February 11 2007 - Nithyanandapedia

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February 11 2007

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Night-time outdoor scene on a sandy ground beneath palm fronds and strings of blue-and-white pennants. Around him, men in white shirts and white dhotis, several wearing rudraksha malas, move in a procession or ritual walk; one man in front raises his hands. On the right a man in a checked shirt presses his palms together, and a boy stands beside lit oil lamps on a white cloth. Colourful striped cloth banners hang from poles on the left and right.

Night-time outdoor temple ritual at a Tamil Nadu-style festival site. A bald man in a saffron-orange robe with a long orange shawl and a gold necklace walks barefoot across a raised path, holding a tall bamboo staff, while men in white dhotis and shirts escort him. A man in a white kurta with a rudraksha mala raises his arm at right, and a metal kalasha-style vessel is carried near the centre. Behind a wooden railing, devotees in white and dark clothes stand watching, one with palms pressed together in namaskar. A colourful painted banner with a white bird emblem and a flower motif stands behind the procession, with bananas and palm fronds around.

Night outdoor temple scene with a crowd of devotees in white dhotis, saris and colourful clothing. A figure in saffron-orange robes with a white headband stands beneath a multicolour umbrella with tassels, holding a ceremonial staff and performing a ritual. Several people in white kneel or stand, one woman in a gold-and-brown sari sits on white blocks, and a woman in yellow holds her palms together in prayer near small brass offering dishes. Strings of flags and a painted panel are visible behind, with a child in a blue shirt at right. The orange-robed figure may be a person, given the saffron robe and white headband, though the face is not clearly visible enough to confirm.

December 30 2006

February 14 2007

Outdoor photograph of a firewalking ceremony on reddish-brown earth. A young girl in an orange printed blouse and dark skirt, with braids and a white hairband, smiles while holding hands with a man in white dhoti and shirt, who leads her past a smouldering fire pit of charred ash. Other men in white dhotis with orange shawls and rudraksha malas stand around, and women in red and maroon saris watch from behind. A tall ornate golden structure and trees appear in the background.

December 30 2006

Night photograph of a fire-walking ritual at a temple ground beside a bamboo barrier, with a bed of glowing embers and ash along the left edge. A figure in saffron-orange robes with a red and white flower garland walks along the path, with a person candidate showing long swept-back dark hair and a rudraksha mala, though the appearance is uncertain. Behind him, several men in white dhotis and white shirts hold brass pots and bowls, and a woman in a green sari and another in purple stand near the barrier. Spectators in white and light clothes line a structure with white-clad devotees behind, under a canopy with small lamps overhead. Brass vessels sit on the ground at right.

Night procession on a paved courtyard with white-and-red kerb edging and kolam designs on the ground. A man in an orange-saffron dhoti and a beaded orange-and-gold rudraksha-style necklace walks in front, hands folded in namaskar. Behind him a crowd of devotees in white dhotis and shawls, some in yellow and red, follows with palms pressed together. A man at right in white dhoti with a yellow shawl carries a black object. Tall decorated pillars with coloured cloth and a black speaker box stand at left. a person: the orange-robed figure with long hair and beaded necklace leads the procession, appearance-based only.

Night outdoor ritual on bare red earth at a Rajapalayam Adheenam inauguration. A central figure in a saffron-orange robe and orange turban, wearing a multicolour flower garland and gold necklace, holds a flaming lamp over a small pit with marigold and flower offerings. Around them, many people in white dhotis and mundus stand with palms pressed together in namaskar. A boy in white holds a silver tray of marigolds, and a man in an orange shawl and rudraksha mala stands at left. Women in white saris and a girl in white also join with folded hands, and a small brass lamp sits on the ground. Banana leaves and parked vehicles are visible at the edge.

August 02 2008

A night-time photograph of a fire walk at a Brahmacharyam initiation program. A man in a white dhoti and kurta with an orange shawl and a rudraksha-style bead mala walks barefoot along a shallow trench of glowing embers and ash. Around him, several men in white dhotis and kurtas with orange shawls stand watching, some with hands pressed together in reverence. On the right, a man in a checked shirt and white dhoti stands at the edge of the trench. The ground is dark sand with ash and embers visible.