Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night outdoor ritual before a decorated palanquin or cart draped in orange and yellow fabric with gold and red floral garlands around a deity murti in the background. A man in a saffron-orange dhoti and shawl with a rudraksha mala and a white forehead mark sits on the cart, performing a ritual with brass vessels and a plate of offerings. Around him, several people in white ritual clothes with white forehead marks stand and sit, including a woman in a white sari with a bright red bindi and a woman in a white sari seated in front with hands folded. Other devotees are in white and one in purple. Painted banner panels in yellow, blue and red frame the scene. The man in orange has no clear distinctive presentation cues beyond saffron clothing and beads, so his identity is uncertain.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night photograph of an outdoor ritual beneath a decorated pavilion with tall banners in red, yellow, blue and green patterned with dove motifs. A shaven-headed man in saffron robes and a beaded necklace sits on a raised platform before a garlanded deity murti in a golden crown, with marigold and red flower garlands. Brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot, plates of fruit and offerings sit on the platform. Around him, women in white and cream saris with yellow borders, some with vibhuti marks, stand with palms pressed together in prayer, while a woman in an orange sari stands at the centre. Other devotees in white crowd the foreground.2010-11-19Night outdoor festival scene on a decorated float or cart. A shaved-headed man in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha mala sits cross-legged on a raised platform in front of a decorated deity murti garlanded with yellow and orange marigolds, with a blue draped backdrop. Before him are brass vessels, a plate of fruit and bananas, and a large white feathered fan with a gold handle. Another shaved-headed man in white clothing with an orange shawl stands beside him, and a man in a white shirt reaches toward the platform. Around them devotees stand and kneel, including a woman in a pink and white sari, a woman in purple, and women in white saris. Tall colourful festival banners with bird and floral patterns hang overhead. Several people in the background wear white.2010-11-19December 17 20112011-12-17Night procession at a rathotsavam: a richly decorated wooden chariot with a multicoloured canopy of striped and patterned panels, yellow fringe and peacock motifs. Seated under the canopy is a figure in orange robes with a crown-like headdress and gold necklaces, beside a trident and a deity image in the back. Around the chariot, devotees pull and walk with it: a bald man in an orange robe and rudraksha mala gestures forward, a man in white dhoti with a mala and a woman in a white sari with a red-bordered blouse walk nearby, and a woman in a teal sari stands at right. A boy in a green checked shirt is in the foreground. Lamps light the scene against a dark background.2011-12-17December 17 20112011-12-17Night procession on a flat wooden cart lit by flaming torches held by men at both sides. A large deity murti. A seated figure in saffron-orange dhoti and shawl, with a beaded necklace and an ornate headpiece, sits cross-legged before the murti on a cloth. Women in white and orange saris stand near the cart; one holds a tray of fruit and flowers, and brass puja plates with offerings are set on the cart. A speaker sits behind the murti. Trees and streetlights frame the night scene.2011-12-24December 17 20112011-12-17A chariot procession in an outdoor setting. A decorated ratha with colourful striped and patterned pillars, banana leaves, and garlands of orange and yellow flowers carries a central figure seated before a deity murti; the figure wears a white garland and red garment. Around the chariot, a line of devotees pulls a thick red rope: women in white saris with orange and gold borders, and men in white dhotis and white kurtas with rudraksha malas. Pink oleander bushes and trees frame the scene.2010-12-26Night procession on a dirt road with a decorated wooden cart carrying a deity murti beneath a large yellow umbrella canopy with multicoloured fringe and a floral garland. A seated figure in an orange robe with a leopard-print shawl sits on the cart, flanked by a man in white dhoti and orange-and-red shawl. Around the cart, shaven-headed sannyasis in saffron robes and men in white dhotis with red shawls walk alongside, with onlookers at the edges and headlights glowing in the distance.2010-11-20Night procession of a decorated ratha (chariot) with a colourful patterned canopy in red, yellow and blue, topped by a gold finial and a trident-like staff. A seated figure in saffron-orange robes and a crown-like headdress, with a long gold necklace and a trident, sits on a gold throne over a patterned red and maroon cloth draped with marigold garlands. Behind the chariot is a shrine panel with a deity murti framed by flowers. Men in saffron and white dhotis pull and steady the chariot, while saffron-clad attendants with rudraksha malas walk alongside. Devotees in white and green saris stand with folded hands along the roadside. Orange flags flutter at the sides of the procession under dark night sky.2011-12-17Night procession with a golden-wheeled ratha/chariot carrying a large deity murti of Devi on top, under a pink canopy. Seated on the chariot's red-draped platform is a bearded man in a maroon garment with a flower garland, and beside him stands a white-clad man with rudraksha mala, holding a red umbrella over the seated figure. Behind them a woman in a red sari and a girl in red sari walk in the crowd, with women in orange and maroon garments following, many wearing flowers and bangles.2016-10-11Night procession at an ashram. A golden palanquin with a raised seat and a canopy is carried forward by devotees pulling on red and maroon cloth ropes. Women in white saris with red and yellow borders and men in white dhotis with yellow shawls walk alongside. A figure in orange robes sits on the palanquin beside a central figure draped in white, both framed by marigold and red garlands. A man in a white shirt wears an ID badge, and a woman in a red shawl carries a long staff. Attendants in white stand near the palanquin, with stone sculptures and a trident visible in the background.2010-11-20