Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a homa fire pit built of brick at left, with flames rising from it. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with a gold border leans forward over kalasha pots on silver plates, placing offerings with a rudraksha mala around his neck. Brass vessels, a plate of yellow flowers and marigold petals surround him. At right, deity murti are dressed with white garlands and a pink cloth, beside a teal draped table. A gilded throne stands in the background with people in white standing nearby.

More like this

Open the gallery
December 23 20102010-12-23December 28 20112011-12-28A temple ritual photograph with an orange-robed priest bending over a fire-pit homa beside a shrine of deity murtis draped in garlands of marigold and red flowers. The priest wears a saffron dhoti and has a shaved head with a rudraksha-style mala at his neck. A kneeling assistant in white ritual cloth tends the offerings, which include marigold petals, dried twigs, a bowl of food and brass lamps. Behind them, a figure in an orange robe stands beside a golden kalasha-topped structure and deity figures in red cloth. Orange curtains frame the scene.2010-11-12A homa ritual in a tent-like hall. In the centre, a man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged before a square brick fire pit with burning embers and offerings. Beside him, a priest in orange and a seated attendant tend the fire. Standing priests in white dhotis with gold-bordered shawls, rudraksha malas and bare shoulders surround the area. To the right, a tiered altar with a deity murti and gold-framed images, brass lamps, and kalasha-like vessels. A red and green striped mat lies on the floor. Roughly ten people are visible.2015-09-14A homa fire is burning in a sunken fire pit on a red floor inside a decorated temple hall, with a flower-tiered offering platform and coconuts and fruits to the right. Several priests in white dhotis with gold borders and bare upper bodies stand at the fire; the central priest in a maroon turban pours from a brass vessel with a flower garland, while others hold offerings. Umbrellas with ornate canopies and marigold garlands decorate the hall, and a few onlookers in orange and white sit at the edges. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person, so this is a ritual scene with priests and devotees.2018-04-14December 12 20162016-12-12July 17 20152015-07-17April 14 20182018-04-14A homa in progress inside a temple hall with orange-painted walls. In the foreground a man in a white dhoti and shawl, wearing a long beaded necklace, bends over a brick fire pit with flames, holding a small vessel over the fire. Behind him another man in white stands near brass pots of offerings, and a drummer in a blue shirt and dhoti plays a drum. To the right, a row of decorated deity murtis draped in garlands sits on a raised platform beside brass kalashas, banana plants, a red cloth and a blue cloth. Bowls of rice, laddus and other food are arranged in front of the fire pit. A gold-carved ornate throne-like chair stands at the left. Several seated devotees in saris and white clothing sit on orange mats. A framed board with names hangs on the back wall.2010-12-26A homa fire ritual in a temple courtyard. A man in white dhoti and shawl with gold border kneels before a red brick fire pit, feeding offerings into flames with his right hand. Behind him sits a second man in saffron-orange cloth with rudraksha beads and a gold necklace, a microphone stand between them. Steel bowls of yellow flowers and covered vessels sit in front. Beside the pit stands a gold lamp stand and a golden peetha, with a deity murti draped in green and red silk and marigold garlands. Red and white painted walls and a black signboard with names sit behind.2011-11-01A homa ritual in a covered hall with a brick fire pit in the foreground. A shirtless priest in white dhoti sits at left, waving a ladle or stick over the pit, which holds offerings and marigold garlands. A standing man in a white dhoti and orange-red shawl with a beaded necklace stands at right with hands folded. Two seated men in saffron-and-purple attire with white cloth chant at a microphone, one in the background at right. Behind them stands a gold-framed altar with a seated deity murti draped in marigold garlands, flanked by golden kalasha-style vessels and brass lamps. Gold-and-red ceremonial umbrellas decorate the sides of the hall.2015-07-17A homa being performed at a brick fire pit with an open flame. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with a gold-bordered cloth sits on a mat, holding a silver bowl of offerings over the fire. To the left, another seated priest in white with a rudraksha-style beaded necklace watches. Behind them, several deity murtis are decorated with garlands and draped in pink, blue and orange cloth, with brass kalasha pots and flower petals on the altar platforms. Partially visible people appear at the left edge.2010-12-26