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Nithyanandapedia
Night outdoor ritual under a white tent with orange trim. In the foreground a shaved-headed priest in orange dhoti and orange shawl with beaded necklaces stands holding a brass plate with red flowers, facing two decorated deity murtis with silver crowns, flower garlands and orange drapes on a gold platform. Beside him a younger attendant in white dhoti and white shawl kneels near a red-brown homa or yagna fire pit with a flame and brass vessels. Behind the stage, a crowd of devotees watches, some in white and some in colourful saris. A banner with Tamil script stands at left, and a flower-covered offering tray sits at lower right.

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January 08 20122012-01-08Outdoor night ritual under an orange and white canopy with an orange banner reading in Tamil 'Paramahamsa Nithyanandar Ashram' beside a second line. A standing priest in orange dhoti and orange shawl, bare-chested with gold armlets, pours liquid from a silver vessel over a red-and-yellow tiered altar. Behind him a seated priest in white dhoti and gold necklace tends a small fire and offerings. Two decorated deity murtis with garlands of yellow and white flowers and gold ornaments flank the altar on gold stands. Devotees in white and colourful saris stand behind a railing.2012-01-08Night outdoor ritual before a stage with a white and orange tent canopy. In the foreground, a bald priest in saffron-orange dhoti and shawl holds a silver lamp or aarti tray toward two deity murtis dressed in orange and garlanded with yellow and orange flowers. A brazier of fire burns on a red stone platform in front of them, with brass vessels and a kalasha of flowers. Behind, a seated priest in white dhoti works at the fire. A large banner with Tamil lettering and a portrait stands behind the stage. Devotees in white shirts and dhotis stand and sit around the barrier, a woman in a dark outfit sits to the right, and a monitor is mounted at the edge. Discernible in the scene are the fire offering and aarti of a puja.2012-01-08A night-time ritual at an outdoor stage under an orange and cream canopy. A shaved-headed priest in an orange dhoti and orange-and-green shawl, with a rudraksha-style bead necklace, holds a silver lamp (aarti) over two decorated murti figures, one draped in orange and the other in maroon, both garlanded with yellow and white flowers and set on a gilded pedestal. Brass pots with mango-leaf tops and marigold garlands sit before them, and a small fire pit smokes in the foreground. Behind them a large banner shows a bearded-free portrait and Tamil script. A seated figure with long dark hair, a red-and-gold garland and orange robes sits on an elevated platform behind the murtis, and a crowd of men in white, yellow and green shirts watches from the left. Cameras and a monitor sit at the right edge.2012-01-08January 08 20122012-01-08Night outdoor ritual under a white and orange canopy. A fire burns in a tiered brick-and-gold homa pit in front of two garlanded deity murti on a golden pedestal. A bare-chested priest in orange dhoti and shawl holds a tray of offerings over the fire. Seated at left, a priest in white dhoti with white body markings and gold necklaces chants into a microphone with palms joined. Another white-clad man sits with hands folded at right, and a banner with a portrait and Tamil text hangs behind. Devotees stand along a barrier watching.2012-01-08Night outdoor puja at a temple-style pavilion. A shaved-headed priest in orange and saffron dhoti and shawl stands at right, holding a cloth or offering over a gold-framed platform holding two deity murtis draped in orange and garlanded with yellow and red flowers. A flame burns in a fire pit in front, with brass pots, a kalasha and oil lamps arranged on the cloth. Seated at right edge, a man in white with a beaded necklace watches. Devotees with folded hands stand behind a white barrier under a banner with Tamil script.2012-01-08January 08 20122012-01-08January 08 20122012-01-08January 08 20122012-01-08Night outdoor ritual at a stage-side fire altar. A shaved-headed priest in an orange saffron dhoti and shawl, with bare chest, gold armlets and a beaded necklace, kneels at a brick fire pit holding his hand over a flame and raising the other hand in namaskar. Two decorated deity murtis stand behind on a gold-edged platform, draped in orange cloth, marigold garlands and silver ornaments. Brass vessels, a bell and a kalasha sit near the fire, with banana leaves and flower garlands. Behind, a white-clad crowd gathers beside an orange banner showing a smiling face and the Tamil text for a meditation satsang, with lights glowing in the background.2012-01-08January 08 20122012-01-08