2008 - Post August - Powerful homa in Sirkazhi by trained Acharya - Nithyanandapedia

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2008 - Post August - Powerful homa in Sirkazhi by trained Acharya

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Night-time photo of devotees in a small room performing an aarti before a framed portrait of a woman in an orange saffron sari, garlanded with yellow marigolds. A brass oil lamp with a lit flame and brass plates sit on a white-draped table. A woman in a green blouse and white sari and a man in a white shirt stand with palms joined; an older man on the left and a woman in a white salwar with a red shawl also pray. About six people are visible, with others standing behind them. The portrait is a printed picture, not a physical person.

A night-time photograph of a shaved-headed priest in white ritual dhoti and shawl, seated with palms pressed together in prayer before a white marble deity murti dressed in a green and gold garment with a gold crown, hands folded in namaskar. Strands of rudraksha mala hang around the murti and the priest's neck, and the murti is garlanded with white jasmine and red flower garlands. Behind it on a white-draped altar stands a black shiva lingam with a red cloth. In front are a brass kalasha pot with yellow flowers, a silver ritual vessel, a brass oil lamp with a lit wick, and a small brass pooja vessel. Rows of black stone lingams fill the background. Printed credits in the corner read copyright text and a source line.

A photograph of a puja at an outdoor camp with red and cream draped fabric behind it. On a white-covered table stands a framed portrait of a figure in saffron robes and red tilak, garlanded with yellow marigolds and red flowers; a label on the frame reads "Paramahamsa Nithyananda". In front, a young man in white kurta with an orange shawl holds a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward the portrait. Beside him, another young man in white with an orange shawl stands with palms joined in prayer. A man in a light shirt bows with eyes closed, and a plate of offerings sits on a banana leaf with rice and sweets. Several people are partly visible at the lower edge.

A photograph of a home puja setting indoors. Two men in plain white ritual clothing stand on a woven mat before an altar. The man on the left, bare-headed with a vermilion mark on his forehead and a white shawl, holds a silver lamp with a flame. The man on the right wears glasses, a white kurta and rudraksha beads, and stands with palms pressed together in prayer. Behind them, a framed photograph of a seated figure in saffron robes with a rudraksha mala, a printed name in Tamil script, and garlands of red and yellow flowers. On the altar cloth sits an orange-wrapped object topped with a peacock feather, and a brass plate holds red flowers and offerings. Brass vessels, a conch shell, oil lamps, a plate of fruit and a small pot of flowers surround the floor.

A photograph of a ritual space set up with many brass kalasha pots topped with mango leaves and flowers, arranged on a blue cloth. On a white-draped table at left stands a framed portrait of a long-haired figure in saffron-orange robes and a beaded necklace, garlanded with yellow, orange and pink flowers. In the foreground a man in a white shirt and grey trousers bows with his forehead to the ground before the offerings, while another man in white, with hands folded in namaskar, stands at upper right. A brass oil lamp stands beside the table and a tall pole runs through the scene. Overall this reads as a puja setting with the bowing devotee and the garlanded portrait as its focus.

Indoor photograph of a puja at a plain room with pale walls, a wall clock and a window grille. A long-haired man in an orange saffron robe stands at a decorated table, reaching toward offerings of fruit, flowers, a plate of rice and a small oil lamp with a flame. Behind him, men in white dhotis and shirts stand with hands folded in namaskar, and another man in a red shirt handles offerings. A man in white at left, with hands pressed together, faces the altar. Garlands of yellow and red flowers hang at the table front and near the framed picture above, and brass lamps stand on the altar.

A night-time ritual at an outdoor altar draped with a purple cloth and blue cloth and decorated with yellow marigold and red flower garlands, green leaves, and white-covered kalasha pots. In the centre, a young man in white dhoti and a yellow turban, with white tilak and rudraksha-style bead bracelets, stands with palms pressed together in prayer. To the left, a shaved-headed priest in a rust-orange dhoti and white tilak holds a silver tray of fruit and a small silver pot while incense smoke rises. A child in saffron clothing stands at the far left beside small lamps and a small metal deity murti. The scene reads as a puja or abhishekam with offerings.

December 17 2006

A photograph of a devotional worship scene in a plainly white-walled room. A framed portrait labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda" shows a long-haired figure in saffron clothing with a rudraksha mala, seated before a tree trunk and garlanded with white jasmine and red flowers. Below it, a white-draped altar holds a folded saffron cloth, a garland, and two brass oil lamps lit with flames. In the foreground, three devotees sit on the floor in white clothes: a man with folded hands in prayer, a balding man with his back to the camera, and a woman with a jasmine-decorated braid wearing a cream sari with gold border. Brass vessels, fruit and flower petals lie on trays nearby.

Night outdoor homa at a sacred fire pit. A priest in white dhoti with a white shawl and forehead markings pours ghee or offerings into a flame from a ladle, while a square white-and-red stepped fire pit holds burning fire and scattered marigold petals. Around it, men in white dhotis and a woman in a pink sari sit or stand with palms pressed together. Beside them, a framed portrait labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda" shows a figure in orange robes and rudraksha mala beneath a garland of yellow and orange flowers. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha-style vessel, and small banana-leaf offerings sit on a white-draped table. Strings of lights and potted plants appear in the background.

A photo of a devotional aarti being performed in a small whitewashed room with a blue doorframe. A man in white dhoti and shirt with an orange-saffron shawl over his shoulders holds a brass aarti lamp with a lit flame toward a large framed portrait garlanded with red and pink flower strands and yellow marigolds. Offerings of fruit, flowers and a copper vessel sit on a blue table draped in white cloth. Behind him, a man in white and another in white dhoti stand with palms pressed together in prayer, and a woman in a brown sari with a mala stands at left. Small framed deity images and shelves are at the upper right, and a kolam is drawn on the floor.

Two devotees sit with hands pressed in anjali mudra before a framed portrait garlanded with pink, red, orange and white flowers and green leaves; the portrait is labelled "Paramahamsa Sri" on the mount and shows a seated figure in orange robes. A brass oil lamp stands before the portrait. On the left a young man in white clothes with red trim and a red bindi sits with eyes closed; beside him a woman in a white sari with a gold border sits with eyes closed and hands folded. Foreground offerings include a brass tray of orange and pink flowers, bowls, incense sticks and a lit lamp on a table with fruit, sweets and marigold petals. Plain whitewashed wall and a green curtained window behind.