Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A homa fire burns in a flower-decorated enclosure with marigold and white garlands hanging on the left. Several men in ritual dress stand around the flames: a bare-chested man in orange cloth holds a woven basket, another in orange and red wrap holds a brass vessel, and a bare-chested man in yellow dhoti pours from a metal pot. A bearded man in a yellow dhoti with a purple sash and rudraksha beads stands at right, with white-clad attendants and onlookers behind a woven bamboo backdrop. Offerings of flowers lie near the fire pit.

More like this

Open the gallery
July 08 20172017-07-08September 09 20162016-09-09A photograph of a homa fire pit inside a temple hall. A wooden fire pit with a bright flame sits in the foreground, its rim scattered with white and yellow flower petals. Behind it, a seated man in an orange-saffron upper cloth and a yellow-bordered white dhoti sits with a thin gold-coloured sacred thread visible, wearing a plain gold chain and a tilak on his forehead. To the right, a shirtless priest in a white dhoti with a purple-and-green striped cloth wrapped across his shoulder sits facing the fire, a steel bowl and offerings nearby. Another man in a purple-and-orange headcloth and rudraksha-style beads sits to the right. Behind them, a golden arch frames a floral arrangement and a kalasha-like vessel, with ornate golden deity figures in the background. Priests in white are seated along the back. The scene reflects a homa or yagna ritual.2016-12-12July 16 20152015-07-16January 13 20152015-01-13A homa fire pit lined with marigold garlands and a white-edged border, with a flame burning in the square trench at the bottom of the frame. Around it stand a crowd of men in orange and saffron dhotis and shawls, a few shirtless with gold necklaces and rudraksha malas, and one in a red turban holding a brass plate of offerings. A bearded man in white dhoti with a gold necklace and rudraksha mala stands at the centre, one hand raised in a mudra. Another orange-clad man holds a silver plate of fruit, and an outstretched arm on the right grips a long brass ladle. Small oil lamps sit near the pit edge. The scene suggests a fire ritual with offerings, though no clear appearance-based a person candidate is established.2015-01-13September 09 20162016-09-09September 09 20162016-09-09A homa fire ceremony in a tent shrine. A brick-lined fire pit holds burning wood with flames rising, surrounded by ash and flower petals. A shaved-headed man in rust-red dhoti and gold necklace sits at left. A seated man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits centrally, with a man in purple shawl and gold chain at right reaching toward the fire with a ladle or offering. Standing priests in white and saffron-red garments with rudraksha malas stand behind. Brass lamps, silver and gold ritual vessels, decorated deity figures, and trays of white offering cups fill the background. Five to six people are visible.2015-09-14A photograph of a night fire ritual under a corrugated metal roof. A bright fire burns in a low stone-rimmed pit in the foreground, with smoke rising. Several men stand around it with palms pressed together in namaste. The man second from left wears a white dhoti with gold borders and a white upper cloth, with rudraksha beads around his neck. Beside him a man in a saffron-orange upper cloth and a bare-chested man stand with hands folded. At left edge a woman in an orange sari also folds her hands. Several men in brown and rust-coloured robes with gold-bordered cloths stand in the background. On the right, a bare-chested man in a golden-bordered orange dhoti stands near a man in a white shirt and checked lungi. A purple logo appears at top left.2013-09-04 +2 copiesA photograph of an outdoor fire ritual under a corrugated metal roof and a tent canopy. A large flame burns in a square pit lined with stone blocks and garlanded with marigold and white flower strings, with a brass pot and a metal vessel nearby. Behind it stands a decorated shrine draped with orange and white marigold garlands, holding a deity murti and a yellow-and-orange banner. Several priests stand close to the fire: one bare-chested man in white dhoti holds a tray, another in orange dhoti pours or holds a vessel, and a man in yellow dhoti and bare chest holds a yellow flower garland. Older men in white and cream shawls and saffron-orange cloth sit and stand along the right side, watching the ritual. A green-and-white festoon hangs across the back of the tent.2007-02-02Night-time homa at an open-air temple pavilion. In the foreground a large fire burns in a tiered yagna kunda decorated with marigold garlands and red kumkum. Behind it a priest in white dhoti with a saffron-and-gold shawl holds a vessel over the flames and offers oblations, while a second priest in cream dhoti with a gold border holds a bundle of kusha grass beside him. At right a man in a saffron dhoti with a red rudraksha mala and bare chest, hands folded in anjali, stands by a table of flowers and offerings. Behind them more white-clad priests tend additional fire pits under bamboo-supported roofing, with a deity shrine lit at the back. Coconuts, flowers and brass pots sit on the ground.2018-03-02