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Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a ritual space with a framed portrait garlanded in marigolds and roses, labelled Paramahamsa Nithyananda, displayed above an altar with a red-and-silver kalasha-like object and a blue deity murti. A man in orange robes with a white head covering and tilak sits cross-legged at left, hands near a brick fire pit with wood and a brass vessel. Brass oil lamps stand on either side, and tables in front hold rows of small brass bowls filled with grains, spices and seeds, plus fruit and white balls. A kalasha with a green leaf sits beside the pit. The visible fire pit and offerings suggest a homa or puja setting.

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A photograph of an indoor altar set against a pale yellow wall. A large framed portrait of a smiling man in saffron-orange robes and a white flower garland, seated with one hand raised in blessing before a tree trunk, is decorated with yellow and red marigold garlands. The portrait is labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda" on its lower edge. Below it, a white-draped table holds a brass deity murti in blue with a garland, a red-and-silver figure, and brass oil lamps stand on each side. In front, a brick fire pit with a wooden ladle and an ornate brass kalasha pot with a coconut indicate a homa setup. Hundreds of small brass bowls filled with grains, spices and herbs cover a white cloth on the floor for an offering. No people are visible.2007-10-21A photograph of a homa altar set up in an indoor hall. A standing man in an orange-saffron garment with a saffron head covering faces left with his hands joined in namaskar. Behind him on a wall-mounted table stands a framed photograph of a smiling man with long dark hair, wearing an orange robe and a white beaded necklace, seated with one hand raised; the frame is garlanded with yellow and red marigold strings and the portrait carries a printed caption 'Paramahamsa Nithyananda'. Below it sits a deity murti with a blue body and garland, beside a red-and-silver conical object on a plate with flowers. Brass oil lamps flank the altar. In front, a brick fire pit holds wood and a brass vessel, with marigold petals scattered around it. Left and right of the pit are brass bowls of offerings, fruit, sweets, coconut and rows of many small brass dishes filled with grains, spices and powders arranged across white cloth.2007-10-21A seated priest in an orange-saffron cloth draped over his head and shoulders holds a brass arati lamp with a flame, offering it toward a shrine. On the wall above the shrine hangs a framed photograph of a seated man in orange robes with a white bead necklace, hand raised in blessing, labelled with a printed caption reading PARAMAHAMSA NITHYANANDA. The framed portrait is garlanded with yellow and red flowers. Below it, a white-draped table holds a small deity murti in blue with a silver necklace and a sacred stone or linga covered in red cloth. Brass oil lamps, incense sticks, a kalasha pot with a coconut and mango leaves, and rows of brass plates filled with grains and dried offerings lie on white cloths. Brick platform, marigold petals and mango leaves complete the setting.2007-10-21A seated priest in saffron-orange robes with a white forehead mark and a gold chain performs a homa at a square brick fire pit where flames rise from burning wood. He holds a long wooden ladle over the fire, with a brass bowl and brass pots on a white cloth in front. A raised altar with a red-and-gold deity murti decorated with marigolds and a blue murti stands behind, flanked by tall brass oil lamps. Scattered marigold petals surround the fire pit, and a pineapple-like offering sits in a wire basket at right.2007-10-21A priest in saffron robes and a saffron head wrap sits cross-legged on a white cloth at a homa fire pit built of white bricks, holding a ladle and offering into the flames while smoke rises. Around him are brass bowls of offerings, fruit plates of bananas, grapes and cut fruit, and a green coconut-like kalasha in a woven basket. Behind the fire pit, a framed portrait of a saffron-robed man with long hair and beads sits at the back of a decorated altar, flanked by garlands, with a small deity murti and oil lamps. Three young people in white ritual clothes with tilak sit on the right, watching the ceremony.2007-10-21A photograph of a homa-style ritual in a hall with pale yellow walls decorated with green leaf sprigs and marigolds. A seated priest in saffron-orange robes, with an orange head covering, holds a lamp aloft with one hand, its flame rising. In front of him is a low brick fire pit with marigold petals, brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot, and trays of fruit and offerings. Behind the altar, a framed portrait labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda" shows a saffron-robed figure with a garland, surrounded by yellow and red marigold garlands. A blue deity murti stands on the white-draped altar beside brass lamps. Two people in white sit at the right edge of the frame.2007-10-21A photograph of a homa ritual in a bare hall with pale yellow walls and a steel roof truss. A standing priest in saffron-orange robes and a saffron head cloth holds a brass aarti lamp with a flame in his right hand and a bell in his left, waving them near a fire pit built of white bricks. Smoke rises from the pit, which holds burning wood, bananas and orange marigold petals. Behind the fire pit, a framed portrait labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda" is garlanded with yellow and red flowers and hangs above a table draped in white cloth, holding a small deity murti, a kalasha-like brass vessel and brass oil lamps. A brass tray of marigold petals and a brass pot with a coconut sit in front. Garlands of leaves decorate the walls.2007-10-21A seated priest in an orange robe and white dhoti performs a homa at a brick fire pit on a white-draped table, holding a brass plate of yellow and orange marigold petals. He has a white vertical tilak on his forehead. To the left stands a young man in white with a rudraksha mala. Behind the fire pit, several young people in white clothes sit cross-legged, some with white tilak and beaded necklaces. A framed portrait on the wall, garlanded with marigolds and red flowers, shows a figure in orange seated in meditation, and a small brass deity murti in blue and gold sits on the table beside a red kalasha. Brass oil lamps and offerings surround the fire pit.2007-10-21A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a hall. A priest in orange robes and an orange head wrap stands at left, holding a ladle and a small brass vessel with a flame, mid-motion. In front of him, a brick fire pit smokes, with bananas, marigold petals and a brass vessel nearby. Behind the altar stands a framed portrait of a seated figure in orange robes with a mala, labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda", garlanded with marigolds and leaves. Brass oil lamps, a small deity murti and a bronze bowl sit on white-draped tables, and a tray of marigolds and offerings lies in the foreground.2007-10-21December 28 20092009-12-28December 28 20092009-12-28A homa fire burns in a brick fire pit on the floor of a hall, with a seated priest in saffron-orange robes and a tall orange head covering on the left, playing a small brass bowl near a microphone. A framed portrait above an altar, garlanded with yellow and red flowers, shows a smiling man in orange robes and a white beaded mala, with a raised hand. A brass deity murti in blue and a red-draped kalasha sit on the white-draped altar, with brass oil lamps on each side. On the right, a man in white dhoti and shirt gestures with his hand near the fire. Marigold petals and a brass tray lie around the pit.2007-10-21