Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night-time outdoor ritual photograph. A central figure in an orange saffron robe with bare arms and a shaved-looking, short-haired head holds a lit oil lamp in one hand and a small brass bell in the other, walking forward. Behind him a long line of people in white dhotis and orange shawls, some with bare chests, stands or walks through the dark courtyard under a tree branch and a single tall light pole. On the left, a large golden hooded cobra-shaped kalasha or deity murti sits on a red stone base beside red offerings, and a brass lamp sits on the ground. A white cloth lies on a wooden tray near the bottom centre.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night-time outdoor ritual photograph beside a stone shrine with a gold cobra hood-shaped sculpture and red-stained offerings at left. A white-clad man kneels at lower left, lighting a small lamp on a white cloth placed on a wooden tray. A barefoot man in orange ochre robes with long dark hair, unadorned shoulders and bare chest stands at centre, head bowed, facing the kneeling priest. At right a man in white dhoti and orange shawl holds a small brass vessel. Behind them a large crowd of people in white and orange-shawled white clothing stands in rows under dark trees, several with hands folded in prayer. A tall pole and bright lamp light the scene.2006-12-11Night-time outdoor ritual photo. In the centre, a man in an orange saffron robe with an orange shawl raises a lit aarti lamp toward the dark sky while holding a small brass bell in his other hand. Around him, a large group of devotees in white dhotis and white kurtas, many wearing orange shawls, stand with hands folded in prayer and palms pressed together. Behind them, a few people in white and light clothing stand in the dark. In the lower left, a pink-red stone shivalinga-like structure is decorated with white cloth and a red sash, with a gold metal ornament and a brass plate with an orange cloth nearby on the ground. The scene is blurred and dark.2006-12-11A night-time outdoor ritual photograph in a dim open courtyard beneath a large dark tree. A man in white dhoti and orange shawl kneels on the ground at lower left, bending over small brass ritual vessels and a small pile of white material. Behind him, a line of about a dozen men in white dhotis and orange shawls stands in a loose arc, several holding small objects. A standing figure in a flowing orange robe stands at centre, facing toward the kneeling man. At right, a man in white with an orange shawl holds a ritual item. In the foreground a brass kalasha-like vessel with a domed lid sits on a red cloth beside a wooden tray holding an orange cloth and white cloth. A white pole stands at left. The scene suggests a consecration rite, with the kneeling priest attending to offerings.2006-12-11Night outdoor ritual beneath a large dark banyan-like tree. In the centre stands a man with long dark swept-back hair, wearing an orange-saffron dhoti and a saffron shawl over his shoulders, his hands held together in front of him near a small brass lamp with a visible flame on the ground. Around him, several men in white dhotis and white kurtas with orange shawls stand in a semicircle, some with palms pressed together in prayer and one holding a small bell. To the right a brass-and-gold ornamented structure with a cloth-draped object sits on a low platform beside a white cloth-covered offering tray, and a garlanded deity murti or sacred object is visible at the edge of the frame. A blue circular sign on a white pole stands at left.2006-12-11Night photograph outdoors beneath a large dark banyan tree. A man in a saffron-orange dhoti and shawl stands centre holding a small brass bell and a lit oil lamp flame in his hands, facing right. Behind and beside him, several men in white ritual clothes with orange shawls stand in a row, one holding a metal vessel with a flame, others with hands folded. A brass meru-shaped vessel and a folded white cloth rest on a wooden tray with a red-and-orange cloth at the foot of the scene, beside a decorated red cushion on a stone platform. The setting suggests a night ritual consecration.2006-12-11Night photograph at an outdoor shrine beneath a large dark tree with hanging roots. A barefoot man in an orange sleeveless wrap with bare shoulders and long dark hair walks forward at centre. Behind him, people in white clothes with orange shawls hold oil lamps and a torch; a figure in white kneels at a brass aarti or puja tray. At right, a dark stone serpent sculpture with a raised hooded head lies beside a red-painted shrine mound, and an orange-clad deity murti is partly visible. The scene suggests an evening puja or aarti. Visible people: about five.2006-12-10December 11 20062006-12-11Night ritual outdoors under large trees at an ashram site. In the centre, a long-haired man in saffron-orange cloth with bare shoulders holds a long orange-wrapped bundle over a low wooden stand draped in white cloth. Before him, a man in white dhoti bends low, offering from a small plate near a brass lamp with a flame and a brass kalasha-style vessel on a red-cloth base. To the right, a large cobra-hooded deity murti with gold-tone ornaments and a red cloth sits on a stone base. Behind, about a dozen men in white dhotis and orange shawls stand with palms joined in prayer. This appears to be a consecration-style puja.2006-12-11Night photograph outdoors beneath a large dark tree at an ashram. A barefoot man in a long orange saffron cloth walks forward with eyes lowered and a red tilak on his forehead, his shoulders bare, his hair long and swept back. Behind him, several people in white clothes with orange shawls carry a lit oil lamp and a red woven basket. On the right, a person in white kneels near a small red-draped altar and a brass vessel, while a deity murti in orange cloth sits on a red-and-white decorated base. Faint hanging roots and a lamp-lit ground frame the scene. a person: the walking figure in orange has long swept-back hair, a saffron cloth and a bare-chested ascetic presentation, but the appearance is not conclusive enough to confirm identity; the scene shows arati-style offerings with a lamp.2006-12-10Night ritual outdoors beneath large dark trees. A central figure in a saffron/orange robe with a saffron-orange shawl stands at the front, hands extended, with a shaved-looking head and glasses, appearing to be the main officiant. To the left, a priest in white dhoti and shirt with an orange shawl holds a lit brass lamp with a flame. Behind them a row of people in white robes with orange shawls stand in rows; a man in white at right holds a small brass vessel. In the foreground a brass kalasha-type vessel sits on an orange cloth beside a tray with white cloth. At right, a large metal cobra-hood form (naga deity murti) with a garland and red cloth adorns a stone base, draped with white and red cloths.2006-12-11December 11 20062006-12-11Night photograph of a group of devotees in white dhotis and orange shawls standing in two rows on a dirt path beside a large tree with aerial roots. A man in an orange robe at the front right holds a bell in one hand and a flaming oil lamp or aarti flame in the other, leading the ritual. Others stand with hands folded in prayer. In the background, an ornate stone archway frames a lit deity murti. On the left, a small silver tray holds folded white and orange cloths. A cameraman in white stands at the left edge.2006-12-11