Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A seated long-haired figure in an orange-brown shawl and gold ornaments presses his right palm to the forehead of a bare-chested devotee who bends forward, with white cloth tied over his eyes. The devotee wears a rudraksha mala and white dhoti with gold border. A bearded man in a white dhoti with gold border and rudraksha malas stands behind, supporting the devotee's shoulder. Other shirtless participants in white dhotis with white eye-bands stand in the background, and a gold-framed mirror and a wooden offering box with a microphone sit in the foreground. The setting suggests a Shiva Deeksha initiation.

More like this

Open the gallery
A diksha initiation scene in a hall with a red curtain backdrop. A bearded man with long swept-back dark hair, a gold necklace, a saffron-orange shawl and gold armbands sits at right, raising his hand in blessing toward a kneeling initiate. The initiate, bare-chested with white sandalwood markings on his arms and a white cloth band across his eyes, wears a white dhoti with gold border and a rudraksha mala. A second man in a white dhoti with gold border and a long rudraksha mala supports the initiate's shoulder. Several other shirtless men in white dhotis, some with eyes covered by white bands, stand behind them. A gold-fitted wooden stand with flowers sits at right, and a white air conditioner is visible at top right.2017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26March 15 20172017-03-15April 26 20172017-04-26A night-time blessing scene on a raised platform. A man in a red-brown dhoti with a long beaded mala and gold ornaments stands with his palm on the head of a bare-chested devotee bowing forward, whose white sacred ash shows on his forehead. A silver-ornate chair with red cushion sits behind them. A figure in white with rudraksha beads and an orange-clad attendant stand at the left edge. Gesture is a touch of blessing, a darshan moment. a person candidate has long swept-back hair, beaded malas and gold ornaments, but appearance is not distinctive enough to confirm identity, so role is given as blessing giver.2017-10-15A photograph of a ritual scene in a hall with red curtains. A man in a white dhoti with a gold-bordered shawl and a rudraksha mala bends forward with his head bowed, while two men in white and gold-bordered dhotis steady him and press their hands on his head and back. One man wears a red blindfold and another wears a red headband with a dark mala. On the right, a bearded man with long dreadlocked hair wears a saffron-orange wrap, gold ornaments and gold bangles, and places his hand on the bowed man's head. The setting suggests a blessing or initiation rite with several onlookers behind.2016-10-16A photograph of a ritual initiation moment. A shaved-headed man in a white dhoti sits bare-chested, eyes closed, wearing a rudraksha mala and a gold pendant, while a standing figure with long dreadlocked hair, a rudraksha bracelet and a rust-orange shawl places his palm on the seated man's forehead. Behind them, another person wears a white dhoti with a gold border and a gold-and-rudraksha necklace, and a gold-framed doorway is visible. The seated man has a sprinkle-blessing feel but the scene shows a blessing gesture only. Two or three people are visible in the scene.2017-06-20A photograph of a ritual blessing in an ashram setting. A bare-chested devotee with shaved-looking head covered by a white cloth bends forward while a long-haired man in an orange-red shawl places his hand on the devotee's head. Beside them, a standing man with long hair, a rudraksha mala and gold ornaments wears a white dhoti with an orange-and-gold cloth draped over one shoulder. Another person in orange stands at the left edge, and a wooden carved panel is visible at the right. The devotee has white markings on the shoulders and back, and the blessing giver wears rudraksha beads and gold earrings and bracelets.2017-06-20A photograph of a shaved-headed man in white ritual dhoti and shawl bowing forward with his head lowered, holding a small yellow card with a printed emblem, while a tall figure in a white dhoti with gold-bordered cloth and a long gold-and-rudraksha necklace places a hand on his head. A third person, with long dreadlocked hair, a beard and gold earrings, wears an orange-brown wrap and rudraksha bracelets and watches from the right. Rudraksha malas hang from the bowing man's neck. The setting appears to be an indoor hall with a pale floor. Some people are partly cropped at the edges. No readable name appears on the image itself.2017-06-20February 22 20172017-02-22A photograph of a ritual initiation scene in a hall with red curtains. A bearded man in a white and gold-bordered dhoti and shawl, with rudraksha mala and red tilak, presses his hand on the head of a bare-chested young man whose eyes are covered with a red cloth and who is bent forward. A man on the left in white and gold clothing with a rudraksha mala and gold ornaments steadies the kneeling devotee's arm. On the right, a figure with long, swept-back dreadlocked hair, gold earrings, gold necklaces and an orange-red shawl reaches toward the devotee. Other blindfolded men in white stand in the background.2016-10-16