December 01 2011 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

December 01 2011

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December 01 2011

Devotees sit on the floor of a hall in front of a gilded throne with carved golden lion-like supports and a garland-covered backdrop of yellow marigolds and red-white flowers. A figure seated on the throne, wearing a red-orange turban, a red-and-gold garlanded robe and a red mala, holds a silver staff-like ceremonial rod, with the gilded lion-form throne base in the foreground. In front of the throne, brass and gold plates hold offerings, flower garlands and small oil lamps arranged on a gold tray. Seated women in white saris, red and orange sarees, and white shirts wear rudraksha malas and kumkum, with a few men in white kurtas behind them. Probable Swamiji is seated on the throne, identified by the saffron turban, red garlanded robes, rudraksha mala and ceremonial staff; this is a satsang-style Guru Purnima offering scene with naivedyam plates before the seat.

A photograph of a night-time homa or yagna ritual in an unfinished open hall with bamboo scaffolding and concrete pillars. In the foreground a priest bare-chested with a white dhoti and gold-bordered shawl, wearing a rudraksha mala, stands at a circular fire pit ringed with yellow marigolds and red flowers, holding flower petals and a steel bowl over the pit. Behind him, several priests in white dhotis stand with hands folded. On the left, a seated figure in ochre robes wearing a yellow-and-red flower garland sits on a gold ornate throne with a multicoloured fringed canopy above, while a brass lamp stands nearby. Fruit offerings and brass vessels lie on the floor. Several white-clad priests and one in orange are visible, roughly six to twenty people in total.

July 07 2016

December 29 2009

December 23 2010

A photograph of a temple puja at a shrine in front of an orange-and-red painted wall. A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with a red border and a gold-coloured garland stands at left, holding a small brass vessel and a lamp-like brass dish over the floor, while decorated deity murtis in garlands of red, yellow and white flowers and crowns sit on an orange cloth at right. Brass plates of offerings, a kalasha-like bronze lamp and bowls sit at lower left. Behind them, women in cream saris with orange and green borders and a man in white stand watching, and a black board with names hangs on the wall. The scene suggests an abhishekam or aarti ritual.

A seated man in saffron-orange robes and a long rudraksha mala sits on a gold-and-red ornate throne at the right of the frame, eyes lowered and hands folded. Seated before him on the floor, a bald man in a light grey kurta has hands joined in front of the throne, with a woman in white nearby. Bowls of flowers and fruit, including apples and bananas, sit on a tray and brass offering plates at the foreground, and incense smoke rises from a pot. Several devotees in white and orange sit or kneel in the background, and a printed board on the wall reads Dhyanapeetam Ananda Sabha. The scene suggests a padapuja gathering, with a seated figure in the place of honour and devotees offering reverence.

A padapuja ceremony in an ashram hall with red-and-white striped walls. Seated devotees in white ritual clothes and a woman in a magenta sari join palms in prayer. A man in white on the left sprinkles water, a woman in white and yellow holds a plate, and a girl in a yellow top with a long braid offers pink flowers at the feet of the seated figure. Brass plates hold flowers and fruit, incense smoke rises, and a wall board lists names.

April 21 2016

A photograph of a homa fire ritual in an orange-walled hall. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold-bordered cloth sits cross-legged before a stacked brick-like fire pit of yellow blocks, raising cupped hands above flames. Seated to the left, a man with a shaved head and white garland and a woman in red and green sari with flower garlands watch. Standing figures in white kurta and cream sari are in the background, and a cameraperson films at right. Behind, a golden throne-like chair, trays of fruit and flowers, and a red-wrapped offering stand near a deity murti.

A seated man in orange robes with long swept-back dark hair and multiple rudraksha malas sits on a gold and red throne at right, eyes closed, hands resting in his lap, during a pada puja. Several devotees in white clothes sit on the floor at left holding small oil lamps with flames; a brass tray of fruit and offerings is set before them, and fruit sits on a tray beside the throne. Behind, a wall board lists donors of the Ananda Sabha, and a striped red and white wall frames the hall. Swamiji (probable): the seated figure shows long swept-back hair, orange robes and rudraksha malas, cues consistent with the page's claim.