January 01 2008 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

January 01 2008

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Indoor ritual scene with a row of boys and young men seated on mats in white dhotis and kurtas, lighting and tending brass oil lamps with flames. Several brass lamp stands and bowls line the mat. A man in an orange cloth with a white forehead band sits at right, and a figure in a green cloth is at far left. A white fly-whisk or chamara rests near a chair. Behind them, other people in white and orange clothing sit in the background, consistent with an aarti or lamp-lighting ritual.

A photograph of ritual brass and silver implements arranged on a woven straw mat with coloured borders on a dark floor. On the left stands a tall brass multi-tiered lamp stand with many small cups. Beside it a brass oil lamp with a flared, lobed rim sits on a short pedestal. In the centre row are six silver-toned ceremonial lamp stands with ornate scrolled openings and a silver bell beneath them. At right is a silver cup-shaped vessel on a curved stem. Small items lie on the mat, including a yellow sticker and a tiny clay oil cup. No people are visible.

A photograph of an outdoor ritual preparation at a temple courtyard. Rows of silver and brass ritual objects are laid out on woven mats in green, pink and purple stripes, including silver oil lamps and lamp stands, a silver tray, a brass lamp, a bowl, a conch-like vessel and a brass lamp with a bell-shaped top. Strands of marigold garlands and flower petals lie near the lamps. On the left, a folded white and gold-bordered cloth sits on a teal sheet. Behind, three men in white dhotis and white shirts sit on the ground, and one man in white with an orange cloth sits cross-legged at right, tending the ritual items. Other people in white stand at the top right edge. A wooden stool and a white cloth rest at right.

A covered hall with corrugated roof and fluorescent lights shows a ritual lamp ceremony. Men in saffron-orange robes and women in white saris stand and sit along a long metal table and floor mats, holding brass lamps and tall tiered golden lamp stands that are lit with flames. Brass oil lamps are arranged in rows on the floor, and fruit offerings sit at the left edge. Behind them, a crowd of devotees watches, and wall-mounted framed pictures and banners hang along the back wall. A man in saffron with a rudraksha mala and a trident stands at the right near the lamp stands.

A photograph of an arati set laid out on a woven straw mat over a dark floor. On the left stands a tall brass multi-tier oil lamp with many cup-shaped lamp holders and a curved base. Behind it sit six silver-toned arati lamps with ornate pierced handles and decorative motifs, each on a stem and foot. In the centre is a silver bell, a round brass plate-shaped lamp with a flame-like rim on a stand, a small clay oil lamp on the mat, and at the right a silver-toned ornate cup-shaped vessel on a stem. No people are visible.

July 29 2007

A covered hall during a ritual, with a long white-draped table along the right side holding rows of brass aarti lamps with lit flames and tiered lamp stands. Along the table, several women in white sarees kneel and hold lamps, while men in orange robes with white inner shirts and rudraksha malas stand behind them, some holding ceremonial items. A large crowd of devotees in orange and white watches from the background. On the left, a row of decorated kalasha pots with green coconut-like tops sits on a red-draped platform. Banners and a painted wall hang behind the hall, and fluorescent lights hang from a corrugated roof.

Overhead view of a ritual setup on a stone floor. On the left, an orange wooden rack holds a white yak-tail style fly whisk (chamara) and ceremonial implements including a sword and a round shield-like object. In the center, a small brass stand with a cluster of lamps. A row of ornate brass oil lamps (deepas) with curled handles and figurine bases fills the right side, along with a brass bell with a handle. Two people in white seated on a purple cloth sit at the top edge of the frame, their bare feet visible.

Indoor ritual gathering in a hall with white walls and a corrugated metal ceiling, with a banana tree and hanging white flower strands. A central seated figure in orange robes and a red-and-white garland sits on a white cushion over a green mat, flanked by brass oil lamps and metal ritual implements arranged on the floor. A standing man in orange with a long beard holds a tall ceremonial staff, while many devotees in white and orange sashes sit on the floor on both sides, and a woman in a red sari stands at right. Multiple framed photos hang on the back wall.

A photograph of a ritual hall in which women in white and cream saris sit in rows on mats, tending long lines of brass oil lamps (deepas) with lit flames. Several lamps are tiered multi-tier brass lamps. Young men in saffron-orange robes, some with white sashes and beaded garlands, stand along the far side beside a glass-topped counter. A woman in a white sari with an orange-and-blue border works in the foreground. Brass bells and small brass vessels sit on the floor and counter. A printed sign reads 'Silence please', and paper star decorations hang from the ceiling. The scene reads as an oil-lamp lighting ritual, with no visible person clearly identifiable as Swamiji.

A photograph of a ritual aarti at an open-sided hall with a corrugated metal roof. Several men in saffron-orange robes and white garments stand behind a long steel-topped table, holding tall brass lamps with flames and cone-shaped lamp stands wrapped in lights. Women in white saris sit on mats in front of the table, arranging rows of small brass oil lamps and kalasha pots with mango leaves and yellow flowers. A crowd of devotees watches from the background, and framed pictures hang on the back wall. The scene shows a ritual lamp offering.

A photograph of ritual arati lamps laid out on a white silk cloth over a striped woven mat. From left to right are three silver-toned oval-frame lamps with floral and leaf motifs and small stands, a round silver lamp with a ring of pointed petal-like cups around a central wick holder, and a tall golden multi-tiered lamp stand with many cup-shaped oil lamps and a small central cup holding a wick.