September 30 2010 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

September 30 2010

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Several women in white and cream traditional clothing kneel and sit around a gold-ornate ceremonial seat with red cushions. The seat is draped with a garland of yellow and orange flowers and holds a framed portrait of a figure in orange robes, labelled as a portrait, not a physical person. In front, silver thali trays hold offerings of flowers, sweets and lamps on a gold table. Gold carved panels and a red-and-white striped pillar frame the scene.

A ritual puja in a temple courtyard with red-and-white striped walls. An ornate gold throne with a red cushion stands at left, draped with an orange cloth and garlanded with yellow and maroon flowers. Beside it sits a framed portrait of a figure in orange robes with a rudraksha mala, a labelled Swamiji depiction; the portrait is not a physical person. Several people kneel on the floor holding small oil lamps and offering trays. A woman in an orange shawl over white clothes, a woman in a yellow sari, and shaved-headed men in white with tilak markings join in. A stone carved shrine stands behind. Seven physical people are visible including partially visible ones.

October 03 2010

A photograph of devotee women gathered before a gilded golden throne (peetha) draped with marigold garlands and a red cushioned seat. On the throne sits a framed portrait of a man in saffron-orange robes with a rudraksha mala, raising one hand in blessing; a pink flower is tucked at the frame's top corner. Women in white and cream saris with orange-trimmed cloth sit on the floor, holding brass plates of fruit and offerings, while others clasp their hands in prayer. A gold-ornate wooden cabinet stands beside the throne, and a carved black stone shrine and red-and-white striped pillars frame the hall. The portrait is printed and not a physical person, so the scene shows about five to six physical women; this appears to be a padauka puja offering.

A photograph of a puja ceremony in a temple-style hall with red and white striped walls. In the foreground, a row of women in white and cream saris with gold borders sit cross-legged facing an ornate golden throne draped in red cushions and marigold garlands. On the throne sits a framed portrait labelled "Paramahamsa Nithyananda" showing a man with long hair wearing an orange robe and rudraksha mala, and a gold table in front holds silver plates and vessels. A woman in the centre wearing a black rudraksha mala holds a hand raised over a seated woman's head, while another woman holds a small ritual implement. Gilded carved panels and a stone carving frame the scene.

A photograph of a morning puja at a temple shrine. A large ornate gold throne with red cushions stands at left, draped with marigold and white-and-maroon garlands, and holds a framed portrait of a young man with long dark hair in orange robes and a beaded necklace, seated in a meditative pose. Before the throne, a group of women and a bald man sit on the floor around a gold tray with silver plates and bowls, red flower offerings and lit incense. A woman in a white blouse and orange shawl at centre holds a lamp and incense, while another woman in white and a woman in yellow hold brass and silver vessels. Orange and red-striped temple walls and a stone pillar form the background.

August 11 2010

A photograph of a puja set-up at a temple courtyard with a red and white painted wall. A gilded, ornately carved throne with a red cushion sits at left, draped with a garland of orange and white flowers, with a framed portrait of a man in orange robes with long hair and a bead necklace resting on the seat; the portrait is a depiction, not a person present. Around a gold tray with brass bowls and red flowers, several women in white saris with orange or yellow shawls sit, one woman in glasses and an orange shawl gesturing while speaking. Partially visible at lower left are a shaved-headed person in orange and a woman in yellow. A carved stone panel and a wooden stool stand in the background.

A photograph of a puja in a plain room with cream walls, dark blue and maroon curtains, and a white-framed window. At left, a gilded golden throne with red cushions and an orange cloth is set beside a framed portrait of a figure in orange robes and a beaded necklace, the frame garlanded with yellow, white and orange flowers. Two women in white with yellow shawls sit cross-legged on the floor before a brass tray; the woman at right holds a small object over the tray and the one at left, with a red bindi, tends the offerings. Three more people are partly visible at the lower edge, including a woman with hair tied back and a young woman in white at right.

Inside a temple hall with orange and white striped walls, a gilded golden throne with red cushions holds a framed portrait of a smiling man with long dark hair wearing an orange robe and rudraksha beads, garlanded with red, yellow and purple flowers. A seated group of devotees faces the throne: a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti at left, women in white saris with yellow borders, and a woman in a cream sari with orange shawl at right. Brass plates of offerings and flowers sit before the throne. The portrait is a printed photograph, not a live person; the seated people are the physical participants.

Photograph inside the Ananda Sabha hall at Dhyanapeetam, Bidadi, showing a padapuja seated before an ornate golden throne-style seat with red cushions and orange-and-gold draped cloth. On the seat stands a framed portrait of a long-haired figure in orange robes and a rudraksha mala, garlanded with orange and white flowers; the portrait is a depiction, not a physical person. In front, a line of devotees sit on the floor in white dhotis and white blouses; a bald young man in white holds a brass plate or vessel, a woman in a white sari with a yellow-green dupatta sits nearby, and a woman in a cream sari gestures with her hand. Brass lamps, a silver tray, steel water containers and a kalasha-like vessel sit in front of the throne, with a golden lamp stand and a golden seat at the left edge. A wall board lists names of past ananda sabha members.

A seated figure in saffron-orange robes with long dark hair and a green garland sits on an ornate gold throne with red cushions, applying a tilak or mark to the forehead of a kneeling devotee dressed in white. The devotee kneels on a red-cushioned gold footstool, hands near the forehead. The seated figure holds a brass plate in one hand and a small object in the other. Behind them, a row of people in white and saffron clothing stand near a pillar, and a dark banner with white lettering hangs at the top of the hall.