Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a thatched-roof hall where many sadhus in orange and saffron robes sit cross-legged on the floor over green banana leaves with small glasses set before them. A younger man in orange dhoti and shawl bends forward while serving food or liquid from a steel bowl to the seated men. Another man in orange stands behind at the back, and a pair of orange-clad figures in the foreground hold leaves. Some seated men wear orange turbans and rudraksha malas, and one has a white beard. A banner behind reads Om Hreem Nithyananda Namah beside a portrait of a figure with a sign. Elements of a Hindu feeding ritual such as annadan are visible, with many saffron-robed participants seated along the rows.

More like this

Open the gallery
A long photograph of a thatched open hall where rows of seated sannyasis and devotees in saffron and orange robes sit on mats before banana leaves holding rice and food offerings with small cups of water. A man in white clothing walks down the central aisle between the rows. A large orange banner on the right reads a mantra and a line about relief from mental and physical suffering, and a poster with images hangs on the wall behind. Many more people are visible at the back of the hall, including a bearded sadhu with long white beard and orange turban in the foreground, and a shirtless elderly man in orange cloth on the right. The scene resembles a communal meal served after a ritual or satsang.2011-01-16A photograph of a large open-sided pavilion with a concrete floor where many men sit cross-legged on green banana leaves set out in rows, with steel glasses of water beside them. Most wear saffron and orange cloths, and several have grey or white beards and shaved heads or tilak markings. A standing man in a white shirt and dhoti moves along the row, and another bends to place a leaf. A printed banner above reads GURU MANTRA and 'Om Hreem Nithyananda Namah', with a sign reading 'Mantra ... 108' on the right. Other posters line the back wall.2011-01-16A photograph of a large seated gathering of older men, many in saffron-orange robes and some bare-chested with rudraksha malas, sitting in rows on a concrete floor under a tent. Each person sits before a green banana leaf set with small glasses of water, and several men in the foreground are placing or arranging food on the leaves. Behind them a banner reads Guru Mantra and Om Nithyananda Namaha, with a second banner in Tamil. Some men wear white or yellow cloth and orange turbans. The scene appears to be a communal meal.2011-01-16A long hall with a thatched roof and open sides shows rows of seated sadhus and devotees in saffron and orange robes, many with rudraksha malas and tilaka, eating from banana leaves set on the floor. Each leaf holds white rice mounds, sides and small servings, with cups beside them. Several people in the foreground wear orange and bright pink flowers in their hair. A standing man in white stands near the left edge. Banners on the back wall display Tamil and English text and a framed portrait, and the scene looks like an annadan style meal.2011-01-16A photograph inside a thatched-roof pavilion supported by blue poles, showing a seated community meal. Dozens of men in saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged on the concrete floor before rows of fresh banana leaves holding small sweets, with steel tumblers of water set along the leaves. A younger man in orange robes stands at the centre-left, bending forward with a steel bowl, serving food along the row. Another man in orange stands behind him near the upper centre, and a figure in orange stands on a raised platform at the far left. Several seated men have white hair and beards, wear rudraksha beads, and have white or orange tilak and body markings. Behind them hang orange and white banners with Tamil and English lettering. The people appear to be sadhus receiving an annadan-style meal.2011-01-16A long hall with a thatched roof and open sides, with a row of seated men in saffron and orange robes on bare floor. Many wear orange or saffron head cloths and some have white or grey beards. Each man sits before a green banana leaf plate with a small glass of water beside it, as for a communal meal. Behind them hang orange and white banners with Tamil and English text, and a small framed portrait is mounted on the wall. A standing man in white clothes walks along the far end of the row. The scene resembles a feeding line of ascetics at an ashram.2011-01-16A photo of a seated group of sannyasi-style devotees in saffron and orange robes sitting on mats in a thatched open hall. In the foreground a man with a vibhuti mark on his forehead, pink flowers in his hair and a wristwatch sits cross-legged on a striped mat, wearing an orange wrap over a saffron garment. Beside him another bearded man in orange sits with hands resting in his lap. Behind them rows of seated men in orange and saffron robes, some with white turbans and rudraksha malas, face forward. In front of each seated person a banana leaf holds rice, fried snacks and sweets, with small paper cups of water. A banner behind them shows Tamil and Sanskrit text. Standing servers in white clothing are visible near the top left. Some participants have pink and yellow flower garlands.2011-01-16A long shed with a concrete floor where many sadhus in orange and saffron clothing sit cross-legged in rows on mats, each with a banana leaf plate and a small glass of water in front of them, as if for a communal meal. Many have white or grey hair and beards, some wear orange turbans, and several have rudraksha malas. Banners on the back wall display Tamil and Hindi text, and a man in white stands at the left edge serving. No candidate for a person is clearly visible among the seated men.2011-01-16A photograph inside a thatched-roof hall where men sit at long metal tables eating a meal served on fresh banana leaves with rice, white rice mounds, yellow and orange sides and small cups of water. In the left foreground a saffron-robed sannyasi with a beaded necklace and bare upper body stands holding a metal vessel, serving the diners. Seated men wear red shirts, white dhotis and a khaki uniform with epaulettes on the right. A banner behind reads Om Hreem Nithyananda, with an orange top band reading Guru Mantra. The orange-robed server's identity cannot be confirmed from appearance, so no a person candidate is asserted.2011-01-16A large open pavilion with a thatched roof where many sannyasis in saffron and orange robes sit cross-legged in long rows on the floor, each before a green banana leaf with small glasses of water. Several men in the foreground wear orange cloth and yellow or white head wraps, and one bare-chested man holds a small metal bowl. Standing figures in white and yellow move between the rows, and a yellow-shirted man stands near the left. Behind them hang banners with a printed mantra reading 'Nithyananda Namah' and 'Om Namah Shivaya' phrases, with a portrait on a banner at the top. Several swamis have white beards and shaved or long hair.2011-01-16A long thatched shed holds a seated feast of many sadhus and devotees in saffron and orange robes, sitting in rows on the floor before banana leaf plates of rice and food with small cups of water. Many wear orange and yellow turbans and have long white beards and bare shoulders. Behind them stand white-clad volunteers, and banners with Tamil text hang along the walls, one reading Om Shreem Nithyananda Namaha. Strings of pink flowers adorn some seated men. No individual is clearly identifiable as the a person in this crowd view.2011-01-16A long covered hall with a thatched roof and rows of seated sadhus and devotees in orange and saffron robes facing a central aisle, each seated before a plantain leaf with rice and food, cups of water nearby. A standing man in orange robes and a rudraksha mala holds a lit flame or aarti lamp at the centre of the aisle, while a man in white stands at the right. Banners behind show Tamil and Sanskrit script and a framed photo display. The scene resembles an annadan or prasadam meal offering with fire ritual.2011-01-16