January 08 2012 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

January 08 2012

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April 17 2011

An outdoor ritual gathering with rows of seated devotees dressed in white, many kneeling before small black lingams on a paved courtyard. On the left, a large deity murti with an orange face and red-and-orange cloth is adorned with yellow, pink and white garlands, a rudraksha mala, and a gold necklace, set on a draped white-and-striped cloth. Two older people in white clothes stand near the rows, one bending over offerings, while a few others in white and blue move through the background. Containers and a hillside appear behind the courtyard, with scattered flower petals on the ground.

July 18 2013

A photo of a ritual row where women in orange and white saris sit behind brass oil lamps (deepams) wrapped in white and yellow flower garlands with red accents. Lit wicks flicker on several lamps, and a leaf or small bowl is held in a woman's hands at right. A striped cloth covers the ground in the foreground. Several women are partly visible, so the count is approximate, and no swami is clearly visible in this frame.

December 23 2016

Night outdoor ritual at a temple-style courtyard with white pillars and strings of small lights overhead. In the foreground, rows of black Shivalingams are wrapped in white cloth, decorated with yellow and red marigold garlands. Behind them, a priest in white dhoti and shawl stands near a small altar holding brass and a lit lamp. On the right, a young man with a white headband and white dhoti sits with hands pressed together in prayer. A large seated crowd of devotees, many in white clothes, fills the background, with some people in orange and blue saris. A fresh-flower garland and copper vessels sit at the left edge.

A large crowd sits on a red carpeted floor under a white tented pavilion hung with colourful paper lanterns and fairy lights. In the right foreground, a long-haired man in an orange and purple robe sits with palms pressed together, apparently the swami figure, with a distinctive long swept-back hair and orange clothing; the identity is uncertain from appearance alone. Around him, devotees wear white dhotis and garlands of white and red flowers, many with sandalwood or vibhuti marks, some with hands folded in namaskar. Women wear saris in yellow, green, pink and purple. Video cameras on tripods film the gathering, and ornate arches frame a shrine area at the back.

A large crowd of devotees sits on the ground outdoors in an evening setting, mostly dressed in white with some in orange and cream. At the centre, a figure with long dark hair wears an orange robe and a white shawl, seated before a group of decorated deity murti framed by yellow and orange garlands. Behind them stand ornate carried shrines or palanquins with colourful fabric canopies, and a few onlookers stand at the back. The gathering appears to be a seated satsang or puja before the processional deities.

Outdoor photo of a large seated group of devotees on colourful striped mats, mostly men, many bare-chested in white dhoti-style cloths with orange-gold borders and some with orange shoulder wraps. Several wear beaded necklaces and white head cloths. In the foreground, a figure in a black head covering and orange-bordered white cloth sits facing away, and to the right a bearded man sits in meditative posture with hands folded. Behind them palm trees and orange ornamental decorations hang on a wall, and in the upper right a man in white stands apart, apparently addressing the gathering.

A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl, with white sacred markings on forehead and arm and a rudraksha-style mala, sits cross-legged at night performing puja. He pours from a silver vessel onto a large black shivalinga draped in white cloth and garlanded with red and yellow flowers. Rows of smaller black lingams with white cloth and yellow flower garlands extend behind him. Silver puja vessels, a bell, a small lamp and a plate of white flowers lie on the platform, which has red-and-white striped edges. Oil lamps glow in the background.

A night-time ritual in a hall with a whitewashed ceiling and ceiling fans, where a standing priest in a red-orange dhoti and matching wrap raises one hand toward a richly decorated deity murti draped in yellow and orange flower garlands. Nearby, a second man in a saffron-gold wrap stands with palms joined. Several seated participants in white and saffron clothing sit on silver pedestals in front of a brass-and-flower altar with a lit oil lamp and brass vessels, while rose petals cover the floor. Rows of seated devotees in white fill the background, and a spotlight illuminates the scene.

2015-10-21 +1 copies

A seated man in an orange-red turban and saffron robe, wearing a rudraksha mala and gold necklaces, sits on a golden throne decorated with a large arch of yellow, red and white flower garlands. Behind him stand gilded figures, a trident is visible at right, and golden lion-like carvings flank the dais. Before him sits a seated assembly of devotees: men in white dhotis and shirts, women in white and cream saris, one in a gold blouse, all facing the throne on a red-draped platform. The setting appears to be a satsang or darshan, with the seated figure presented as a person, giving guidance to the gathered devotees.