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Nithyanandapedia
June 12 2004

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A puja is performed in a hall with a seated figure on a carved wooden throne with lion armrests, draped in garlands and wearing an orange-saffron garment and turban. The figure sits with palms joined in namaste. A man in white dhoti and shirt stands at left holding a lit flame on a long pole, with another white-clad man kneeling before a silver-rimmed ritual platform holding brass lamps and flowers. Around them, devotees in white dhotis and saris stand with hands folded, and a seated man with rudraksha beads sits at left. Brass bowls, a silver vessel with offerings and a small Tamil-labelled board are visible.2004-06-12A photograph of a ritual at night on a striped multicoloured mat. A seated figure in a saffron-red robe, with long swept-back hair, a vibhuti mark on the forehead, a gold ceremonial necklace, rudraksha mala and gold armlets, sits on an ornate gold-and-red throne with his palms pressed together in greeting. Beside him a standing priest in a white dhoti with orange-and-teal borders, a yellow headband and a bare chest holds a small vessel and pours from it over a brass oil lamp with a visible flame, marking an aarti or puja. Red and pink flower garlands rest on the throne arms. Brick walls and a doorway form the background.2017-06-23A photograph of a ritual at a fire pit with flames at the lower left. A bare-chested priest in rust-red dhoti and wrap stands at left holding a silver vessel with a lit flame. Seated on an ornate gold-and-red throne with striped red and gold backrest and gold lion-form armrests is a figure in saffron-orange robes with a red-and-white flower garland and a rudraksha mala, holding a ceremonial staff. Several saffron-clad attendants in orange head cloths sit with hands folded in namaste. Garlanded flowers, a silver vessel and brass items sit on the floor, and a decorated deity murti with flower garlands stands at right. Marigold petals are scattered on the floor.2015-04-30A seated man with long dark hair wears an orange-red shawl and saffron cloth on a gilded red throne-style chair at left, appearing to be the Swamiji (probable) given the long swept hair, orange-saffron garments and ceremonial seat. Beside him on the floor is a red and multicoloured cloth. In the centre, a yellow-tiled square homa/yagna fire pit burns with flames, surrounded by a kalasha-style vessel, brass bowls, lamps and flower petals. At right, a standing priest in white dhoti with orange-gold border and a gold-beaded necklace holds his hands together in prayer. Through the doorway, rows of seated attendees fill a hall with a screen glowing at the far end.2016-01-02July 07 20142014-07-07 +1 copiesA night ritual in a plain concrete-block hall with a red curtain at right. A seated figure in saffron-orange robes with a long-haired, swept-back appearance and rudraksha beads rests on a white-draped raised seat, hands folded, bare feet, while a priest in white dhoti and shawl with an orange wrap stands at left holding a lit lamp and a bell. Several young attendants in orange and white sit on mats before a tray of silver vessels and oil lamps. Behind them devotees in white, a woman in teal sari and others stand watching. A banner with white dove motifs hangs at top left. Shivaratri ritual setting.2007-02-16A photo of a temple-style ritual. On the left, a seated man with a saffron-orange turban and saffron robe holds his hands in anjali mudra, wearing beaded necklaces. Beside him sits a man with a white-striped forehead and wooden mala, and a younger man in white. On the right, a shirtless man in a white dhoti with coloured border holds a silver plate with a lit oil lamp, an aarti offering. Behind him stands a gold-trimmed peetha throne draped with marigold garlands and a deity murti. A gold fan is at left and a red carpet covers the floor.2013-07-18A seated man in a large gold throne with a red cushion sits with palms pressed together and eyes closed, wearing a rust-red robe, layered gold necklaces and bead malas, and a white tilak on his forehead. A shaved-headed priest in a white dhoti with yellow borders, bare-chested and wearing a yellow headband, stands before him offering a lit oil lamp or aarti flame on a silver plate. Other people in saffron and orange cloth sit and stand in the background beside a cooler, with marigold garlands and flowers on a striped mat in the foreground.2017-03-16October 21 20152015-10-21 +1 copiesA photograph of a night-time ritual in a smoky hall. A man in white dhoti with a yellow head cloth and gold chains stands at left, holding a brass lamp with a flame and a small incense or ritual implement. Beside him stands a young priest in orange cloth with a rudraksha mala and a tilak on his forehead. At right, a seated man in red-orange robes, with long hair, a gold necklace pendant and a rudraksha mala, sits on an ornate gold-and-red throne with both hands raised to his head in an act of blessing or reception. A fan and a row of colourful prayer flags are visible behind.2017-08-02A photograph of a puja inside a tented hall with dark green drapes and a lattice wall. Seated on an ornate carved wooden throne decorated with white jasmine garlands and red-green ribbons, a man in saffron-orange robes sits with palms pressed together in namaskar, a white flower garland around his neck and an orange head covering. In front of him, a man with long dark curly hair and a beard, dressed in white, holds up a lit oil lamp, and another man in white stands behind him. Brass lamps and a plate of flowers sit on the floor, and a person in red bends at the lower left.2004-06-12July 07 20142014-07-07 +1 copies