Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A seated man in an orange saffron robe and orange head covering performs a fire ritual at a brick-built homa pit lined with white-plastered bricks and marigold flowers. He wears a long gold bead necklace, gold bangles and a ring, with white and red forehead markings, and holds a pinch of offering over the wood laid in the pit. Beside him a younger person in white clothes and a rudraksha mala sits with hands folded. A brass vessel, a ladle and a brass lamp stand near the pit, and a dish of wood sits behind. The visible cues include the flowing saffron robe, gold necklace and the bead-and-garland styling of the seated figure, which is consistent with a person officiating at the ritual.

More like this

Open the gallery
A brick fire pit with burning wood and flames stands in the foreground, surrounded by marigold petals, brass plates of offerings, a coconut on a brass stand and a kalasha-like brass vessel. A man in orange robes and a saffron head covering sits behind the fire, holding a brass ladle-like vessel over the flames, with a microphone on a stand before him and a brass lamp and ganesha-like murti on a white-draped table to the right. A second person in white clothing sits at the left, beside stacked wood and brass pots, appearing to assist with the fire ritual, which fits a homa or yagna. Ash-streaked forehead and a bead bracelet are visible on the man in orange. Sprinkled marigolds cover the brickwork.2007-10-21February 16 20072007-02-16A homa fire ritual in progress: a brick-lined fire pit with a bright flame, scattered pink flower petals and offerings such as lemons, brass bowls and a tray of grains. Three men in saffron-orange robes sit close by; the central figure, with an orange cloth and gold beaded necklace, holds his hands over the flame while the man on the left, with long dark hair and a rudraksha mala, holds a sacred item. A man in white with an orange shawl sits at right beside a microphone stand. Seated devotees in white and yellow clothing sit in the background, and a carved wooden chair stands behind the central figure.2009-06-09A homa or yagna at a brick fire pit with flames rising in the centre. A man in saffron-orange robes and an orange head wrap, with a light sacred ash mark on his forehead and a wrist bangle, kneels on a mat and tosses an offering from a brass ladle while a microphone stands beside him. Another man in white ritual clothes and a white dhoti sits at left beside stacked firewood, brass vessels and a small brass lamp. Orange marigold petals are scattered around the pit, a brass bowl holds offerings, and a silver ritual object and a white-draped altar with a silver deity murti and garlands stand at right. A green plant and a coconut-like kalasha sit in the foreground.2007-10-21A homa fire ritual in an open courtyard. A central figure with long dark hair, wearing saffron robes, a gold necklace and a rudraksha-style gold pendant, sits on an orange cushion and pours offerings from a flower-filled plate into a fire built from white bricks. Two saffron-robed assistants sit beside him: one on the left holds a bundle of sticks, and one on the right, wearing a gold chain and a wristwatch, tends a brass plate of flowers and ritual vessels. A microphone stand is positioned near the central figure. Behind them, seated devotees in white, saffron and yellow clothes watch, one holding a framed photograph. A small brass lamp and a vessel of yellow powder sit at left. Several people are visible in the scene.2008-12-26A homa is performed in an indoor hall before a large framed portrait of a seated saffron-robed figure labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda", draped with a garland of red and yellow flowers. In the centre, a man in an orange shawl and orange turban with a rudraksha mala and gold necklace kneels behind a square fire pit of white bricks, its flames rising as he tends it with a long ladle. Two men in white clothes sit nearby, one at left beside trays of coconuts, bananas and grains, another in the foreground. A white-draped altar holds a brass figure, a red-cloth shrine, brass oil lamps and marigold petals. Four people are visible.2007-10-21July 20 20102010-07-20December 10 20072007-12-10Photo of a temple puja inside a shrine with orange-robed participants seated on the floor before a copper shri yantra, a stepped pyramid-shaped copper object with triangular and lotus patterns. The central seated man wears saffron-orange robes, a long beaded rudraksha-style mala and ornate gold-toned necklace, a white vibhuti marking and red tilak on his forehead, and holds a small yellow item in his right hand over the yantra. Beside him, a second man in orange robes, glasses and an orange head wrap holds a small brass bowl and wears a gold chain. Brass oil lamps, a brass kalasha, flower garlands in pink, white and magenta, and red and gold drapery surround the altar, with a bowl of flowers and leaves in the foreground. Another seated figure in orange sits at the left edge.2009-10-17Indoor homa ritual in a bare whitewashed room with an open doorway behind. A white brick fire pit holds a small flame, with marigold petals and sticks of wood beside it. A man in saffron-orange robes with a rudraksha-style necklace and a tilak on his forehead sits cross-legged at the fire, raising his hands in blessing. Around him, a young man in orange shawl and white clothes, a younger boy in white, a woman in orange sari, a man in white with folded hands, and a seated man in white with a white shawl sit on the floor. Brass vessels, a kalasha-like pot and ritual items lie near the fire pit.2007-08-26A seated man in saffron-orange robes performs a homa at a brick fire pit, holding a long metal ladle-like implement with a flame rising from it. He wears a rudraksha mala and a gold chain. Beside him, a younger man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits attentively. Offerings are laid out on the left: sliced fruits, apples, a pineapple, lemons, a silver bowl, and flower garlands. Pink flower petals are scattered over the bricks. Behind them, seated devotees in orange, yellow and white clothing watch, and a figure in white moves in the background. A brass lamp stands on the right beside a dark curtain. The scene is a photograph of a fire ritual indoors. Two people are prominent in the foreground, with more visible behind them. The a person cues include saffron robes, a rudraksha mala and gold ornaments on the seated figure performing the fire offering.2009-06-09A hazy indoor homa in progress at a brick fire pit lined with yellow bricks. A man in an orange shawl over white clothes sits cross-legged at left with hands folded, facing the fire. Beside him a seated figure in an orange robe holds a long ladle-like implement over the flames, with smoke rising. Brass plates of offerings, a kalasha-style vessel with flowers, and small bowls sit on the mat. At right, several people in white and orange sit with hands folded in prayer, and a woman at left edge also holds her hands together. A striped red-and-white wall and hanging bells frame the room.2008-03-22