Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a temple-style hall decorated with illuminated deity murtis in niches, with a tall ornate gopuram-like arch behind. At centre is a decorated ratha-style raised stand with lion figures, flowers and a kalasha-like ornament, and a brick homa/yagna pit with a burning fire, flower petals and fruit offerings on a tray in front. A man on the left with a white flower garland and gold armlets sits on a gilded seat with hands folded in prayer, with a red cloth across his lap. Several seated devotees in white ritual clothes sit on green matting, and a man in a saffron cloth and rudraksha-style necklace sits on the right behind microphones. Sound-stand microphones are placed near the chanting group.

More like this

Open the gallery
July 03 20162016-07-03July 03 20162016-07-03July 03 20162016-07-03Outdoor evening yagna in a temple-style pavilion lit with warm yellow lights and a golden shrine of deity murtis behind. A man seated on a gold-framed red throne at left wears a saffron-orange robe, a white flower garland, gold bracelets and a gold trident-topped staff beside him, and his bare feet rest on a striped cloth. A brick fire pit stands on the green mat in front, with a burning flame, kumkum-dotted offerings, bananas, betel leaves and a bowl of flowers. A decorated kalasha-like pedestal with lion figures sits in the centre. Several seated people in white dhotis and saffron shawls chant at microphones on the right, and devotees in white sit along the rear.2016-07-03July 04 20162016-07-04July 04 20162016-07-04A ceremonial homa at night in an open outdoor pavilion. A visible fire burns in a tiered brick fire pit, surrounded by yellow-orange offerings and a small mound of grain. Behind it stands an ornate, colourful decorated altar with a kalasha-like pot topped with flowers and garlands. Several men in white dhotis and shawls, some shirtless with green or red cloths and rudraksha, sit on the grass chanting and performing the fire ritual. Golden-lit deity murtis flank the back wall, and onlookers sit in the foreground, some in white and orange saris. Brass vessels and microphones are visible.2016-07-04Outdoor photo of a Rudra Homa fire ritual on a green mat under a canopy. A bright fire burns in a stepped brick fire pit at left, surrounded by yellow-brick offerings with marigold and red flowers. A priest in white dhoti and shawl stands with hands joined near the fire, while seated priests in white and one in orange clothes chant at microphones. Behind them, a tall decorated golden peetha and ornate temple-style deity murtis with garlands fill the background. In the foreground at right, a person with long dreadlock-style hair wears a red and orange garment and a flower garland, sitting on a red chair with palms pressed together in prayer, facing the homa. Several devotees in white stand in rows behind, watching the ritual.2016-07-02A photograph of a night homa in a decorated tent hall. A large fire burns in a brick fire pit, its stepped brick base decorated with flowers, with a tiered ornate shrine behind it. Several men in white dhotis sit cross-legged around the fire, one bare-chested with a sacred thread, and one in an orange wrap and white dhoti stands at the right. Brass pots, bowls, flowers and a basket of grains sit on the ground in front, with microphones on stands near the men. Illuminated golden shrines with deity murti line the back of the hall, with colourful hanging tassels above. Several people in white and a few in red and orange sit in the background, with a few other figures standing nearby.2016-07-04Night-time homa at an outdoor ritual site: a flaming fire pit of brick and stone sits in the foreground, with a tiered decorated altar behind it draped in marigold garlands, fruit and a lion-headed pedestal. Several priests sit on green mats in white dhotis; one wears a green sash and bare chest, another an orange shawl, and others sit cross-legged holding ritual vessels and a microphone stand. Illuminated deity figures and gold-painted shrine arches frame the background. No a person candidate is clearly identifiable from appearance, so the figures are described by role only.2016-07-04September 15 20152015-09-15Night outdoor temple-style ritual under a tent with golden illuminated deity murtis and shrine arches behind. In the foreground a woman in a rust-red sari with a flower garland and long braid stands with hands folded at a red cushioned seat on the left, facing a decorated altar with a deity murti or shrine figure on a painted wooden stand with carved lions and a serpent base. A fire pit with burning flames and offerings sits at the bottom right, indicating a homa or yagna. Nearby a man in white with a red shawl and rudraksha-style neck garland stands with hands folded, and a priest in white dhoti with a pink turban and green-bordered cloth stands at the right. Several other people in white and red shawls stand at the back left. Flower petals and brass vessels lie on a green mat.2016-07-03