Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night outdoor ritual at a white-tiled square fire pit (homa/yagna) with a dark central pit and scattered petals. Seated men in white dhotis with red-bordered cloths and rudraksha malas perform the rite; the central figure has a shaved head, gold necklace and bare upper body, and holds ritual items. Behind them women in pink, yellow and green saris sit with hands folded in prayer. A tall brass oil lamp (deepa) with flowers stands at right, with brass plates and a kalasha-like vessel nearby. Smoke rises in the dark background.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night ritual scene at an open-air homa or puja platform. A square white-edged fire pit lined with marigold petals sits in the foreground, with brass oil lamps (diyas) with flower garlands at right. Around it, about ten people sit on the ground: women in saris (pink, yellow, red) with hands folded in anjali, and men in white dhotis, one bare-chested with gold necklaces and another wearing a rudraksha-style mala, seated before open books and a small brass kalasha. Dark night setting with a palm-thatched structure behind.2010-10-08October 08 20102010-10-08October 08 20102010-10-08Night outdoor ritual on a white cloth-covered platform. Two tall brass oil lamps (deepa stands) decorated with marigold garlands flank a square fire pit (homa kunda) with a raised white stepped base. Several robed priests in white dhotis and shawls sit cross-legged; one at centre-left holds his palms together in anjali, another at right is seated behind a microphone stand, wearing a red-and-white dhoti and a beaded mala, with a brass kalasha and offering tray with flowers before him. Devotees in pastel and white clothing sit in the background, some with hands folded, in darkness lit by a single lamp. The scene appears to be a homa or puja with satsang-style seating.2010-10-08A night-time homa ritual in a dimly lit hall. A fire pit, with a rectangular platform of fire pit and flower-strewn white cloth, sits in the centre. Several shaved-headed priests in white dhotis and white shawls, wearing gold necklaces, sit cross-legged around it. The priest at the back centre, seated on a low raised seat, wears a gold necklace and white garment. On the right, a priest holding an open book wears a white and pink shawl. Brass oil lamps with lit flames, brass vessels, bowls of offerings and flower petals surround the fire pit. Behind them, a larger seated audience in white fills the background, with a few people in saffron clothing.2010-10-16 +2 copiesA night ritual scene on a white cloth-covered platform. Two tall brass oil lamps with flower garlands stand in the foreground, their flames lit. Behind them, several men sit cross-legged in white dhotis and shawls, one wearing a rudraksha-style mala, others in white shirts. A brass plate with flowers, a kalasha-like vessel and a small silver stand holding offerings sit centrally, and a microphone stands at right. A small square water tank with stepped edges is at left.2010-10-08A night-time homa or yagna at a brick fire pit (kunda) with a palm-leaf screen behind it. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti and a white shawl with red border, wearing a gold-beaded mala, sits cross-legged at the pit, eyes lowered. Other priests in white dhotis with gold malas sit around the fire, and women in yellow-bordered saris sit behind them. A brass vessel of offerings and a small brass lamp rest on the altar. Men with vertical sacred marks on their foreheads stand at the right edge.2010-10-15October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight-time photograph of a homa or yagna at a fire pit (kund) with a dark interior and white marble edge, a large brass kalasha-like vessel with a ladle and offerings on banana leaves in the foreground. A brass oil lamp with a lit wick stands at left, and a blurred white-clad figure is at right edge. Behind the fire pit, a seated group of about 20 boys and young men in white dhotis and shawls, some with white headbands and rudraksha malas, sit facing the ritual. A woman in white sits at the far left. Plates of flower petals and fruit, brass vessels and a stack of books sit on the platform. Red pillars and a dark tent-like canopy frame the scene.2011-10-05Night outdoor ritual scene at an ashram. In the foreground, a white marble-tiered platform holds a black stone yoni-shaped pit or altar. A shaved-headed young priest in white dhoti and shawl, wearing a gold-bead necklace, holds a silver plate at the microphone, while an older priest beside him in white with a saffron-edged cloth and a gold necklace holds a book. Seated devotees in orange and maroon clothing line the left, and musicians with drums sit at the back. Brass vessels, a gold plate with flowers, and garlands of marigolds and white flowers rest on the right. Red items are piled on a tray beyond. A small red-roofed building and a tree are visible in the background.2011-12-31A night-time homa at an open-air ashram site. A square white fire pit with ash sits centre frame, with kumkum-marked sadhus in saffron robes and rudraksha malas seated around it. A bald priest at right in saffron reads from an open book at a microphone, and a robed figure beside him holds a ritual vessel. Several women in orange and rust saris sit with folded hands on the left and foreground. Brass vessels, a lamp, flower petals and two coconuts in white lattice holders sit on a red cloth at lower right.2013-04-29October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copies