Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Four young boys in saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged before a fire pit during a homa, a ritual fire ceremony. Each has white vibhuti marks on the forehead and wears rudraksha malas around the neck. They have their hands pressed together in prayer or offering. Behind them, a crowd of adults dressed in white sits on the floor. At the right edge, a person's hands pour offerings into the fire, and brass vessels and small oil lamps sit on a yellow-edged platform. No a person candidate is visible.

More like this

Open the gallery
Five young initiates in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas sit cross-legged before a homa fire pit, with white tilak stripes on their foreheads. The central boy holds a brass ladle and a bowl of yellow liquid over the flames. Behind them, devotees in white clothes sit on the floor, some with hands folded. Brass bowls of red, yellow and white powders, kumkum and vibhuti, plus flowers and a small brass lamp, are arranged on the ritual mat in front. The setting is a dim hall with green leaves in the foreground.2013-11-19A group of young shaved-headed ascetics in saffron-orange dhotis and wraps, with rudraksha malas and white tripundra markings on their foreheads, sit on a white floor mat performing a seated ritual. Several hold brass lamps or ritual implements over small plates of fruit and sweets on low wooden stands. Behind them, men in white dhotis and shirts, some wearing red shawls, sit with hands folded in prayer. The setting looks like a hall with a tiled floor and a blue cloth strip on the floor.2013-11-18A night homa at a fire pit covered in yellow cloth and scattered pink flowers. Around the pit, about seven young sannyasis in saffron-orange robes sit with white tilaka and forehead markings, many wearing rudraksha malas and wrist bands. A young priest on the right wears white clothes, a white headband, a rudraksha mala and a bare upper body, pouring offerings into the flames. Smoke rises behind the group, and a copper vessel and brass items sit near the fire.2013-11-19Night photograph of a homa fire ceremony. A fire burns in a square yellow-painted pit lined with pink flower petals. Seven young shaven-headed boys in saffron-orange robes with white forehead markings and rudraksha malas sit cross-legged around the pit. On the right, an older-looking participant in white dhoti and shawl with a white head wrap feeds offerings into the fire. Smoke rises in the dim background.2013-11-19November 19 20132013-11-19November 19 20132013-11-19A night homa at an outdoor ritual site. A man in white dhoti and a cream turban sits cross-legged behind a yellow-painted square fire pit where a fire burns. Around him, young boys in saffron-orange robes with rudraksha malas and white forehead markings sit on mats, several holding ritual items and gesturing. To the right, a red-draped altar holds yellow kalasha-style pots with garlands and purple cloth, plus brass vessels. Copper and brass bowls are scattered on the ground. A man in a white shirt sits at the far left edge. The scene is a homa or yagna.2013-11-19A night-time homa at a square fire pit lined with yellow-painted edges and scattered pink flowers. A young priest in white dhoti and a cream turban pours an offering from a small vessel into the flames while holding a small book. Around the pit, five young boys in saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged, their foreheads marked with white tilaka and wearing rudraksha malas. One boy holds a brass bowl and another reads from the book. Burning incense sticks and a metal bowl sit at the edge.2013-11-19June 14 20142014-06-14June 07 20142014-06-07April 05 20132013-04-05November 19 20132013-11-19