Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of an outdoor ritual at an open-air pavilion under a canopy of banana leaves and mango leaves. Several people in saffron-orange robes sit on mats and cloth with a seated sannyasi in orange at centre-right, holding a rudraksha mala and facing a brass setup of offerings and plates. Younger people in white clothing with yellow shawls sit nearby, and a woman in white with a yellow sash sits in the foreground. Tall brass oil lamps with burning flames stand at the right, alongside brass pots, flower garlands, fruit and banana leaf plates. Ordinary buildings and trees form the background. The scene reads as a puja or padapuja style ritual.

More like this

Open the gallery
A night-time homa at a temporary open-air pavilion with banana-leaf and palm decorations. Smoke rises from a fire pit at the centre, where a bald man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits facing the fire, his hands raised in ritual gesture. Around him, several people in orange robes and white dhotis with yellow shawls sit on mats and cloth. In the foreground, two women with long braided hair in orange saris and a woman in white with a yellow shawl sit with their backs to the camera. On the right, a tall brass lamp with lit wicks and a yellow flower garland stands beside offering plates. A cloth partition and sprinkled leaves complete the setting.2009-09-26Outdoor ritual homa under a red and orange canopy hung with yellow and green fringed decorations, with banana plants and palm trees behind. A central figure in an orange-red robe with a bare shaved head and beaded necklace performs the ritual while seated on a raised platform. Around him, a white-robed assistant in a yellow shawl sits beside a ceremonial fire area and a second assistant stands in white with a red shawl. In the foreground, a group of devotees in orange robes sit cross-legged with their backs to the camera, including a woman with a long braid and a man with long hair and rudraksha malas. Brass vessels, flower garlands and offering plates are arranged on the ground and on a side table at right.Outdoor ritual under a shade structure with banana leaves and palm trees behind. A bald man in an orange robe sits cross-legged on a striped mat, hands pressed together in prayer. Around him, young men in white dhotis and yellow shawls, with rudraksha malas, sit on yellow cushions; one holds a brass plate, another holds a plate of offerings. A standing man in white attends with a cloth and a bowl. Plastic chairs with seated devotees in white and a woman in orange sari watch from the back, with garlands on a nearby temple structure and a stone statue visible.2009-09-26A photograph of a puja ritual in a shrine room decorated with banana plants and painted deity figures. Several devotees sit on the floor in orange robes; the central figure, a woman in orange with a plain orange top, stands holding a ladle over brass vessels. Opposite, a person in white with a yellow shawl sits with their back to the camera, and a seated devotee in orange holds a brass bowl. Marigold and rose petals are scattered on a white altar, with incense sticks and brass lamps. Visible people: five, partly shown.2009-09-25A homa or yagna ritual is performed in an open pavilion decorated with banana plants and leaf garlands strung overhead. Smoke rises from a central fire pit. Several people in orange and saffron robes sit cross-legged around it, with one saffron-clad man in the centre wearing a white tilak and a rudraksha mala, seated behind the pit. Seated devotees in orange clothing face the altar. A younger woman in a white sari with gold border sits in the foreground beside a brass oil lamp with a bright flame. Brass vessels, a brass lamp, fruit, flowers, and woven baskets with offerings fill the altar to the right. People in white and yellow stand and sit at the edges, and a woman with long hair appears in the back of the group.2009-09-27A homa ceremony under a large red and yellow canopy decorated with fabric trim and banana plants. A bald man in a red-orange shawl and beaded necklaces sits cross-legged at the centre of the ritual area, hands raised in prayer, behind a fire pit with offering dishes. Around him, several women and young people in orange and maroon saris sit on mats facing the fire, and men in white kurtas with yellow shawls sit on the left and right, some chanting or holding their hands together. On the right stands a colourful deity murti with a lion and a large silver lamp stand with flower-filled brass pots. Yellow marigold and sweet offerings sit on brass plates in the foreground.2009-09-25A homa ritual under a colourful patterned canopy strung with leaves and garlands. A man in saffron-orange robes stands centre-right holding a metal plate with a lit flame, facing seated participants. Several people sit on mats in orange, red-striped and white garments, some with folded hands, while a woman in white with a yellow border sits at the left edge. Brass oil lamps with lit wicks, flower-decorated brass vessels, bundles of sticks, a plate of white offerings and baskets of fruit and flowers sit in front, and smoke rises in the background. A visible fire pit with offerings suggests a homa; the standing man's appearance is uncertain, so he is described by role only.2009-10-17 +1 copiesOutdoor homa ceremony under a red and gold tent with a fringed valance, palm trees behind. A square fire pit with white stepped sides and a dark central hollow sits on the floor, decorated with yellow flowers. Young men in white dhotis and yellow sashes sit cross-legged around it, one pouring from a brass vessel and another holding a plate of offerings. A monastic in orange robes and a woman in a pink headscarf kneel near the pit, and a line of seated devotees in white watches from the back. Large brass oil lamps with yellow marigold garlands stand in the foreground. Behind the pit, a tall ornate throne draped with orange cloth and a garland of orange and white flowers holds a framed portrait of a saffron-robed figure with long hair. Fruit, flowers and sweets are arranged on trays.2009-10-17A photograph of a Chandi homa at an outdoor ritual site under a large red and orange canopy hung with leaves. A square fire pit lined with white and yellow flower petals smokes at the centre, surrounded by brass vessels, plates of fruit and sweets, and a brass kalasha. Around it sit several people in orange and saffron robes: a foreign woman with light hair at left, a bearded man in orange with a rudraksha mala at centre, and a shaved-headed priest in orange wrap at right who is joining his palms. A man in white with a yellow shawl sits at the lower right. Behind them a framed photograph of a figure in orange with a garland is displayed on an easel, and palm trees and vehicles stand in the background. Several people in orange sit in a row behind the homa area.2009-09-25A seated devotee in an orange robe with an orange hooded head covering and a gold-coloured necklace sits with palms pressed together in namaste near a tall banana-tree pole. White vibhuti marks are on the forehead. Around him, young men in white shirts with yellow shawls and rudraksha malas attend a ritual; brass plates with lamps and offerings sit on the ground in front. Women in saris, one in pink and one in green, watch from behind plastic chairs, and children sit nearby among flowering shrubs in an open courtyard.2009-09-25August 18 20162016-08-18September 25 20092009-09-25 +2 copies