Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a homa fire ceremony at night inside a temple-style shrine enclosed by metal grilles. A large bright fire blazes in a brick fire pit whose rim is strewn with white flower petals and grains. In the foreground, a man in a yellow dhoti sits with a bowl of white grains, and a second man in the left foreground speaks into a handheld microphone while wearing a red rudraksha-style garland. Behind the fire, a deity murti is decorated with flowers, flanked by brass lamps, kalasha pots and ornate golden arches. On the right, a shirtless man in an orange cloth sits near the fire. Brass oil lamps and pots stand on wooden stands around the altar.

More like this

Open the gallery
May 15 20162016-05-15A homa fire ritual in a large, decorated hall with red floor and gold-painted arches and decorations. A sacred fire burns in a brick fire pit ringed with yellow-and-pink decorated bricks and white rice. Three men perform the ritual: a seated man in a yellow dhoti at left holds a plate of white rice, a bare-chested priest in the centre wears a red cloth and red beaded mala and holds a microphone, and a young man at right in a white dhoti with red border holds a microphone and sits beside a bowl of oranges. A standing man in red cloth stands behind at upper left. Brass pots, bowls and offerings surround them, and a white horse figure stands at right. Spectators fill the background behind metal barricades.2016-05-15A large ceremonial fire burns in a brick-lined homa pit in front of a golden-framed shrine with a deity murti decorated with red-orange garlands and flowers. Two priests sit at left, one bare-chested in a red dhoti with a red garland, the other speaking into a microphone while gesturing. In the foreground a bare-backed priest in a yellow-green cloth pours or offers grains from a brass plate onto the brick edge of the pit. Brass oil lamps, kalasha pots and pink-patterned vessels surround the shrine. Metal barricades and onlookers in orange appear in the background. This appears to be a homa or yagna ritual with offerings.2016-05-15May 15 20162016-05-15A homa fire burns in a square brick fire pit decorated with pink dots and dusted with white powder, flames rising at the centre. Behind it a bare-chested priest with a long beard, a red-beaded rudraksha mala and a red sacred cloth sits with a bowl and ladle, performing the offering. To the left, a man in a yellow dhoti sits cross-legged, and at right a man holds a microphone while seated with a plate of fruit and small brass lamps. Golden trident-topped staffs and gold-framed arches stand around the platform, with red flags and banners overhead. Several people watch from the background behind barricades.2016-05-15A photograph of a homa fire pit built from yellow-orange bricks with white-dusted edges and pink flower decorations, a large flame rising from the center. Three men sit on a red cloth before it. On the left, a bare-chested man in a yellow dhoti pours or tends the fire. In the center, a bald, bare-chested man wearing a red rudraksha mala raises a hand over the fire. On the right, a young man in a white dhoti with a gold chain speaks into a microphone. Fruit, brass bowls and a green basin sit nearby. Behind them, golden trident-topped stands, red flags and a white decorated bull are visible, with a crowd standing behind barricades under a tent.2016-05-15Photo 11728701 +2 copiesA photograph of a fire ritual at night. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti sits cross-legged before a large flame rising from a fire pit built of wooden blocks, offering into the fire with a small vessel in his hand. A second figure in the foreground, wearing a yellow-green cloth draped over the shoulder, sits with back to the camera facing the fire. Brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot, and baskets of yellow marigold garlands are arranged around the fire, along with red flower offerings on the wooden blocks and a small oil lamp at the lower left. Homa or yagna fire ritual.2018-01-05A photograph of a sacred fire ritual inside a richly decorated Hindu temple hall with pink and silver shrine alcoves holding deity murtis. A large blazing homa fire rises from a stacked brick fire pit topped with a tiered ornate golden altar, decorated with red flowers. On the left, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a saffron-coloured shawl and rudraksha mala sits with hands folded, beside a standing man in white dhoti with a saffron sash and a yellow-brown headwrap seated near him. On the right, a young man in white dhoti and purple-striped sash bends forward tending the fire. Seated devotees in white and orange clothes watch in the background, and green mats cover the floor.2016-07-02A photograph of a Vedic homa fire ritual inside a temple hall. A tall flame rises from a tiered wooden fire altar stacked with wooden logs and flower-decorated offerings, set on a green cloth. Several priests sit or stand around it: one bare-chested man in a white dhoti with a marigold garland, another in a white dhoti with a red-and-white cloth over his shoulder holding an offering bowl, and a third in a headband and garland seated at the fire with a brass vessel. Seated devotees in white watch from the back, and a row of musicians with microphones sits at the right. Behind are gilded shrines with deity murtis under pink and violet lighting, and brass oil lamps and kalashas stand on the floor.2016-07-02March 06 20162016-03-06 +1 copiesMay 15 20162016-05-15