Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph inside a temple at night showing a man seated on an ornate wooden seat, dressed in saffron-orange robes with a beaded necklace, shaved head, holding a lit lamp or camphor flame over a metal vessel as part of a ritual. Behind him, a deity murti is decorated with garlands of marigolds and green leaves, and a second richly adorned deity with a golden crown and garlands stands on the right beside a gold bull-shaped vahana. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha-style vessel, flower offerings and a square stone fire pit with ash sit in the foreground, and a wall sign in a non-Latin script hangs above. The atmosphere is that of an evening puja or homa.

More like this

Open the gallery
A shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes sits on an ornate carved wooden seat beside a square homa fire pit, holding a lit oil lamp and a small brass vessel in his hands. A gold-coloured sacred bull or vahana statue, draped in flower garlands, stands to the right near brass oil lamps and kalasha vessels. Behind them, a deity murti on a golden platform is decorated with marigold garlands in orange, yellow and white, and a red cloth backdrop with decorative fringe hangs on the wall. a person candidate with a gold necklace and orange clothing performs the puja at the fire pit. The setting is a temple-like shrine lit at night.2010-11-09Night photograph of a temple shrine during a homa or fire ritual. A man with a shaved head, wearing saffron-orange robes and a beaded necklace, sits cross-legged on a carved wooden seat and holds up a small vessel toward the sacred fire pit at centre-front. Behind him are two decorated deity murtis draped in garlands of marigolds in yellow, orange and green, with brass oil lamps and a metal kalasha on the floor. A large bronze-coloured animal figure with flower garlands sits on a platform at right. Red-painted walls and a white-and-red stepped border frame the scene, with a silver bowl and a small ritual tray in the foreground.2010-11-09A shaven-headed priest in saffron-orange robes sits on a carved wooden seat in a temple hall, his back to the camera, and reaches toward a golden ritual vessel. Behind him a golden kalasha-shaped deity figure stands under a canopy garlanded with red, yellow and green flower chains. Brass oil lamps with lit flames stand on the floor, and a silver bowl and offering dishes sit on a stone platform in the foreground. A black stone deity murti stands at the right against a red wall. The scene suggests a puja or abhishekam in progress.2010-11-09A seated man in orange robes and a gold chain sits on a carved wooden seat before a square fire pit (homa kunda) with a white-and-grey stone border. He holds a ladle over the pit while a silver bowl of offerings sits nearby. Behind him, a deity murti is garlanded with marigold and flower garlands, and a gold-and-jewelled ornament with a tall golden figure is draped in colourful flower garlands. Brass oil lamps (deepa) and a lit candle stand on the floor, with silver plates and vessels scattered in the foreground. The setting is night, with a sacred fire ritual underway.2010-11-09November 09 20102010-11-09 +1 copiesA photograph of a seated priest in saffron-orange robes, shaved head and bare-armed, raising a lit oil lamp toward a gold-clad deity murti in a temple shrine. The murti is draped with garlands of yellow, red, green and white flowers, and small brass oil lamps and a brass bowl sit on the stone platform. Behind the figure, another gold-garlanded deity and a dark figurine stand against red-orange walls, with a lamp stand on the right. The priest's face is turned away, and the scene is lit warmly in the evening, consistent with aarti. Only the priest is a physical person; the other figures are statues.2010-11-09A photograph of a shaven-headed priest in saffron-orange robes seated on a carved wooden chair, raising a lit oil lamp toward a golden deity murti of a sacred animal mount draped in colourful garlands of yellow, red, white and green flowers. Brass oil lamps and a small brass bowl with offerings sit on a stone platform in front of a red-painted shrine wall, with a dark stone deity sculpture visible to the right. The scene suggests an evening puja with aarti.2010-11-09A night-time outdoor ritual at a temple-like courtyard. A man with a shaved head in a saffron-orange robe stands at left, holding a lit oil lamp (aarti) toward a golden deity murti decorated with a colourful flower garland and a multicoloured canopy overhead. Brass oil lamps stand on the floor, and a silver plate with offerings sits at the bottom. A pale-clothed attendant is visible in the background. The wall behind is terracotta-coloured with white steps. Aarti is being performed before the deity.2010-11-09A photograph of a shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes seated cross-legged on a wooden chair, facing a golden deity murti decorated with a multicoloured flower garland of red, yellow and green. He holds a lit camphor flame toward the murti during aarti. Brass oil lamps stand on the ground and a silver bowl sits at the front; a dark figure of a seated deity with orange and white clothing appears in the background on the right, alongside white and red striped steps. Warm evening lighting with a copyright credit printed on the right.2010-11-09A man in saffron-orange robes and a matching shawl performs aarti at night, holding a lit oil lamp with flames raised toward a shrine. He wears a beaded mala necklace and a wristwatch, and his head is shaved. To the right, a golden deity murti is dressed in a richly garlanded arrangement of red, yellow and green flowers beneath a multicoloured fringed canopy. Golden ceremonial items, a brass lamp stand and a decorated kalasha-style pillar surround the shrine, while a person in white stands at the edge and another figure claps at the left edge. Oranges and marigolds decorate the hall.2010-11-09A photograph of a shaven-headed man in orange saffron robes sitting cross-legged on a carved wooden seat during an evening homa at a temple-like shrine. He holds a small metal ladle or arati-type vessel over a lit flame in a fire pit lined with dark stone. Nearby stand a tall brass oil lamp, a brass lamp stand with a flame, a silver bowl of offerings, and a silver plate. Behind him, a deity murti stands in a gilded frame draped with colourful garlands, and a red and white striped wall runs across the background.2010-11-09January 02 20102010-01-02 +1 copies