April 06 2012 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

April 06 2012

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June 03 2012

Night ritual inside a open-sided pandal with yellow canopy and hanging lamps. Priests in white dhotis sit on a striped mat before a wooden platform decorated with fruit, bananas, flowers and a kalasha, with brass vessels and a lamp stand in the foreground. Smoke rises from the altar area. A cameraman in white stands at left filming, and a central figure in dark attire with a white cloth receives the rite near a decorated deity murti. Men in orange shawls sit at right beside devotees and women in white saris. Hanging lamps and garlands decorate the ceiling.

Night outdoor ritual under a canopy strung with leaf garlands and small triangular flags. At centre, a fire pit with flames stands before an ornate red and gold throne-like seat. A standing priest in white dhoti and white shawl with red border holds an item over the fire. A seated priest with shaved head wears a gold necklace and white clothing at right, beside a bowl of yellow powder. Several children in red and maroon dresses sit in front on a purple cloth, with fruit (limes, bananas, coconuts), brass oil lamps and kumkum-coloured offerings on trays. Decorated deity figures with floral garlands stand at left under string lights. This appears to be a homa-style fire ritual with puja offerings.

Night photograph of an outdoor temple ritual on a raised orange-draped platform. Several men in white dhotis and white shirts sit and kneel around a silver puja tray, one bowing forward with hands near the tray. A bare-chested priest in white with a red-bordered cloth stands at the right, arms raised to his head. Brass oil lamps (deepas) stand at the left beside a display of bananas, limes, a watermelon and other fruit on purple cloth. Smoke rises in the dim background, where a red throne-like seat and colourful strings of festoon decorations hang from the roof. Devotees sit in the background.

December 20 2011

Night ritual at a covered open-air hall with a visible fire pit and rising smoke near the centre. Several young boys in white dhotis sit or kneel at an orange-draped platform with purple cloth, bending over a silver tray. Brass oil lamps stand on the left beside trays of bananas, lemons, pineapple and a watermelon. A man with a bare torso and white cloth at right raises his arms, and a red throne is partly visible behind the central figures. Seated devotees in white fill the background. Strings of bunting and hanging garlands decorate the ceiling.

Night-time outdoor ritual under a open-sided pavilion with a striped orange canopy overhead. A figure in saffron-orange robes and rudraksha beads sits on a red and gold throne at left, hands folded. Nearby a seated priest in white dhoti and shawl sits behind a low table with brass vessels, kalasha pots, and a tall brass lamp. A shaved-headed priest in white kneels before a wooden stand, reading from a book with a microphone stand beside him. Smoke rises in the background. Rows of seated devotees, many women in saris and some men, watch from the right. Platters of flowers, leaves, and red and orange offerings lie on the floor.

Night-time outdoor ritual on an orange-draped raised platform under a corrugated shed. Brass and silver ritual vessels, plates of flowers and fruit, a tall silver lamp stand, and a large brass lamp are arranged on the platform. White-clad priests stand and sit at the front, one in an orange garment at the right. A seated crowd of devotees in white fills the rows behind, and a decorated palanquin or chariot with red and orange canopy is visible on the right. Banana leaves and a yellow fringed umbrella frame the scene.

A night photo of an outdoor stage hall at a Chandi Homa event, lit by red string lights in the background and hung with red and orange decorative tassels. A figure in white clothes with a light head covering sits on an ornate red and gold throne, with a second empty cream armchair beside it. In front, a priest in white is seated at a low ritual platform draped with white cloth, with brass vessels, a kalasha-style pot, red powder offerings, a broom-like bundle and coconut on the platform. A large audience in white and light clothing sits on the floor to the right, filling the dark hall.

2010-10-16 +1 copies

Night-time homa ceremony under a canopy decorated with green, orange and blue fringed hangings and banana leaves. A man in an orange robe with a white vertical forehead mark and beaded necklace stands at a square fire pit and pours offerings, while a second orange-robed priest attends beside him. Devotees in white clothes with yellow shawls sit on mats and watch. Brass bowls, a bell, a small kalasha-style vessel, and a pineapple-shaped basket of flowers lie on a mat in front. Strings of dried leaves hang overhead under electric lights.

Outdoor evening puja on an orange cloth-covered platform under a canopy. A man in saffron robes and a rudraksha mala sits at the centre, reading from an open book with a microphone before him, with a brass bowl and offerings in front. Surrounding him are brass oil lamps, flower-decorated kalashas, bowls of fruit, a gold-bordered silk cloth and a flower garland. Behind, rows of seated devotees in white dhotis and red or orange shawls watch. A young boy in white sits beside the priest. At left, a decorated deity murti with a garland stands on a golden base. This appears to be a homa-style ritual.

2012-10-18 +1 copies