Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A large seated crowd in white and cream clothing fills an open hall at a Tamil ritual gathering. In the centre stands an older man with short grey hair, wearing a white sleeveless top with yellow trim and white dhoti, a dark beaded rudraksha-style necklace, and holding a bundle of white threads. Many women in white and yellow saris sit close together, some with hands raised, and a shirtless man in a white dhoti stands at the right edge. The hall walls are red-orange with palm fronds visible at the top. No a person identity can be confirmed from appearance, so the central man is described by role only.

More like this

Open the gallery
March 11 20172017-03-11Photo 11712207May 10 20172017-05-10A large crowd of devotees sits closely packed on the floor of a white tented hall during a Kalpataru meditation satsang. Most wear white dhotis and sarees with gold necklaces and bangles, and many have sacred ash or tilak markings on their foreheads. Several men in the foreground are bare-chested with white cloths wrapped at the waist, and two standing men in white dhotis and bare torsos stand among the seated rows. Fans and a speaker stand along the tent walls, and a few women hold pink and black bags while looking forward toward the stage.2017-05-10A dense crowd of devotees in white and cream traditional clothes, many with gold-bordered dhotis and saris, reach forward with outstretched hands toward a central figure. A standing woman in a white sari with gold border holds a white cloth and a small bundle, with a strand of rudraksha-like beads at her neck. Children and elders press close under white tent fabric with hanging lights and an orange banner nearby. Several people are visible; the central figure's identity is not established from appearance alone.2017-05-10A photograph of a ritual initiation at an ashram stage with warm lamplight and a lit lamp stand behind. In the foreground a man in a white dhoti with gold borders, a gold-bordered shawl, a rudraksha mala and white vibhuti on his forehead stands among a crowd of seated, mostly bare-chested devotees with heads bowed, some holding white threads. Behind him another man in white with gold trim holds white cloth. A green-and-orange draped dais and a large monitor are visible. Many devotees are seated on the floor, with some older men in glasses and light shirts. The setting suggests a sacred thread or initiation rite.2017-03-11A dense crowd of mostly bare-chested male devotees with white ash marks on their foreheads and bodies fills the frame, many with arms outstretched. In the foreground a man in white dhoti with orange-bordered cloth and a rudraksha-style beaded necklace hands a white cord or thread to a bare-chested man reaching toward him. Other men in white dhotis and shirts stand among the crowd, and white-clad women are visible in the background. Yellow and red striped drapery and white ceiling lights frame the scene.2017-03-11A photograph of a shaved-headed priest in a white dhoti with gold borders and a white upper cloth, standing among a crowd of seated men who are mostly bare-chested and reaching forward with raised hands to receive threaded cords. The priest holds white cords and beads in his hands, distributing them. A rudraksha-style bead necklace and a white tilak mark are visible. Behind him stands a flat-screen monitor, with a lit wooden frame of small lamps and a golden yellow and green stage draped in the background. Another white-clad attendant stands at the left edge.2017-03-11A photograph of a temple ritual with devotees in white. A seated priest with a shaved head, gold necklace and red-bordered white cloth holds out a small offering of white flowers to a kneeling woman in white with a yellow shawl and a green-bordered blouse, who cups her hands to receive it. Behind her, another woman in white with a yellow shawl and a man in white with a rudraksha-style pendant look on. Orange floor mats cover the ground, with more devotees in white and yellow standing and kneeling in the background, beside orange and red walls.2010-08-11May 10 20172017-05-10A large seated crowd of devotees at a gathering, many with bare upper bodies and white ritual cloths, some wearing rudraksha malas and sandalwood or vibhuti marks on their foreheads. In the foreground right, a smiling older man with swept-back silver-grey hair wears a white and gold-bordered dhoti, a long rudraksha mala, and a ceremonial gold pendant. Beside him a young boy in a green and gold cloth smiles, and children in orange and white sit among adults in saffron and yellow. Two blurred heads in front, one in pink, are out of focus.2017-01-01 +1 copiesDecember 31 20152015-12-31