Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A decorated ritual hall during a fire-offering ceremony. A man in white dhoti and shirt sits cross-legged on the left, and a younger priest in saffron-orange robes with a red shawl sits center-left, both attending a homa near a raised platform heaped with marigolds and wood pieces. Behind them another white-clad man sits near red-cushioned baskets, and a few more people in white are seated in the background. Rows of small oil lamps cover the floor in the foreground, alongside brass vessels, plates of flowers and offerings. Large white statues of a deity and a seated sage with garlands stand on pillars, and hanging marigold garlands frame the scene. Brass pots with mango leaves and yellow flowers sit on a white-draped table at right.

More like this

Open the gallery
A photograph of an evening homa or yagna ceremony inside a temple hall decorated with marigold garlands and white deity statues on pedestals. Priests in white dhotis and orange-saffron shawls sit around a central fire pit lined with orange flower garlands, tending small flames. A seated man in an orange-saffron top with a mala sits near the centre, flanked by people in orange and red garments. In the foreground a white-clothed table holds rows of small brass and clay oil lamps, bowls of rice, petals, fruit, and a large array of decorated coconut-topped kalasha pots wrapped in gold mesh and leaves. Strings of lights and hanging garlands fill the background.2009-01-12A photograph of a ritual yagna hall decorated with marigold and orange garlands and white hanging cloth. Several people sit on the floor in white dhotis and white shirts, one in an orange-saffron cloth, arranging offerings. A man in a white shirt and light trousers bends over a tray of brass oil lamps laid on a white cloth in rows. A white stone deity murti stands beside a red plaque on the left, another white statue sits on a pedestal at right, and a tall garland-wrapped post and tiered trays of kalasha-like offerings wrapped in leaves stand at right. Smoke fills the hall and several small oil lamps burn on red trays. The setting suggests a homa/yagna or puja.2009-01-12Photograph of a ceremonial homa or yagna inside a canopy decorated with marigold and white flower garlands. Several people in white dhotis and shirts sit on the floor around a fire pit and offering platform. One man in an orange-saffron cloth sits near the centre, tending the fire, while a younger man in a white shirt and pink-white garment assists at the left. Rows of brass oil lamps, lit diyas, and plates of fruit, flowers and coconuts cover a white cloth in front. Behind them, white stone statues of deities stand beside a red-bordered sign reading Sri Vaithiyanatha Bhagavan, and smoke fills the air. Other devotees sit at small red mats in the background.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12A decorated ritual hall filled with marigold and orange flower garlands hanging from the ceiling and pillars. Several seated men in white dhotis and shirts perform rites on the floor, with a large row of small oil lamps arranged on a white cloth in front of them. Steel buckets covered with banana leaves and a tray of banana-leaf-wrapped offerings sit nearby. A decorated deity murti stands in an arch in the background, a fire is lit at the right, and a man in orange clothing sits among the priests. A photographer with a camera is visible at the right edge. This appears to be a puja or homa-style ceremony, with several people participating.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12A night-time ritual scene under a canopy of orange and yellow marigold garlands. A standing man in a saffron-orange dhoti and shawl holds a brass plate of burning camphor flame aloft in an aarti. Below, a seated man in white dhoti with an orange-red sash tends a fire pit ringed with marigold garlands and small oil lamps. Behind them, a seated figure in red sits with hands in anjali, and more devotees in white and red sit in the background. White stone deity murtis under garlanded arches stand around the space, and tiered trays of offerings with fruit, flowers, rice and kumkum fill the foreground. Smoke and lamp light hang in the air.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12A decorated ritual hall lit by oil lamps and draped with orange and white marigold garlands. Several priests in white dhotis sit on the floor around a large circular arrangement of rows of small clay oil lamps, banana leaves and metal buckets of offerings. One seated man wears an orange-saffron cloth and a bare upper body. White marble statues of deities stand on pedestals, and a pink lotus-shaped seat with a green patterned base sits at right beside silver pots of fruit. Smoke hangs in the air. Printed signs in Tamil script appear near the statues. This appears to be a puja setting with abhishekam-style offerings.2009-01-12January 12 20092009-01-12An evening puja in a decorated outdoor pavilion hung with orange and yellow marigold garlands and string lights. Two white stone deity murtis with ornate arches stand on pedestals behind the ritual area. In the centre, a man in an orange robe sits on a low platform with a rudraksha mala and a seated orange-robed figure beside him, while others in white dhoti and orange shawls attend. In the foreground, several white-clad men sit before a long table of brass plates holding small oil lamps, flowers, fruit and sweets, and a row of decorated kalasha pots with mango leaves and coconuts stands on a white-draped table. Smoke and lamplight fill the space.2009-01-12A photograph of an evening puja inside a marigold-decorated temple pavilion. A standing man in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl holds a brass tray of burning camphor flames aloft. Seated on the ground in white dhotis, a priest tends a fire pit and oil lamps (diyas) near a marigold-garlanded altar. Behind them, a seated man in saffron clothing with a rudraksha mala presides over a row of devotees. Golden-yellow sculptures of deities stand in arched niches, and a tray of conical sweet offerings sits on a white-draped table at right. Orange and yellow flower garlands hang from the ceiling, and smoke rises through the lamplit scene.2009-01-12