Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a temple-style room. A square fire pit built of yellow bricks holds a burning fire with logs, decorated with red roses, white rice and yellow flowers. Four men sit cross-legged on striped mats around it, bare-chested in white dhotis. The man at left wears a pink-and-red headband and rudraksha mala and holds a basket of sticks; another in a white shawl sits behind him. At right, a man with folded arms wears a gold-bordered dhoti, and a man in the foreground holds a bowl of rice. Carved wooden doors and flower-decorated kalasha pots frame the scene, with other white-clad people visible in the background passage.

More like this

Open the gallery
A photograph of a fire ritual inside a brick-walled hall with a wooden double door behind. Four men sit cross-legged on striped mats around a yellow brick homa fire pit with bright flames, decorated with red flowers, marigold garlands and bowls of offerings. The man at left wears a pink and purple head cloth, a rudraksha-style mala and white dhoti and holds a basket of sticks; the man at right wears a white dhoti with an orange-bordered cloth and gold chain. Brass vessels, a kalasha-like pot and a standing fan are visible. Behind the doorway, several white-clad men are seated, and a screen glows in the distance. a person's presence is not visibly evident.2017-02-23A photo of a homa fire ritual in an indoor temple-like room with a dark carved wooden door and stone walls. A square yellow-painted fire pit with a burning fire sits at centre, surrounded by marigold and rose petals, fruits, banana leaves and brass vessels. Three men sit on striped mats: the one at left is bare-chested with a yellow head wrap, rudraksha-style beaded garlands and a white dhoti, tending the fire; the one at centre wears a white shawl and beaded garlands; the one at right wears an orange shawl and beaded garlands. A marigold-decorated kalasha and a red-clad figure stand at the edges. Three people are visible.2017-04-06A fire ritual in a tiled hall with a large carved wooden double door behind it. A homa fire burns on a square altar of stacked brick-coloured blocks, dusted with white powder, with fruit offerings (bananas, pomegranates, red fruit) on green leaves in front. A priest in white dhoti with a yellow head cloth and gold-coloured garlands ladles ghee into the fire. Beside him a man with a bare chest and rudraksha-style beads pushes wood into the flames. Another man in an orange shawl and white dhoti sits cross-legged, and a fifth participant sits at the lower right. Flower garlands and a kalasha-like vessel decorate the altar, and a red-carpeted seat is visible at left.2017-04-06A homa is performed at a brick fire pit in a temple-like hall. Three priests sit on a striped mat around the burning fire: the man on the left wears a red-and-pink turban, a red-orange rudraksha-style mala, and a white dhoti, and he is feeding items from a woven basket; the man in the centre sits in white with a white shawl and a bead necklace; the man on the right wears a white dhoti, an orange-gold cloth and a bead garland, holding a small item over the flames. A fourth person in white dhoti and white kurta stands in a doorway behind them. Flowers, a brass vessel of ghee, and yellow marigold garlands surround the fire.2016-08-05March 06 20162016-03-06 +1 copiesSeptember 09 20162016-09-09A photograph of a homa fire ritual in an open courtyard with brick walls. At the centre, a square brick fire pit blazes with flames. Several men in white dhotis, some bare-chested, sit cross-legged on a patterned mat around the fire. A man in the centre wears a white shawl and a rudraksha mala. Behind, a man in a yellow head cloth and white dhoti sits beside another fire. Garlands of yellow and orange flowers, brass bowls, a basket of wooden sticks, and a dish of grains lie on the mat. Other men stand in the background near a wooden door.2016-10-16February 26 20172017-02-26April 06 20172017-04-06October 16 20162016-10-16April 06 20172017-04-06Three priests sit cross-legged on a purple and blue mat before a stone-lined fire pit, a homa with a tall bright flame. The priest on the left, bare-chested with a white dhoti and a white head cloth, holds a woven basket and wears a rudraksha mala. The priest in the middle, in white with glasses, holds a brass bowl. The priest on the right, bare-chested with an orange shawl and a white dhoti, wears a rudraksha mala and a white tripundra on his forehead. The fire is surrounded by flowers, offerings and fruit, and a large carved wooden door with brass studs stands behind them.2016-09-09