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Nithyanandapedia
A seated figure in a red saffron-toned robe with long swept-back dark hair and a thick rudraksha mala across the chest touches the forehead of a kneeling bald man in a white dhoti with a gold border and gold necklace. The seated figure holds a tall silver staff or trident-like rod upright with his other arm raised. Behind a gilded ornate throne with carved floral panels, red cushions lie on the red carpeted dais; a young girl in a pink dress and a seated person in white stand by. Ritual initiation scene, possibly a diksha or blessing, with white ash marks on the kneeling man's forehead and arms.

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April 22 20162016-04-22A seated figure on an ornate gilded golden throne wearing red saffron-toned robes, long dark hair swept back, and a rudraksha mala draped across the chest, holds a silver staff-like ritual implement and touches it to the forehead of a bald man kneeling before him. The kneeling man wears white garments with gold-bordered trim and has white markings on his bare chest and arms, with red thread bands on his wrist. Behind them, two women in white saris with red borders sit with hands folded in namaste, a small girl in pink stands nearby, and the red-carpeted hall has wall-mounted air conditioners and a watermarked backdrop. The scene reads as a ceremonial initiation blessing; the seated figure matches the page's a person depiction cues only partly, so identity is uncertain.2016-04-22May 21 20162016-05-21May 07 20172017-05-07April 22 20162016-04-22A photograph of a ceremonial initiation at a Kumbh Mela-style event. A seated figure in a maroon-red robe, with long dark swept-back hair, a white tilak, gold bangles, and a heavy gold necklace of beads, rests his hand on the crown of a shaved-headed man in white dhoti and a red shawl. The seated figure holds a silver ceremonial staff. A woman in white with rudraksha beads stands behind, and a red-draped structure and a golden throne frame the scene. Several white-clad men stand at left.2016-05-21A photograph of a ceremonial initiation at a Kumbh Mela event. A seated man in a rust-red robe, gold bangles, a gold necklace and long dark hair holds a silver staff and touches the forehead of a shaved-headed young man in white dhoti and shawl with yellow borders, who holds folded orange cloth. Onlookers in white stand behind, a woman in white with orange cloth sits nearby, and a red draped backdrop and gold throne frame the scene.2016-05-21A photograph of a stage ceremony with red draped backdrop and bright stage lights. A seated figure in a maroon-red cloth with long dark dreadlocked hair, gold armbands, bangles and a long gold necklace places a hand on the head of a bald, shaved-headed initiate in white cloth. The seated figure holds a tall silver staff with a round top, and a gold-carved throne stands at right. Behind them, several white-robed men wear red-orange shawls and a pink decorated pillar is visible. A woman in a white garment with orange shawl stands beside the initiate, and another woman sits at lower right.2016-05-21April 22 20162016-04-22April 22 20162016-04-22May 21 20162016-05-21A photograph of a ceremonial initiation on a stage. A seated man in red robes with long swept-back dark hair, rudraksha malas draped over his shoulders and across his chest, raises a tall silver trident-shaped staff with his right hand and places his left hand on the shaved head of a kneeling initiate. The initiate wears a white garment with a gold border, layered rudraksha and gold-beaded necklaces, rudraksha bracelets, and white sacred ash marks on his arm and shoulder. Behind them, a woman in a white garment with a red-brown shawl and another shaved-headed person are partly visible, and an ornate gold throne-like backdrop stands at the right.2016-04-22