priest in white with garlands and a cloth over his shoulder tends the area. Seated devotees in white and gold-bordered cloth face the fire; brass vessels and a kalasha sit at the front. Ornate gold framing, a deity murti, and oil lamps fill the background, with two red-turbaned figures on a shelf.2015-09-17A photograph of an outdoor homa fire ritual in a courtyard with a plain whitewashed wall behind. A white-clad priest in a white dhoti and shawl with a yellow sacred thread, a tilak on his forehead and a rudraksha-style mala, sits before a raised ritual altar of brick-like blocks decorated with flower petals and yellow turmeric marks, pouring ghee from a bowl into the altar with a ladle while speaking into a microphone on a stand. Two men in white shirts sit with folded hands, a man in a dark shirt sits behind, and an older man in white with folded hands sits at left. Heaps of wood and offerings lie at left, an orange cloth bundle sits on the mat, and banana leaves, flower garlands, brass plates, kalasha pots and a blue cloth cover the right side.