January 03 2018 - Nithyanandapedia

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January 03 2018

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January 03 2018

Five bare-chested men stand close together at night under bright lights in a crowded outdoor setting, with a blurred crowd behind them. Several have lemons pinned to their arms, shoulders and chests with ash or white powder marking their skin, which fits the lemon-piercing practice mentioned in the page. The man at the left wears a white dhoti with a gold border and a rudraksha mala with a small pendant. The man second from left has a rudraksha mala and a red sash. The central figure wears a dark turban, rudraksha malas and a dark wrap. The man at right wears a rust-orange dhoti, a rudraksha mala and a lemon pinned to his shoulder. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance.

Two bare-chested male devotees stand side by side at night in front of a red-painted wall, with a striped woven mat beneath them. Both wear brown dhoti-style cloths, rudraksha malas, and white ash markings on chest and arms. Each has several small green lemons pierced onto the skin of the arms and chest, a lemon-piercing practice. The man on the left wears a black turban and bracelets; the man on the right has long hair swept up and tied, with a red tilak on the forehead and a pendant necklace. Both smile toward the camera. Two visible people; no identity is claimed from appearance.

A group of men and boys stands in a bright indoor room with a white wall and a reddish wooden door at left. On the right, a young man in an orange turban and orange cloth wears layered beaded necklaces with gold-toned pendants and holds a bunch of green leaves and a wrapped bundle. In front, a boy in an orange dhoti and a rudraksha mala holds a brass bowl and has white and red markings on his forehead. Behind them, a man with grey hair and white markings on his forehead and arms stands with a hand on his hip. At far left, a bare-chested man in a white dhoti with a red thread on his wrist and a small pendant stands beside a small child. Some people show white ash lines on their faces and arms.

A smiling bare-chested man with long dark hair, a moustache and beard, and white ash smeared across his chest, arms and shoulders stands before a salmon-pink wall with a barred window. He wears a rudraksha mala with a small pendant, a brown cord necklace, and a brown cloth around his waist. Several green limes are pinned to his skin on his arms, chest and abdomen, a piercing practice associated with the lemon piercing mentioned on the page. A small locket hangs at his chest. No identifiable candidate for a person is established from appearance alone, so this is a devotee or sadhaka participating in the ritual.

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A photograph of a group of saffron-robed sannyasis performing an aarti before a large cutout portrait of a smiling bearded man in a saffron turban and gold necklace, garlanded with red and yellow flowers and mounted on a yellow pole. Several young men and boys in orange dhotis and shawls, with white markings on their arms and faces, hold brass plates of flowers and oil lamps. A man on the right wears a leopard-print headwrap and holds a lamp. Large banyan tree roots form the background.

2018-12-22 +2 copies

Six men stand in a row at an evening outdoor event, several speaking into handheld microphones. The man on the far left wears a bare chest, rudraksha mala and ceremonial dhoti with a green and gold border, and holds a microphone. Next to him a man in a red and white garment and a white shawl speaks into a microphone. The two men in the centre wear white dhotis with yellow and orange sashes, the central one with arms folded and a tilak on his forehead. Two men on the right, one wearing a shawl and rudraksha, and one in a white dhoti with an orange sash and white beaded necklaces, stand with folded arms. Behind them stands a wooden pillar and a dark metal panel.

Outdoor ritual at a large banyan tree with hanging aerial roots. Several men stand together in ceremonial dress. At left, a man with a tall orange-red turban, layered gold and beaded necklaces, a flower garland and a bare upper body holds a lit oil lamp with a bright flame. Beside him, a man with ash-smeared body and a rudraksha mala holds a bell. Two men in orange dhotis hold a silver tray of flowers and a brass vessel. At right, a bearded man in a white dhoti with gold borders stands with palms pressed together in namaskar. Behind them, others in white and saffron clothing, plus a ceremonial staff topped with a trident and a gold kalasha, complete the scene.