October 18 2007 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

October 18 2007

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A photograph of a homa or yagna in a plain whitewashed hall. A seated priest in orange robes and a patterned cap sits behind a white brick fire pit, with brass vessels, flowers, a pot and a small deity murti arranged in front. Rows of seated people in white and orange clothing, including young children and women in saffron, sit on mats facing the fire. A young man in white and orange stands at the right edge, and a few people in white kneel near the front. Hanging decorative banners and a small screen are visible on the walls.

Indoor ritual hall with a bare concrete floor and white walls hung with a few framed photos and a banana-leaf canopy. A homa fire burns in a metal fire pit on an orange cloth at the right, where a man in white with a yellow shawl sits with hands folded in prayer beside a second seated man in white. Rows of brass oil lamps and small lit diyas are arranged on the floor, with brass plates of offerings in the foreground. Around twenty seated devotees in white and maroon clothes sit on mats at the left, and a large metal vessel with an orange cloth wrap stands in the centre foreground.

A seated wedding-style Vedic ceremony in a covered courtyard with white walls and a corrugated roof. In the centre, a bride in a yellow and white sari sits on the floor beside a groom in white dhoti and shawl with flower garlands. Several saffron-robed priests sit around a long mat with brass plates of fruit, sweets, flowers, coins, a coconut and a yellow box. On the right, a man in orange robes and orange shawl sits on a red-and-blue patterned mat with a ceremonial staff nearby. Behind them, a large seated audience of women in saffron, white, pink and green saris and men in shirts fills the floor, with a few standing men in white near a photographer at the back left.

Indoor evening puja in a decorated hall with white walls, fairy lights and a tin roof. A deity murti sits on a decorated seat or throne beside a white bull figure, with colourful woven banners hung on the pillars. Several seated devotees in white and orange sit on striped mats facing a small fire pit with lit lamps, and an orange-robed sadhu sits near the fire. Rows of devotees in white shirts and saris fill the floor, with a man in a light blue shirt seated on a chair at the left. About thirty people are visible, and the scene appears to be a ritual gathering.

December 26 2008

A photograph of an indoor Navaratri celebration in a decorated hall with white walls, hanging string lights and tall cloth banners in red, blue and yellow. A man in orange robes and a tall crown-like headdress sits at the front playing a stringed instrument beside a laptop on a small wooden stand. Several dozen seated devotees, many in white, cream and orange clothing, face him on striped mats. A small lit oil lamp sits on a white platform in front, and shelves display painted deity figurines and small statues along the walls, with framed devotional images above. The setting suggests satsang with a performance during Navaratri.

A photograph of a large hall during a seated ritual gathering. Many devotees sit on mats in rows, most in white clothes with yellow or orange shawls and orange-bordered garments; several women have orange shawls, and some sit with hands folded in namaskar. Brass plates, small brass lamps, steel vessels and bowls with flower petals sit on orange cloths before them. On the right, a priest-like group in white dhotis and bare-chested sits near a golden throne-like seat, some holding books or chanting. A camera on a tripod and a microphone stand are visible, and a banner with photographs hangs on the orange back wall. Colourful striped pillars line the left side.

A photograph of a large indoor hall with orange-painted walls and a corrugated roof, where a seated congregation performs a puja. Many participants sit cross-legged on mats and cloth in rows; women in white with yellow shawls, women in orange saffron robes, and men in white and saffron garments predominate. Brass plates, small brass lamps and offering trays sit in front of them. Near the front, a monk in orange robes sits beside a golden ornate throne-like chair, and another figure in white with a shaved head sits on the carpet area. A tripod camera stands in the central aisle. Banners with photographs hang on the far wall, and tall decorative cylindrical pillars wrapped in patterned cloth line the hall. The people are sitting as a congregation during the ritual.

A photograph of a large hall with white walls and a white platform at the left edge, decorated with hanging colourful woven banners. Rows of seated devotees fill the floor, many men in white dhotis and white shirts with red-and-white sacred threads and tilak, while others wear orange or saffron robes and yellow shawls. Several seated men in front hold small items and sit before orange cloth mats with brass plates of offerings, flowers and small bowls. A tripod-mounted camera stands among the rows and a few seated people wear orange and red saris. Hundreds of attendees are visible toward the back.

A photograph of a large hall with an orange-painted wall and a corrugated metal roof, where a seated congregation performs a puja. In the foreground, women in white and orange saris and yellow-and-white shawls sit on mats before brass thalis, kalashas, oil lamps, flower petals and small brass vessels. Further back, rows of seated people in white and yellow clothing face a raised area where several men in white dhotis and orange garments sit, one wearing a gold chain, while a camera on a tripod records the ceremony. Tall decorated pillars stand along the back wall beside a framed photo panel and a hanging banner.

Indoor photo of a Navaratri puja in a sheltered hall with a metal roof strung with small garlands and a line of decorative fabric banners in red, orange and cream. A seated figure in orange robes with a tall cap sits before a raised altar on which a deity murti stands beside a white bull figure, and a white-clad attendant tends the altar. Rows of devotees in white clothes sit on woven mats, some in red and multicoloured saris, with a standing man near the left wall. Shelves hold clay pots and figurines.

December 26 2008