Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A night-time ritual at an open-air pavilion with a fire pit and offerings. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with an orange and green border stands with hands folded, wearing a red head cloth and a long ceremonial garland. Beside him a gold ornate throne with red cushions stands empty. In front, a kalasha-style pot of white flowers, green leaves and marigolds rests on a silver tray with apples, oranges, pomegranate-red blossoms and a banana leaf. A wooden fire pit holds smoke and flames at left. Assistants in white dhotis tend the offerings, and a large seated crowd of devotees in white fills the background under a tent roof.

More like this

Open the gallery
A shirtless man in white dhoti with a red-and-gold headcloth bows over an oil lamp with a visible flame, held before a low offering table of marigold garlands, bananas, oranges, coconuts and leaves. Behind him a seated crowd of devotees in white clothes watches; a golden ornate throne stands at right and a brass vessel sits at left. Smoke rises from a fire pit.2016-12-12Night outdoor homa or yagna at a fire pit tiered in yellow-orange blocks, decorated with white flower garlands, green leaves, red roses and fruit offerings including apples and oranges. A priest in white dhoti with an orange-and-blue sash and a red head cloth pours from a vessel into the fire. Beside him, a young assistant in a white dhoti with a purple border stands holding a gold-coloured necklace. On the right, a man in orange-red robes and a gold necklace of beads sits on a golden throne with a red cushion and red backrest, with a brass vessel nearby. A large seated crowd fills the tent behind, under draped fabric and string lights. a person is seated on the throne in orange-red robes with a long gold beaded garland.2017-05-25May 26 20172017-05-26Night outdoor ceremony under a tent with a crowd of seated devotees in the background and string lights. In the foreground a priest with a red-and-orange head cloth, bare chest, rudraksha-style beaded necklace, and white dhoti with orange and teal border holds a lit oil lamp flame over a yellow-orange ritual platform decorated with white flower garlands, fruits, red flowers and kalasha vessels. To the right a seated figure on an ornate gold throne with red cushion, wearing ornate gold necklaces and saffron-orange cloth, sits with hands folded in namaste. This appears to be a puja ritual with aarti. a person identification is appearance-based only and uncertain.2017-05-25A ritual homa or yagna scene under a white tent with orange and maroon cloth. Smoke rises from a fire pit in the centre, where a woman in a white sari kneels and offers something into the flames. Several priests in white dhotis with gold borders attend the fire, one bending low over a tray of fruit and flowers. A man on the right wears an orange cloth and a rudraksha mala. A seated man on the right in a red-brown robe with a gold necklace and garland, holding a white flower, sits on a golden throne with a large gold backrest; he has long swept-back hair and a tilak, and appearance suggests a person in the central seat, presented in an in-person ritual setting. Nearby, a man in a red turban and rudraksha mala kneels beside offering baskets of fruit, flowers and kalasha-style vessels. Crowded devotees stand behind in orange and white clothing.2017-05-26A photograph of a ritual at a pavilion lit by hanging decorative lamps. In the foreground, several men in white dhotis with coloured borders stand around a square fire pit of wooden frame, possibly a homa or yagna. One man in a yellow-and-orange-bordered dhoti holds a long ladle or implement over the pit, while another in white with an orange sash stands nearby. To the right sits a figure on a red cushioned seat under an ornate golden throne with sun-ray backrest; the seated person wears an orange-brown robe, a garland of white and orange flowers and a rudraksha-style necklace. Offerings of fruit, flowers, bananas, coconuts and betel leaves sit on banana-leaf trays beside the fire pit, and devotees sit on the floor in the background.2016-12-12Night-time homa ceremony in a open pavilion with red carpeting and a wooden fire pit at centre, flames and smoke rising. A man in a red dhoti and garland of white flowers sits on a gold-and-red throne behind the fire pit, his hand raised, with a kneeling attendant beside him. Priests in white dhotis, some with bare chests and orange cloths, sit or stand around the pit with ladles and offerings. Devotees in saris and white garments stand behind, and plates of fruit, flowers and kalasha pots surround the fire. Banana plants and a gold canopy frame the scene. a person: the seated figure on the throne wears a red dhoti, a white flower garland and long dark hair, with ceremonial gold adornments visible.2016-12-05A night-time ritual in a tented hall with striped mats on the floor. In the foreground, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a maroon-and-green border and a purple-and-pink head wrap bends over a wooden fire pit (homa kund), adjusting an offering with his hand. Brass vessels, a kalasha-like pot, bananas, coconuts, fruit and yellow and white flowers surround the setup. Behind him, a second bare-chested assistant in a yellow cloth holds a mic, and an older man in white sits by the seated deity murti on a gold throne decorated with marigold garlands. Ceiling lamps and hanging lights are visible.2016-12-12A night puja under a large tent with string lights and a crowd of seated devotees behind a low wooden platform. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with orange and blue borders and a red head cloth holds a small lamp and bell-like vessel over fruit and flower offerings. Another man in a white dhoti kneels at left beside a wooden tray of fruit, marigolds, and coconut, while a bare-chested attendant at right holds a brass pot near a gold-coloured chair. Oranges, apples, grapes, and garlands fill the platform. A man in a saffron-trimmed shawl with beaded necklaces sits in the background near the gilded throne.2017-05-25May 25 20172017-05-25May 25 20172017-05-25Inside a decorated tent, a seated figure on a red and gold throne with a large golden halo sits with palms joined in namaste, wearing an ochre-brown robe and beaded necklaces. In front, a shirtless priest with a pink-and-orange turban and rudraksha-style beaded garlands bends over a long golden puja platform strewn with white flower petals, lighting or tending oil lamps. A second young man in orange-bordered white dhoti sits at the lower right, and a crowd of devotees sits on the mats behind. Garlands of red and yellow marigolds, leaves, a brass kalasha, a brass lamp and a plate of flowers and leaves lie on the platform, and a white cloth covers an object at the left. The scene suggests a padapuja at satsang.2017-05-25