Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Outdoor ceremony under a decorated canopy with red, black and gold draping and hanging white flowers. A man in an orange dhoti and orange shawl with a large orange head wrap, garlanded with white flowers, kneels on a yellow cloth in front of a low wooden table holding offering plates of fruit, flowers and a lamp, performing a puja. Around him, a crowd of men in white dhotis and shirts and younger boys in white with orange shawls sit and stand, several with hands folded in prayer. To the right, a bare-chested priest in a white cloth tends the altar, and a large decorated deity murti garlanded with white flower strings stands on a platform. Stacked yellow bricks lie on the floor at left, and a brass bell rests on a stand at right.

More like this

Open the gallery
Outdoor ritual under a decorated canopy with green leaves and striped cloth overhead. A man in saffron robes with a matching saffron head wrap sits cross-legged on yellow cloth, garlanded with white and orange flowers, offering a plate of fruit and flowers. Beside him an older bearded man in saffron sits, and a figure in saffron at lower right faces the scene. A deity murti draped in garlands and flowers sits on a small platform with a kalasha-like vessel and lamps. Many men in white dhotis and shirts stand and sit with palms pressed together, and a few women in saris watch from the right. Stone blocks line the foreground.2006-11-24November 24 20062006-11-24Outdoor ground-breaking ritual under a canopy of green leaves and red-and-black striped cloth. A seated man in an orange robe with long hair and a white flower garland presses his palms together in prayer, while a younger man in white with curly hair and an orange shawl leans forward to offer from a silver plate. Behind them, a deity murti draped in flower garlands sits on a raised platform with a kalasha and lamps. Seated and standing devotees in white dhotis and shirts fold their hands, and yellow turmeric-coloured blocks lie on blue cloth in the foreground. Several people in white ritual dress stand along the back.2006-11-24November 24 20062006-11-24Outdoor bhoomi pooja ceremony beneath a canopy with a purple, teal and white striped awning draped with green mango leaves. A seated priest in an orange saffron robe with an orange turban and white flower garland bows with palms pressed together before a deity murti decorated with flower garlands. Around him, many devotees in white shirts and white dhotis stand and kneel with folded hands, while a few women in white and yellow sarees and orange shawls join. Brass plates hold fruit, coconuts and offerings, and wooden blocks lie on the mat in front. A young man in orange kneels nearby with folded hands. Several people sit on the ground behind them in a large gathering, and the setting is open land.2006-11-24November 24 20062006-11-24November 24 20062006-11-24Outdoor ritual under a colourful striped and patterned canopy. A man in an orange turban and orange-saffron dhoti and shawl, wearing a flower garland, sits cross-legged at a low wooden table of fruit and offerings, holding a lit lamp flame toward a plate. Beside him a bare-chested priest in ochre cloth tends an offering. Around them devotees in white dhotis and shirts stand and sit with palms pressed together. A decorated deity murti garlanded with flowers and a kalasha stands on a pedestal at right, with a man in white folded hands in front. The scene is a bhoomi puja style ceremony at an open-air site.2006-11-24November 24 20062006-11-24November 24 20062006-11-24Outdoor ground-breaking ritual under a canopy of mango leaves and colourful fringed cloth. A bare-chested man in an orange turban and orange cloth sits cross-legged with hands folded in prayer, wearing a white flower garland and a rudraksha mala; his distinctive orange head covering and garlands are visible, but his face is turned down and partly obscured, so the appearance is uncertain. Around him, white-clad devotees and others in orange sit or stand with palms pressed together. In front of him are brass plates of flowers, fruit and offerings, and small oil lamps with flames. To the left, a pit in the earth lined with bricks and a small mound with a decorated floor design mark the site. Smoke drifts across the scene.2006-11-24A photograph of a fire ritual (homa/yagna) under a pandal decorated with palm fronds and purple cloth. A figure with long, swept-back dark hair wears saffron-orange robes, a gold necklace and a rudraksha-style mala and sits behind a raised altar bed covered with pink, red and white flowers, with a microphone in front. a person is in the central seat; he appears to be the officiant. Around him, white-clad devotees with orange shawls sit in rows, some holding offerings, and a silver vessel stands at right. A deity shrine with a framed image sits on a stage at upper left, and garlands of pink and white flowers line the foreground.2006-07-18