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Nithyanandapedia
April 24 2019

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A photograph of a ritual at a temple shrine. On the left, a man with long, swept-back dark hair wears an orange-saffron robe, a heavy gold necklace, and white sacred ash markings on his forehead and upper arms. He holds a small brass handbell in one hand and a lit oil lamp in the other, its flame rising beside a dark stone deity murti. The black murti wears a crown of yellow, orange and pink flowers, a tilak mark on its forehead, and has ornamented shoulders and arms. Gold-framed arch and red drapery form the background.2007-11-09July 13 20032003-07-13A photograph inside a temple shrine. An elderly man with a shaved head, bare-chested, wears an orange-red dhoti with gold borders, a beaded rudraksha mala and gold armlets, and holds a small vessel while offering to a black deity murti dressed in white and orange cloth with a white jasmine garland and pink flowers. Gold ornate shrine arch surrounds it, with a brass oil lamp burning at right. A younger man in white dhoti with gold border stands with folded hands in a respectful pose. Appearance-based cues on the elder are insufficient to confirm identity, so the role is described as a priest performing puja.2012-05-13A temple puja before a golden Nataraja-style deity murti standing on a lotus base, garlanded with white, red and green flower strands, with a black shivalinga on a black pedestal in front. A figure in saffron-orange robes stands at left holding a lit aarti lamp on a tray; a second figure in orange with a turban stands beside a gilded statue. Brass lamps, a kalasha-like vessel, flowers and decorative pillars painted with elephants and floral motifs frame the shrine.2007-11-09June 05 20122012-06-05November 09 20072007-11-09A young man in orange saffron cloth and a dark wrapped turban performs aarti before a decorated deity murti. He holds a brass aarti lamp with a flame in one hand and a handbell in the other. His bare upper body shows beaded bracelets and armlets, and he wears rudraksha malas around his neck. Behind him, the deity murti is adorned with garlands of pink, yellow and white flowers on a silver pedestal. The setting is a temple-style shrine in a plain room.2018-04-18A photograph of a temple ritual centred on a black stone Shiva lingam set on a dark pedestal yoni base. A man in saffron-orange robes and rimless glasses, with a gold chain and bangles, pours or offers from a brass vessel over the lingam with his right hand extended. Behind him stand a golden deity murti of Nataraja-like dancing Shiva, with a crown, multi-stranded beaded necklaces and a tiger-skin waistcloth, and a golden figure in an orange turban. The murtis are garlanded with white, red, green and yellow flower strands and gold trim.Evening puja at an outdoor shrine. A man in saffron-orange robes with a leopard-print shawl, red and yellow flower garlands, rudraksha beads and a white-and-red forehead marking holds a lit oil lamp flame toward a large dark stone deity murti with a trident, a seated bull and a circular halo carved behind it. The murti wears a white and red sari-style drape, bead necklaces and red-yellow garlands. A small oil lamp burns on the floor and a brick wall is behind.2013-03-02Inside a shrine niche, a man in an orange-red dhoti and draped orange-red shawl with a gold-edged border and a beaded rudraksha-style necklace lights a flame on a lamp held in front of a deity murti. The murti is adorned with white and pink flower garlands and sits beneath an arched golden torana decorated with orange, red and white floral garlands. Brass oil lamps with lit wicks flank the murti on the altar, along with a silver pot, a bowl of offerings and a coconut. Another person's hand and a brass lamp appear at the left edge, and a silver vessel appears at the right. The scene reads as a puja or aarti in a temple sanctum.2012-06-05Photograph of a ritual inside a shrine room. A figure in an orange-saffron turban and orange cloth wrap, with long swept-back hair and white ash markings on the upper arm, sits at lower left before a small flame and brass ritual objects on a red cloth. Behind him, a large deity murti with a red face, red cloth and garlands stands within an ornate decorated arch of flower garlands. A tall brass oil lamp with flowers stands beside the altar. A framed black-and-white portrait hangs on the upper left wall. Partial figures in white clothing appear at the left edge. Ritual pooja scene.2004-07-02A priest in an orange saffron dhoti and shawl stands at a stone shivalinga on a tiled platform, pouring from a brass vessel over the lingam. Behind him a deity murti in golden metalwork is framed by a garland arch of red, white, green and yellow flowers. A gold-framed arch and a carved wooden seat stand at left, brass oil lamps flank the platform, and colourful woven pillars with elephant and floral motifs rise at the back. Flower petals and offerings lie on the platform.2007-11-09