Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a ritual inside a bamboo-latticed hall. A man in a flowing orange-saffron robe and matching orange head wrap stands at right, holding a copper-orange kalasha topped with green mango leaves and a coconut, wrapped in orange cloth and decorated with a white garland. Smoke rises from a fire at left. Seated devotees in white clothing sit with eyes closed, including a woman in white with a red bindi in the foreground, and several men in white stand or sit in the background. A framed black-and-white portrait of a bare-chested man in meditation pose hangs on the wall at upper right. The scene reads as a homa or puja.

More like this

Open the gallery
Photograph of a homa fire ritual in a hall. In the centre, a seated figure in a saffron-orange robe and orange turban sits before a square fire pit with bright flames, facing the fire. Behind him is a dark maroon-draped altar with red and gold garlands, gold ornaments and a gold kalasha-style emblem on a pole. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts sit around the fire pit, some tending offerings, and a crowd of seated devotees with their backs to the camera fills the foreground. Smoke rises from the fire. The left figure on the altar side wears white and has a beard, and a dark-haired seated figure appears at the far right. The orange-clad figure's appearance is uncertain, and the page links him to a person, so he is described as a candidate with uncertain identity.2004-07-02July 02 20042004-07-02A photograph of a homa or fire ritual in a hall with a ceremonial backdrop. A central seated figure wears an orange saffron robe, an orange head wrap, and a long rudraksha-style mala, with long hair swept back, seated before a flame and offerings. Several people in white clothing sit in front and around him, including a bearded man in white and a smiling man in white, while others in white and a woman in a white sari watch. A flame rises from a fire pit near the center, and a microphone stand is visible at left. A decorated ornamental panel and a draped ceremonial altar appear behind them.2004-07-02July 02 20042004-07-02July 02 20042004-07-02Photograph of a homa ritual in an ashram hall. A man in an orange turban and orange robes sits cross-legged at a low brick fire platform, extending his arm toward a bright flame at left. Behind him a seated musician in white plays a stringed instrument, and two more people in white sit at the back. Near the platform rests a silver kalasha-style vessel with a small flame. At right, a garland hangs beside a ceremonial trident and a dark drape, and a framed portrait stands on the far right. Two people in the foreground, one at right in white clothing and dark hair, are seen from behind watching the rite. The image is somewhat blurred, and a faint vertical date stamp appears at the right edge.2004-07-02July 02 20042004-07-02July 02 20042004-07-02A photograph of a ritual inside a hall with a lattice wooden screen and framed pictures on the wall. A man in a saffron-orange turban, orange robe and rudraksha mala holds a lit camphor flame in a metal vessel, extended toward a row of devotees in white. Several people in white clothes stand with hands folded in prayer or watch quietly, one woman wears a red-brown shawl. In the foreground a stone table is draped with a red cloth holding a brass oil lamp, a brass kettle and a plate with offerings. The orange-robed figure has a person appearance with a turban, saffron robe and rudraksha mala, and is shown performing the ritual.2004-07-02Outdoor ritual photograph beneath a large banyan tree during a pooja. A standing man in saffron-orange robes and a saffron turban, with long dark hair, a rudraksha mala around his neck and white sacred markings on his arm, holds a small brass vessel and a brass bell. Around him, devotees in white clothes stand and sit, some with hands folded in prayer, including a bearded man in white and a woman in a white sari. Brass lamps, a plate of offerings, a kalasha-like pot and a decorated pooja area with flower garlands sit on a mat in front.2004-07-02July 02 20042004-07-02Photograph of a homa or puja at night inside a hall. A central figure in saffron-orange robes and an orange turban, with long hair and a rudraksha mala, sits on a low seat in front of a ritual fire pit and a brass vessel, holding a ceremonial object. Around him, many devotees in white clothes sit on the floor, several holding offerings or bowls. Behind the seated figure is a framed portrait of a saffron-robed seated man above a garlanded platform, with a brass trident and a decorative fan-like canopy beside it. Seated men in white stand near the back wall. The room has tiles and a green-grey wall with a small sign.2004-07-02