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Nithyanandapedia
A homa or yagna fire pit, a raised square brick-and-plaster structure decorated with flower petals, is the central subject, with flames rising from it under a white tented pavilion hung with colourful paper lanterns. Several young men in white dhotis, bare-chested, some wearing yellow or orange shawls and rudraksha-style necklaces, stand and kneel around the pit; one bends forward pouring or placing an offering. A seated figure at right sits on a gold ornate throne decorated with sun-ray motifs, wearing an orange-red robe, a red headwrap, a garland of white and yellow flowers and beaded necklaces. Seated devotees in white cover the floor on striped cloth mats, and brass pots and offering bowls sit near the pit.

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December 12 20162016-12-12Photograph of a ritual inside a canopied hall decorated with hanging colourful lanterns and fabric streamers. In the foreground, a shirtless priest in white dhoti with orange and yellow bordered cloth stands at a wooden homa or puja platform, while another priest in a yellow-bordered dhoti tends oil lamps and burning flames. A tray in front holds fruit, flowers and a leaf-plate of offerings. Behind them, seated devotees in white and a figure in red-and-gold dress sit before a golden throne-like seat with a sunburst backdrop. Floral garlands and ornate ritual objects are visible on the platform.2016-12-12Night ritual under a canopy with coloured streamers and hanging lamps. A man in white dhoti with an orange headband and rudraksha-style beaded necklace leans over a wooden platform, pouring liquid into a carved wooden box. Nearby, a bare-chested man in white dhoti and yellow-trimmed shawl stands beside a bell, and other men and women in white and yellow attire sit or stand around the altar. The platform holds bananas, fruit, flower garlands, a golden kalasha-like vessel draped in orange cloth, and small bowls. Behind, a decorated deity murti is visible at the right edge. A green banana plant and a brass lamp stand complete the scene.2016-12-05December 05 20162016-12-05A night homa in an open-sided pavilion with a pink and white canopy. A large square fire pit with a bright flame sits in front, its tiers edged with white and pink flower petals and fruit offerings on banana leaves at the right. A man in white dhoti and shawl, with rudraksha beads and a garland, kneels behind the fire with hands joined near the pit. A standing man bare-chested in a white dhoti with garlands and a seated man with a yellow turban and garlands tend the offerings. Men in saffron robes stand along the back, and a gold-topped chair with a gilded backrest stands behind the kneeling figure. Several saffron-clad participants watch from the sides.2017-08-02A large open tent with striped multicoloured mats hosts a fire ritual. A square homa fire pit with smoke rising sits at centre, surrounded by bare-chested and white-clad priests and devotees seated on the floor. A standing priest in orange and yellow cloth holds a microphone and speaks. Fruit, flowers, betel leaves and brass offerings lie on trays, and paper lanterns hang from the ceiling.2016-12-12A large tented hall during an evening fire ritual. In the centre a wooden square fire pit with a bright flame sits on a red floor, surrounded by flower petals, brass vessels and garlands. A shirtless priest in white dhoti and an orange cloth kneels at the fire pit, tending the flames. Seated on an ornate golden throne with a red cloth is a man wearing an orange turban, a red shawl and a long beaded garland; a large multicoloured parasol stands behind him. Around him devotees sit on the floor in white and yellow clothes, and a woman in a maroon sari with a garland stands with folded hands at right. Colourful hanging lanterns decorate the ceiling and lights hang overhead.2016-12-05Photo of a homa/yagna ceremony under a white tent hung with colourful paper lanterns. A square fire pit with a rust-coloured rim sits on a striped mat in front, filled with flowers and burning embers, while smoke rises. Several priests in white dhotis stand and sit around it; one bare-chested man in a yellow-and-gold silk dhoti stands at left, and another in a white dhoti with a gold-bordered shawl bends forward offering something over the pit. Fruit, bananas, flowers and brass vessels surround the area. At right, a figure in a saffron-brown garment with a garland of white and purple flowers sits on an ornate golden throne with a sun-and-peacock motif, with a red seat cushion. Seated devotees in white fill the background.2016-12-12December 12 20162016-12-12August 02 20172017-08-02A large tented hall with coloured paper streamers and lanterns hanging from the ceiling, filled with seated devotees in white. In the centre, a wooden homa fire pit stands on a red carpet scattered with flower petals. Two priests in white dhotis, one bare-chested and wearing a saffron shawl, stand beside the pit; a woman in a white cloth with a saffron wrap stands behind them and another woman in a yellow cloth sits in front. On the right, a seated figure in red and gold robes, wearing a garland and a black crown-like headpiece, sits on a gilded throne under a multicoloured parasol, flanked by attendants. Brass pots of fruit, flowers and lamps are arranged in the foreground, and a camera crew films the ritual. Identity of the figure on the throne is uncertain from appearance alone.2016-12-05August 02 20172017-08-02