September 19 2015 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

September 19 2015

More like this

Open the gallery

A photograph of a homa fire ritual in a hall with a metal roof and red-and-green striped mats on the floor. In the foreground a fire pit of bricks blazes, with a priest in a red dhoti and bare chest, wearing a garland, stirring the fire with a long ladle. Beside him a man in an orange cloth holds a shallow bowl, and a bare-chested attendant in a yellow dhoti and gold chain holds a tray of pink flower petals. A seated young boy in white dhoti and garland sits at left with a brass vessel. In the background a figure sits on a gold throne with red cushion, wearing an orange robe and gold necklace, with another seated attendant in white nearby. A gilded arch and a decorated deity murti with flower garlands stand at right. Brass lamps, flower offerings and kumkum plates are on the floor.

April 14 2018

2018-04-14 +1 copies

Temple ritual photograph in a dimly lit shrine. Three priests in saffron-red and gold-bordered dhotis stand before a large deity murti heavily decorated with garlands of yellow, white, pink and green flowers. The central priest wears a tall gold-patterned crown and a white and red bead necklace, holding a shallow silver bowl. The priest at left wears a red turban and red garland, reaching forward toward the bowl. The rightmost priest, bald and bare-chested, wears a rudraksha-style mala and gold-edged cloth and holds a small plate. A third attendant in a cream cap stands in the background beside brass lamps and offering vessels.

October 16 2010

2010-10-16 +1 copies

Evening fire ritual under a white tent at a temple, with a rectangular wooden homa pit burning at the centre, its flames rising from a copper-lined fire tray decorated with flower petals and rangoli-like markings. Seated priests in white dhotis surround the pit; one bare-chested man in an orange shawl sits at the far side and another in a pink-and-purple headwrap stands with arms raised, offering items to the fire. Brass bowls, plates of fruit and flowers, and a silver bowl sit beside the pit. Hanging decorations, a gold-framed shrine and a deity murti are visible in the background, with lamps strung overhead.

Night outdoor ritual at a decorated shrine. A man in orange robes and a white forehead mark kneels on a low mat and holds a silver plate toward a lit fire pit beside a white platform. Behind him, a deity murti of a couple, adorned with marigold garlands and flower strands, sits in a shrine framed by a red cloth and banana plants. A second man in white with an orange cloth sits at left, and brass lamps and offerings lie before the fire. The setting suggests a homa or puja, with a fire, offerings and lamps.

A large tented hall during an evening Rudra Abhishekam ritual. At the centre, a bare-chested priest in white dhoti stands behind a wooden platform holding a brass vessel, while other priests in white and saffron-clad attendants work around offerings. Brass plates of flowers, fruit and marigold garlands line the red floor, and decorated kalasha-style pots sit in the foreground. Seated devotees in white clothing fill the left side of the tent, and colourful hanging decorations and a banana plant frame the right. No figure is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance cues, so no candidate is recorded.

A seated person in an orange-red dhoti and wrap with a rudraksha mala and gold necklace performs aarti with a flaming camphor lamp and a handbell before a decorated deity murti. The murti is draped in white and gold, garlanded with white jasmine and pink and red flowers, and a silver-topped shivalinga sits in front, also garlanded. The seated figure's dress, mala and gold ornaments are distinctive, but the face alone gives no basis for identification, so no name is asserted. A yellow satin cloth covers the altar, and a leopard-print cushion lies beneath the seated person. Another person stands partly visible at the right edge. The scene is a temple-style puja with a visible aarti flame.

2014-06-19 +1 copies

October 21 2015

2015-10-21 +1 copies

A night-time homa or yagna at a fire pit. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti with a yellow sash and green headwrap stands at left, pouring offerings with a ladle over a large bright flame on a yellow brick-tiered altar strewn with red flowers. Two seated men in white dhotis and rudraksha malas sit at right, one with a bare chest and a tilak. Behind them are a deity murti resting on a lion-shaped base, brass lamps, a kalasha, a tripod-mounted camera and stacked chairs. Two young helpers sit at lower left. Portrait images of a figure in orange sit in the background, and a red sign is visible at right.

September 17 2015

A night-time outdoor ritual under a canopy, with a white square fire pit or homa altar at centre surrounded by brass plates of flowers, sweets, red powder and grains. Several white-clad priests sit on the floor; the foreground priest has white-painted forehead markings and gold chains. Behind them, illuminated white and decorated deity murti and figures stand on the left. On the right, a seated figure in saffron-orange robes and a beaded necklace sits on an ornate red and gold throne, with a standing attendant in white and orange-red shawl nearby. Strings of lights and tassels decorate the tent.