Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a ritual abhishekam at a large outdoor-style stage. In the centre stands a tall golden-brown linga draped in a deep red and gold cloth, with a figure in a saffron-orange robe, head covered, pouring or touching it with one raised arm. Behind the linga is a yellow banner with Tamil text and deity illustrations, and a tiered display of yellow-flowered offering pots stacked in baskets. Lit oil lamps, marigold garlands and flower petals decorate the base, and a microphone stands at the right. A few other people are partly visible at the edges.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night-time ritual photograph at an outdoor temple stage. A man in a saffron-orange robe with his head covered stands at right, raising one arm to hold a tall cylindrical object wrapped in gold and maroon cloth. Behind him, a sanctuary-style backdrop with a bell and gold-painted decorated pillars. In the foreground, rows of banana-leaf offering bowls and yellow flowers lie on a white and marigold-decorated platform. A white-clad attendant holding a bell stands at the far right edge, and a seated white-clad figure is partly visible. Pieces of oil lamps and a kalasha-like vessel are visible at lower left. A banner at top reads Sapthamurthi with deity images.2007-12-02A photograph of a fire ritual at an outdoor pavilion. A seated man in saffron-orange robes, with a shawled head and a bare upper body, offers into a homa fire. He sits in front of a tiered pyramid of kalasha-like pots wrapped in yellow flowers and green leaves, with an oil lamp at the left. Behind him, a red banner with white lettering and a row of framed deity images, including painted icons with arched frames, decorate the backdrop. A microphone stands near him, a man in white stands at the right edge, and flower garlands and baskets of offerings lie on the white-draped altar in front.A man in saffron-orange robes and a rudraksha-style beaded necklace stands at a ceremonial altar performing a ritual, holding a handbell in his right hand and reaching toward a brass vessel with his left. Before him is a tiered pyramid of brass-rimmed pots and pots topped with mango leaves and yellow flowers arranged on a white-and-pink flower-decorated platform. Behind the altar a yellow banner shows multiple colourful deity murti arches with Tamil and English text, and a framed picture sits to the side. A brass oil lamp, a small kalasha-like vessel and a table fan are visible. The scene appears to be a night-time puja.2007-12-02A photograph of a ritual at a pyramid of stacked offerings draped in yellow and white flowers and green leaves, with a small fire burning at its base. A man in saffron-orange robes sits cross-legged on a multicoloured cloth, pouring or tending the offering with his hands while a microphone stands nearby. Another man in white clothing sits behind him at the right. Brass lamps and a silver vessel sit among baskets of fruit and flower garlands on a tiered white platform. Behind them a yellow banner shows painted deity images with the printed captions Sri Ananda Surya with Chaaya and Usha, Sri Ananda Rajarajeswari with Sri Ananda Saraswathi, Sri Anandeshwar with Anandeshwari, and Satguru, with chakra labels visible.2007-12-02A photograph of a homa ritual at night under a tent. A person in saffron-orange robes and a head covering kneels at a fire pit, holding a red cloth-covered tray or offering above the flames. Beside him, a man in white dhoti and shirt holds a small bell and stands. Behind them, a yellow banner shows Tamil text and framed deity images, including painted icons labelled with names of Sri Ananda Surya, Sri Ananda Yeeksha, and Sri Ananda Rajarajeswari. In front, a tiered pyramid of yellow-flowered offerings stands on a white-garlanded table with fruit baskets. Brass vessels and an oil lamp sit nearby.A photograph of a ritual at a Saptayagam fire offering. A man in saffron-orange robes and an orange head wrap stands at right, holding a woven basket of fruit and pouring offerings toward a tiered pyramid of woven baskets and banana-leaf offerings decorated with yellow flowers. Behind him a long banner shows several deity images in arched frames and the Tamil heading below. A decorated brass lamp stands at left beside a dressed deity figure in yellow and maroon garments with garlands. Flower petals cover the altar in front, and a brass pot sits at lower right.A man in saffron-orange robes stands with palms pressed together in namaskar before a ritual stage. Behind him a yellow banner with Tamil text shows painted deity panels. In front, a tiered pyramid of brass kalasha pots with yellow flowers and mango leaves rises beside a garlanded deity image in red and yellow. Brass oil lamps, flower baskets, a small bell-metal plate and a draped white cloth complete the altar.A photograph of an outdoor yagna at night. A man in orange-saffron robes and an orange head wrap stands at a raised white platform, pouring fruit from a woven basket into a fire pit. Behind him, tiered arrangements of small clay pots and mango leaves are decorated with yellow flowers. A tall brass oil lamp with a flame stands at the left beside a garland-draped figure in yellow and maroon. A banner behind shows multiple deity images in arched frames, and a seated person in white watches at the right. The scene suggests a homa with offerings.2007-12-02 +1 copiesA photograph of an abhishekam at a temple. A standing figure in an orange saffron robe with long dark hair and a rudraksha mala pours liquid from a golden vessel over a black stone shivalinga on a pedestal, with flower garlands draped on it. Behind, a gilded golden arch frames the scene and a large golden Nataraja-style deity murti with a red-and-white garland and jewelled ornaments stands on a golden base. Another saffron-robed priest on the left holds a golden pot, and a bald man in orange kneels in front. A brass oil lamp, a small gold kalasha-like vessel and brass puja items sit in the foreground. Red drapes hang in the background, and a camera operator is at the lower right.2009-10-17December 02 20072007-12-02Three priests in orange-saffron dhotis and shawls perform a ritual around a large ornate bronze-and-copper kalasha-style vessel on a stone base. Two bare-chested priests at left and right hold a yellow cord stretched across the top of the vessel, while a woman in a red-and-gold sari with a red garland stands in the centre and reaches up to touch it. The vessel is draped with yellow and white marigold garlands and has a green leafy top. Below, a crowd of devotees in saffron and white stands under a corrugated roof, with marigold petals scattered on the base.2013-10-05December 02 20072007-12-02