Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night ritual on an orange-and-white raised platform under a canopy strung with green leaves and hanging tassels. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with red borders stands with palms pressed together in namaskar beside a large wooden yajna vessel with smoke rising from it. Several young boys in white sit cross-legged on the left before a purple cloth covered with flower petals, fruit, brass plates and small oil lamps. To the left stands a large ornate deity murti of a goddess in red and gold, with a decorated arch and fairy lights behind. A rows of seated devotees in orange and red fill the right side, and a cameraman is visible at the far left edge.

More like this

Open the gallery
October 16 20102010-10-16Night outdoor ritual on a raised orange-draped stage under a tent roof with hanging green leaf garlands and coloured bunting. At left, a large painted deity murti with multiple arms and a lion mount stands beside a tiered lamp display. At centre, an ornate golden throne with an empty seat sits behind a wooden yajna-style vessel and brass plates of fruit, flowers and offerings, with smoke rising. A bald man in white dhoti and white shawl with red borders stands at right with palms joined in prayer. Several boys in white seated on a purple cloth assist at the offerings, and a large crowd of women in red and orange saris sits on the right.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16Night-time ritual at an outdoor pandal decorated with orange and yellow hangings and small fairy lights. Several young men in white dhotis with red-and-white borders kneel and bow on an orange-draped platform before a large clay-and-wood kalasha or pot set on a stand. Behind them a ceremonial deity murti with a red, gold and blue ornate backdrop stands among flower garlands and fruit offerings, with a Ganesha figure at left. Brass plates with flowers, fruit, betel leaves and grains sit on the platform. A man in white and gold stands at right with a long-handled ladle near the vessel. A crowd of devotees watches from the dark background, and a photographer's camera is visible at the left edge. Smoke rises from the ritual area, consistent with a puja or homa.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16Night photograph of a Chandi Homa ritual under a temporary pandal. On the left, a large decorated deity murti of Durga with a lion and a figure of Ganesha stand on a white and gold altar draped with garlands. In the centre, a priest in white dhoti lies stretched out on an orange-draped platform beside a copper-brown vessel with a golden crown-shaped top, with offerings of fruit, flowers and brass plates before him. Several young boys in white dhotis sit on the platform and mats, and a standing priest in white attends the fire, where smoke rises. Devotees sit in rows in the foreground on the right, watching. Strings of lights and garlands decorate the tent.2010-10-16A night-time homa or yagna at a temple shrine decorated with red string lights and a large ornate deity murti of a goddess in the background. In the foreground, a shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and sacred thread kneels on the left with hands folded in prayer, while a standing priest in white robes and a shawl holds a lamp or ritual implement beside a square black homa pit lined with white marble and scattered flower petals. Brass bowls, a kalasha-like vessel, fruit and oil lamps sit on the platform. Several young boys in white and seated devotees with folded hands are visible, and a canopy with fringed edging hangs above the shrine.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesNight photo of an outdoor ritual pavilion with a raised orange platform edged in red and white. A man with a shaved head, wearing a white dhoti with red border and a white shawl, stands at right holding a lit oil lamp or fire over offerings on a plate. A woman in a maroon sari sits cross-legged on the platform beside a bowl of fruit and a green vegetable. Behind them a large dark ceremonial pot and a red-cushioned throne stand near the center, with figures in white seated nearby. To the left, a colourful clay murti of a multi-armed goddess with a red and orange garment, a lion and other figures is decorated with garlands, alongside banana leaves, fruit, brass lamps and a watermelon. Dozens of seated devotees fill the lower right foreground. Strings of flags and foliage hang from the roof.2010-10-16