A photograph of a shaved-headed priest in a plain white kurta and white dhoti bending over a brick fire pit to light a flame with an oil lamp, part of a homa-style ritual. Behind the brick altar sit decorated deity murtis with gold arches, garlands and pink and gold silk; a garlanded murti stands in a red and gold shrine niche. - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

A photograph of a shaved-headed priest in a plain white kurta and white dhoti bending over a brick fire pit to light a flame with an oil lamp, part of a homa-style ritual. Behind the brick altar sit decorated deity murtis with gold arches, garlands and pink and gold silk; a garlanded murti stands in a red and gold shrine niche.

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Indoor temple ritual at night with a fire pit. A man in white ritual dhoti and shirt, wearing glasses, holds up a lit brass lamp toward a shrine. Behind the lamp stand small deity murtis and an ornate golden prabhavali. A large painted deity figure in red stands in the background. Brass oil lamps stand beside a white brick fire pit with smoke rising. A framed portrait on the right shows a man with a garland and beaded necklace, labelled with no readable caption. Smoke fills the room. The person lit by the lamp does not clearly match a person candidate.

A dim temple shrine interior with white walls and carved columns. A man in white dhoti and shirt bends over a small brick fire pit, pouring an offering with a vessel, while a flame burns in the pit. Behind him stands a golden deity murti in an arched niche framed by red drapes, flanked by dark carved figures. Two smaller deity images with golden halos sit before the pit. On the right, a framed portrait of a woman in orange garments and a garland rests on a draped seat. Brass oil lamps stand nearby, and a second person in a yellow cloth sits at lower left.

A photograph inside a temple shrine during a homa. A man in white ritual clothing with a white shawl sits at left, reaching toward a white-brick fire pit with a small flame, holding a round brass or copper vessel over the fire. Behind the fire pit stand brass oil lamps and a gilded deity murti decorated with yellow and green flower garlands, flanked by two standing deity figures in orange-brown garments. The walls are white with carved pillars and a red curtain.

A photograph inside a temple shrine hall showing a man in white ritual dhoti and shawl with red border, holding a brass plate of flaming camphor or offering before a homa fire pit lined with white stone. Behind him stand ornately decorated deity murtis on an altar, with garlands and a dark-skinned goddess figure flanked by brass lamps. Two tall figures in orange-brown clothing stand on either side of the altar. Brass oil lamps and a kalasha-like vessel sit on the floor. The man appears to be a priest performing a homa or aarti. Whether the man is a person cannot be determined from the image.

A seated man in white ritual clothing with a white shawl and a faint reddish-brown border on his garment sits before a homa fire pit built of white bricks, flames rising from a bed of burning material. He holds his palms pressed together in namaskar near his chest. Behind the fire, golden lamp stands and brass oil lamps flank a shrine with several deity murtis, including a central figure decorated with garlands and two female figures with raised arms in orange-red garments. Lit oil lamps sit on the floor at the lower left. The man has short grey hair pulled back, wears glasses, and has a shaved-looking head, so the a person candidate cue is absent; he is presented as a priest performing a homa. The setting is a temple interior with white walls and a dark floor.

A priest in plain white ritual clothes sits cross-legged on the floor of a white temple hall, holding a lit flame over a brass plate near a small fire pit of dark stones. Behind him, three seated deity murtis sit on yellow cloth-covered platforms, one in a pink sari draped with white and yellow garlands, flanked by two golden arch-shaped frames. Two large dark statues in orange sarees stand on either side at the rear, and a larger gilded deity shrine with red drapes is visible at the back. A brass oil lamp stands at right, and red flowers and offerings sit on the altar. The scene suggests a puja or homa being performed inside a temple.

Interior of a white temple hall with a dark polished floor where a priest in white dhoti and sleeveless white garment bends over a white brick-built homa fire pit, placing an offering with his hand. Behind him, two dark stone dvarapala figures in orange-saffron dhotis flank a shrine with a decorated arch and a deity murti adorned with red and gold garments. Brass lamps and trays of fruit, sweets and flowers surround the fire pit. A woman in white sits at the left edge near brass vessels and a plate of offerings. On the right, a framed portrait labelled with a visible name stands on a red-draped seat, showing a figure in orange robes with rudraksha malas. Three people are visible.

A photograph of a homa ritual at a temple shrine. A man in a white dhoti and white shirt, wearing glasses and a wristwatch, sits cross-legged at a stone-brick fire pit, pouring liquid from a small metal vessel into the flames. Behind him, three deity murtis sit on gilded arched thrones: the central figure in a pink sari with a tall crown and garlands of white and red flowers, and flanking figures in golden and brown saris with garlands. Brass oil lamps and a brass bowl sit on the altar, with a yellow-and-white cloth backdrop and orange-robed attendant figures visible above. The attendee is an appearance-based candidate only loosely; no qualifying cues are clearly visible, so identity is uncertain.

Dim temple interior during a homa at a brick fire pit in front of deity murti and altars. A man in white dhoti and white shirt sits on the left, holding an incense or ritual stick toward a small flame in a brass lamp. Brass oil lamps stand at the edge of the pit, and smoke rises from it. Behind them, garlanded deity murti and a framed portrait with orange and red garlands hang on the right. Red curtains frame the doorway.

Indoor temple scene with a homa fire burning in a brick-lined fire pit in the foreground. A man in white ritual clothing with a white shawl, thin-framed glasses, a black beaded mala around his neck and a sacred thread sits cross-legged at the left, his head bowed in meditation or prayer. Behind the fire, a sanctum holds a central deity murti and two smaller seated deity figures before a golden arch decorated with flowers and garlands. Two dark standing female deity statues in orange-brown dress flank the shrine, and brass oil lamps and a brass kalasha-style vessel stand near the fire. The walls are white with carved pillars.

A homa fire burns inside a white brick fire pit in a temple hall before a shrine with deity murtis and gold arches. A seated man in white ritual dhoti and shirt with a red-edged cloth sits at left with palms joined in prayer, holding a small brass vessel. Brass oil lamps stand on either side, and two tall dark statues with orange garments flank the shrine. Flowers and garlands decorate the deities. The scene is a fire ritual in progress.

A photograph inside a temple hall during a puja. In the foreground a man in white ritual clothes sits on the floor before a small fire pit lined with dark stone blocks, lighting or tending a flame in a brass lamp, with offerings and brass vessels nearby. Behind him are three seated deity murtis with golden halo-shaped backs and floral garlands, one centre figure in pink and white, flanked by two others in gold. Two dark standing sculptures in orange draped cloth stand on either side of a red-curtained shrine with a golden arch and a lit deity figure. A tall brass lamp stands at the right edge. The setting is a marble-floored temple interior with white walls and a wall clock.