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Nithyanandapedia
May 21 2014

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Outdoor homa ritual on green lawn at dusk. A shaved-headed priest seen from behind, bare-chested with a saffron wrap and orange turban, tends a small fire built on a brick fire pit, holding a metal ladle over the flame. Silver vessels and a kalasha sit nearby. Around the fire, about two dozen seated devotees in white, red and orange clothing, many wearing red and white beaded malas and sitting on chairs or mats, watch the ritual. A few hold small books or notebooks. Dress colours include red saris, orange shawls and white kurtas.2014-05-21September 18 20132013-09-18Outdoor ritual gathering on a striped cloth mat in a temple courtyard. A priest in white dhoti with bare chest, rudraksha mala and a sandalwood tilak sits at centre with hands extended over brass vessels and a small brass tray. Beside him a younger man in saffron robe and rudraksha mala performs the ritual with brass bowls and a plate. Around them thirty or more seated devotees in saffron and orange garments and white clothes sit in rows, several children among them. Behind them stands a red painted shrine with a dark deity murti garlanded in yellow flowers, surrounded by palms and greenery.2016-08-18 +2 copiesOutdoor ritual gathering seated on mats in front of a black stone deity murti or lingam garlanded with marigolds and draped in orange cloth, beside a red-painted stone structure and a red brick wall with trees behind. Many people in saffron/orange robes and rudraksha malas sit cross-legged, several with white ash markings, and a priest in white dhoti with a long braid and shaved head in front holds his hands together. Brass vessels and a kalasha-like pot sit on a cloth in the foreground, with women in colourful saris among the seated crowd.2016-08-18Night outdoor ritual on a lawn, a small brick fire pit with a bright flame at the centre-right, a brass bowl and metal vessels with offerings and a silver tray set on paving. A seated man in a red-orange robe, orange turban and gold necklaces pours or tends at the fire. Beside him a child in orange robes and rudraksha beads sits with palms together. A woman in white with a mala sits with hands folded in namaste. Behind them, a row of devotees in white clothes and a few in red or dark tops sit on the grass and paving, watching. A lit lantern stands at left, and a blurred figure in red-orange holds a long staff in the foreground. Photo of a homa-style fire ritual; the seated man in the orange turban may be a candidate, but his identity cannot be confirmed.2013-12-09August 18 20162016-08-18A large outdoor group of devotees sits in rows on striped mats before a black stone deity murti garlanded with yellow and orange flowers, beside a red-walled courtyard. Many wear saffron-orange robes and rudraksha malas; a few women wear white or patterned saris. In the foreground a bald priest in white dhoti with a red-and-white shawl and rudraksha mala sits beside brass kalasha pots, bowls and a tray of offerings, while a young man in saffron with a red tilak sits nearby. Brass lamps and vessels are set on the mats.2016-08-18A photograph of a ritual gathering in a hall, with many young priests and devotees seated on the floor in orange and maroon robes. Foreground boys wear orange cloth and rudraksha malas, their foreheads and arms marked with white ash; some hold small items at their hands while sitting before brass puja vessels, small dishes and flowers on low tables. Behind them, rows of seated participants in maroon and red garments and white clothing sit behind rope barriers, with a few standing figures and an older man in white at the right edge. The scene suggests a puja or abhishekam-style ceremony with brass vessels and oil lamps.2013-09-23Seated devotees in an indoor hall perform a ritual puja with brass plates, small bells, a kalasha-style brass vessel and flower offerings set on the floor. Four or five sannyasi-style monks in saffron-orange robes with rudraksha malas and white forehead markings sit cross-legged in front, hands raised in mudra and eyes closed. Behind them, rows of people in white clothing sit on red mats, with a few in yellow and orange shirts. Metal pillars and a red-draped stage line the background.2013-10-13February 06 20132013-02-06 +1 copiesSeptember 13 20132013-09-13August 18 20162016-08-18