September 24 2006 - Nithyanandapedia

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September 24 2006

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Outdoor temple-area ritual photograph at dusk beneath a grey sky, with a temple gopuram in the background. A tall green bamboo pole, wrapped with white and gold cloth, white flowers, red blossoms and leaves, stands upright at centre. In the foreground a bare-chested man in orange dhoti and beaded necklaces bends forward, holding a brass plate with a flaming oil lamp at the base of the pole. Beside him a bearded bare-chested man in a white dhoti grips the pole, and a young man in a saffron turban and saffron robe with a gold-coloured necklace smiles and reaches toward it. Two other bare-chested men with rudraksha malas and tilak stand at right, and a uniformed police officer and other devotees watch from the left. The scene shows a pole-raising ritual with a lit lamp at its base. A saffron-robed figure with a turban is visible, but the appearance is not distinctive enough to confirm a particular identity.

Outdoor photograph at dusk of a crowd gathered around a tall bamboo pole decorated with green leaves, white flowers, red roses and a white and orange flag. A man in an orange turban, orange robe and layered gold and bead necklaces stands centre, one hand reaching toward the pole. Nearby, men with bare upper bodies, white sacred ash marks on their foreheads and rudraksha malas stand close, some holding a small packet. A man in a white shirt holds a mobile phone at right. A uniformed police officer stands at the left edge. Behind them rises an ornate temple gopuram with painted sculptures.

Outdoor photograph of a crowd of men gathered around a tall green bamboo pole decorated with white and red flowers, leaves and a folded white cloth with gold trim, which several men are holding and steadying. A bare-chested man in orange dhoti and rudraksha mala bends forward at lower left, hands on the pole. A man in white dhoti and shawl stands centre, and a figure in a saffron-orange robe with a matching orange turban and gold chain stands behind the pole; the appearance is not distinctive enough to confirm identity, so this is a devotee/priest role. Men with white forehead markings, bare chests and rudraksha malas surround the pole, and one man in a white shirt holds a mobile phone. Behind them stands a temple gopuram with ornate tiers under a cloudy sky, with palm fronds at the upper left.

A street procession outside a South Indian temple gopuram with colourful bunting strung across the road. In the foreground a bare-chested man in saffron-orange cloth and an orange turban holds a long bamboo pole decorated with white and red flowers, green leaves and a white cloth with orange-gold border. Around him bare-chested men with rudraksha malas and white forehead markings, and men in white shirts and dhotis, walk closely together. A uniformed police officer stands at left, and parked vehicles and shops line the background.

November 12 2008

September 24 2006

A photograph of a Pandakaal-style ritual at an outdoor temple setting. A green bamboo pole stands upright in the centre, held by a bare-chested priest in orange dhoti and an orange-and-red bordered cloth, with a black rudraksha-style mala around his neck. Beside him, a man in an orange turban and orange-and-gold shawl with a heavy gold necklace stands with palms pressed together in namaste, smiling; he has long hair and ornate gold jewellery. A man in a red cloth kneels at the base of the pole, and a woman in white and green-bordered sari holds a brass pot. Onlookers in white and orange surround the scene.

November 12 2008

July 03 2012

Outdoor ritual procession with a central man in a maroon-red robe and a long pink-and-white flower garland, wearing a gold pendant, reaching up to adjust a white cloth with gold border draped over a tall white pole. He has long dark hair, a short beard and a vertical red mark on his forehead. Behind him, men in saffron-orange cloth and a man in a dark shirt holding a silver bowl stand among drummers and red tassels, with trees in the background.

Outdoor ritual scene under a red-and-gold umbrella on a red-and-white pole. A bearded man in a rust-brown dhoti-style garment with a pink-and-white flower garland and a gold pendant stands at center, eyes lowered. Two bare-chested men in orange cloth kneel and bend low over a sandy pit at the pole's base, one pressing his hands into the sand. A man at right in a white dhoti, holding the umbrella pole, wears long matted hair, rudraksha beads and a gold pendant. Behind them a large crowd of people in orange robes stands, some with hands joined, and drummers beat drums. A white stone seat with an open book sits to the side among flower petals and offerings.

Outdoor ritual under a white tent with hazy light. A bald man in orange robes stands centrally, holding a brass plate with a lit flame and reaching toward a row of coconuts wrapped in purple, blue, green and maroon cloth set on the ground amid flowers and leaves. Around him, orange-robed men and a woman in orange with a red-beaded necklace witness the offering. A bare-chested man with a long grey beard and a gold chain wears a white dhoti, and a person in a red turban and maroon dress stands nearby. A man in white with an orange shawl stands at the right edge. Ritual offering of coconuts.