February 26 2013 - Nithyanandapedia

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February 26 2013

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February 26 2013

February 26 2013

2013-02-26 +1 copies

A photograph of a homa fire pit, a square white-tiled pit with a dark opening, at an outdoor ritual. A shaved-headed young priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold borders, wearing a gold pendant on a beaded necklace and bangles, sits with palms pressed together in prayer. Beside him, another priest in white with gold-bordered cloth and glasses sits near a microphone stand. A woman in a white sari with coloured borders stands with hands folded at the back. Brass plates hold turmeric, fruit, flowers and a silver vessel; a brass bowl and a silver container sit at the pit edge.

Two young boys sit with palms pressed together in namaskar, eyes closed in prayer, at what appears to be an outdoor gathering. The boy on the right, bare-chested, wears a white dhoti-style cloth with gold border over his shoulder, a rudraksha mala around his neck, rudraksha bracelets, a white vertical tilak on his forehead with a red bindi, and a wristwatch. The boy on the left wears a white garment with gold border, a white tilak with a red bindi, and rudraksha bracelets. Blurred onlookers sit in the background. No readable deity murti or a person is visible in frame.

A photograph of a homa ceremony at an outdoor ritual platform with a fire pit in front, covered with flower petals in yellow, orange and pink. A central man sits on a carved wooden chair wearing an orange-saffron robe, a gold necklace and a rudraksha-style bead mala, with hands folded in prayer and a vertical tilak on his forehead; his hair is not long or swept back and the cues are not distinctive enough to name him. Two younger men flank him in white dhotis with yellow shawls and folded hands, one in glasses with a tilak, and a third person kneels behind. A banana-leaf and tree decoration hangs overhead, with a brass vessel, a kalasha-like pot with flowers, and a silver figure on a side table.

December 17 2011

September 25 2009

2009-09-25 +2 copies

Three men sit on a stone platform performing a ritual beside a flame. The man on the left, bare-chested with a reddish-orange dhoti and a rudraksha mala, holds open a book on his lap and has white ash markings on his arms. The middle man wears a white dhoti and a rudraksha mala and sits with his head bowed. The man on the right wears an orange turban, glasses, a white dhoti with gold border, a rudraksha mala and arm bands, with hands joined in prayer. Silver bowls hold yellow flowers and offerings, and a small oil lamp burns nearby. Behind them stands a gilded elephant figure beneath a canopy with garlands and a pink-draped seat.

Photograph of several men seated cross-legged on a white floor during a ritual, eyes closed in meditation or prayer. The front man, shaved-headed, wears a white dhoti with a maroon border and a rudraksha mala. Beside him sit others in white dhotis and shawls, one with a gold-edged cloth and tilak markings on the forehead. In front lie brass vessels, oil lamps, incense sticks, flowers and a tray of ritual items. A red curtain hangs in the background. No candidate for a person is clearly identifiable from appearance.

A photograph of a group of men seated on the floor during a puja or ritual prayer. The foreground men wear plain white dhoti-style cloths with gold-bordered edges, rudraksha malas around their necks, and gold bangles, and sit with palms pressed together in anjali. Their foreheads bear white and sandalwood tilak marks, and a white paste is smeared on the arms of the man in the centre. Brass oil lamps, a small brass bell, a steel bowl, bananas, and a clear plastic container sit on a cloth in front. A man in saffron-orange cloth is at the right edge, and red curtains hang in the background.

A photograph of a ritual at a fire pit (homa) at night. A young priest in the centre wears an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl, a gold-coloured garland and an orange turban with a feathered crest, hands pressed together in prayer. Beside him a man in dark-rimmed glasses and orange cloth with white vibhuti markings on his arms and chest chants, and other seated men in orange and white garments with garlands join in. A standing man in orange stands at the back. In front, a yellow-tiled homa pit holds a small flame, with a brass bowl, a kalasha pot and flower arrangements nearby. A microphone stands at the right edge.

A shaved-headed priest in a white dhoti and shawl with gold borders sits at a black fire pit, holding a ladle over a flame in a homa or yagna. A gold rudraksha-style mala hangs at his neck and he wears a bracelet. Brass bowls of offerings, yellow flowers, and a kalasha-like vessel sit on the stone ledge. Behind him, musicians play a flute and a drum, and a man in a white shirt and red-and-white lungi stands with hands folded. Orange-red walls and green foliage form the background.