December 23 2009 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

December 23 2009

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A row of devotees sits cross-legged on orange cloth mats in a hall with pale brick walls, performing a pooja with hands folded in namaskar. Several men wear white kurtas and white dhotis; a few wear yellow shawls, and one wears a yellow sash. Brass oil lamps, bowls and small plates of offerings and flower petals lie on the mats in front of them. Behind them a white backdrop displays framed portraits of saffron-clad women with rudraksha malas, and blue placards read Erode, Mandya and other city names. A purple and orange hanging decorates the wall.

A photograph of a long row of seated devotees performing a puja in a bright hall with pink walls and a white tiled floor. Front centre, a bald priest in white dhoti and shawl with red border sits cross-legged, hands joined, with a rudraksha mala and white tilak on his forehead. Beside him, a man in orange robes sits on an orange mat. Many other men in white ritual clothes with red-bordered shawls and white forehead markings sit along the row. Before them lie brass oil lamps, small brass pots, metal bowls of offerings, rice, and small plastic containers on orange, red and yellow mats. A tripod-mounted video camera stands in the background, and coloured fabric hangings decorate the upper walls. Some figures in the background are standing or seated in the rear of the hall, and a few men in orange and white are partly visible at the far left and right. The scene is a pada puja ritual in a hall, with devotees seated in long rows.

Devotees sit cross-legged on orange mats in a hall, hands pressed in anjali mudra in prayer. Men wear white dhotis and shawls with gold or yellow borders; the foreground man on the right has long hair, a red kumkum mark on his forehead and gold bangles. Brass plates with lamps, bells, shells and a kalasha-style vessel lie before them, and small oil lamps burn. A large pink banner behind shows a smiling figure in saffron and a turban with painted script.

A long row of seated participants in a bright hall performs a puja with brass lamps and small brass vessels set on orange and yellow cloths along the floor. In the foreground, a bald man with white forehead markings wears a white dhoti and shawl with red borders and a rudraksha mala, his hands joined over a small brass lamp. Beside him, men in white and saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged in line, with others in white garments further along. A video camera on a tripod records the scene at the back left, and cloth banners hang from the upper wall.

December 22 2010

A photograph of a seated ritual gathering in a large hall with a polished stone floor and warm light. In the foreground, several men in white dhotis with gold borders and rudraksha malas sit cross-legged on mats before brass plates, small brass oil lamps, orange cloths and a small framed picture; one holds a brass dish. Behind them rows of white-clad devotees sit in meditative or prayerful posture, and a few people wear orange and lamp-lit pillars with painted panels stand at the back. No individual can be confidently identified as a person from appearance, so the figures are described by role only.

2012-05-19 +1 copies

August 11 2011

2011-08-11 +1 copies

August 17 2011

A photograph of a seated group of men in a hall performing a ritual. In the foreground, several men in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls, some with rudraksha malas, sit on orange mats before small brass lamps, bowls and kalasha-style vessels, with open books nearby. Behind them, rows of men in white dhotis and shawls sit cross-legged, some with white forehead markings and malas. A table with a striped cloth, steel pots and red chairs stands at the back, and a man in white stands near the rear left.

2010-10-22 +1 copies

A photograph of a large indoor puja gathering seated on the floor of a tiled hall. In the foreground, several men in white dhotis with maroon and gold borders sit with palms pressed together in namaskar, some with bare upper bodies and tripundra marks on their foreheads, one wearing a rudraksha mala. On the left, two men in saffron-orange robes sit with hands folded. Before them are brass plates with fruit, flowers, small oil lamps and cups on orange cloth mats. Behind the front row, many seated devotees, including children and women in colourful clothing, face the same direction. Red curtains hang at the back of the room.

A seated group of devotees performs a prayer ritual on a tiled hall floor, hands pressed together in anjali. Front left, a man in saffron robes with a rudraksha mala, eyes closed, sits on a mat before a brass plate. Beside him, another saffron-clad man with a mala also sits in prayer. To their right, shaved-headed men in white dhotis with red-and-gold borders sit with hands folded. Brass lamps, small brass vessels, flowers and fruit plates are arranged on mats in front of them, and behind the front rows many more participants in white and yellow clothing kneel in rows. Ritual items and a yoga-session atmosphere fill the room.

A seated group performs a padapuja-style ritual on a glossy white floor, with brass lamps, small silver-rimmed dishes and flower offerings set on orange cloth mats in long rows. In the foreground, men in white dhotis and shawls with tripundra marks sit cross-legged, one holding a brass vessel, while beside them a man in orange robes with a shaved head kneels with hands folded in prayer. Further back, women in yellow and orange saris and men in white sit in rows facing the ritual space, and a video camera on a tripod stands near the front. The room has red curtains and white chairs along the wall. Whether the orange-robed figure is a person cannot be established from appearance here.