Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Outdoor ritual at night in which several devotees stand around a raised wooden platform decorated with orange and pink flower petals, yellow marigold garlands, and fruit including pomegranates and oranges. A bronze bowl sits on the platform, and a shirtless priest in a white dhoti kneels at right offering flowers. A woman in a cream sari with a long grey braid and a brown bag stands at center, while women in white, green, blue and red saris and salwar wear orange headbands and name badges. A banana plant and a dark shivalinga-like stone form are visible behind them, with a red curtain at left. Men in white and a man with a purple headwrap are at the lower left, appearing to attend the abhishekam.

More like this

Open the gallery
December 02 20162016-12-02December 02 20162016-12-02Devotees gather around a ritual offering table at an abhishekam or puja, piled with fruit, yellow and purple flower garlands and a silver tray. A woman in a green blouse and cream-and-gold sari, with a lanyard badge, stretches her hand toward the offerings beside a bare-chested priest in white dhoti and gold chain who reaches toward the tray. Nearby, a young boy in white and a woman in a red-and-white shawl stand watching; several women wear orange-yellow forehead bands printed with eyes. Behind them, many people in white and pastel saris stand in smoke, with a banana-leaf canopy and a dark deity murti visible at left. No one is identified as a person.2016-12-02Night-time ritual at an outdoor temple-style shrine. A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with sandalwood markings pours from a brass vessel over an orange-and-pink altar draped with marigold and yellow flowers. Around it stand several women: one in white with a red-and-white shawl and orange head band pours from a small bowl, another in a bright green sari wears an orange head band and holds a fruit, and others in purple, green and pink saris and head bands watch. A man in a white dhoti sits at the altar's edge. Behind them a banana plant and a dark shivalinga-like murti with a flower garland stand before a curtain, marking a Rudra abhishekam-style puja.2016-12-02December 02 20162016-12-02December 02 20162016-12-02December 02 20162016-12-02December 02 20162016-12-02Night-time ritual at an outdoor shrine. A shirtless priest in white dhoti with a gold chain kneels at a fire pit on the right, handling offerings. Behind him, a line of devotees in white, saffron, red and blue saris and salwar stand with orange vibhuti marks on their foreheads. A woman in a red top and beige shawl near the left holds an offering, and a woman in pink sari holds a phone. Plates hold fruit, purple flowers, and oranges; a large banana plant and a dark stone deity murti stand in the background, with yellow marigold garlands on the right. The scene shows a homa or abhishekam-style puja.2016-12-02Outdoor evening puja at a fire altar with devotees in festive clothes. A bare-chested priest in white dhoti and a gold chain kneels at the altar, tending a flame, while women in pink, red, and white saris and kurtas stand behind, several wearing orange headbands and white ID badges. Marigold garlands, yellow flowers, pomegranates, oranges, brass bowls and rose petals are arranged on the platform. A banana plant and a decorated deity murti stand in the background under dim night light.2016-12-02Night-time ritual scene at an outdoor puja area. A woman in a cream cardigan over white clothes, with an orange headband, leans over a tray of marigold and purple flower garlands, fruit and offerings. Beside her a woman in a green blouse and cream sari arranges flowers. Several devotees in white, one in an orange top and blue jacket with an ID badge, and one in orange headgear stand with palms pressed together. A bare-chested priest-like man in a yellow cloth and rudraksha mala stands at right. A tall banana leaf and a dark deity murti appear in the background, with a large screen showing another scene at top right.2016-12-02December 02 20162016-12-02