Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of an outdoor puja beneath banana plants lashed to wooden poles. A man in a saffron-orange robe and matching shawl, wearing a gold beaded necklace and rudraksha-style beads, holds an oil lamp in one hand and a small bell in the other, with a brass tray nearby. Beside him a young attendant in white dhoti and yellow shawl holds a tray of offerings. A seated devotee in white clothing tends a flame and a plate of sweets or offerings sits on the mat. Woven mats with red and blue borders cover the ground. Behind, a painted deity image and floral decorations are visible. The scene reads as a homa or chandi-homa ritual, with the central figure appearing as a probable Swamiji candidate due to saffron robes, gold necklace and beads.

More like this

Open the gallery
Outdoor ritual scene at a temple-like setting with a large banana-leaf canopy hung on bamboo poles in the foreground. A standing man in saffron-orange robes with a matching orange shawl and a long beaded necklace holds a brass tray of offerings and a small bell. Beside him a younger man in white dhoti and kurta with a yellow shawl stands, and a seated man in white clothes with a rudraksha mala and an ID badge kneels, holding a brass plate of white sweets. Behind them, colourful deity murtis and decorated figures are visible, with a red-and-white mat on the ground and brass lamps on the floor. Actions suggest a puja offering.2009-09-26September 26 20092009-09-26Outdoor ritual scene at a temple courtyard with a banana tree in the right foreground. A man in saffron-orange robes and a matching shawl, wearing a heavy gold necklace and tilak markings, stands barefoot on a woven mat, holding a small flame in a metal vessel as an offering. Behind him, a younger attendant in white dhoti with a yellow sash rings a brass bell, while another in white with a yellow sash carries a brass plate of offerings. A seated attendant in yellow and white is at the lower left, and a small red-roofed building and a signboard reading Nithyananda Flower Stalls appear in the background. Appears to be a homa or puja offering.2009-09-26A photograph of an outdoor ritual beside a young banana tree. A bald man in saffron-orange robes with a red-bordered saffron shawl, wearing gold-toned ceremonial necklaces and glasses, stands barefoot on a woven mat and holds a small silver lamp or dish while ringing a handbell. A younger man in white dhoti and shirt with a yellow shawl holds a brass tray or plate above. A man in white with a yellow shawl kneels at right, arranging small bowls of red, yellow and orange powders on a brass plate at the base of the tree. A man in white at left holds a silver vessel. Background shows a dark stone deity statue and a red wall. Gravel and small offerings lie on the ground.2009-09-26Outdoor ritual scene in a garden beside a white building. A man in an orange-saffron robe with a red-bordered dhoti, a gold necklace with a pendant, and forehead tilak holds a silver bell and walks on a woven mat between banana-tree poles tied with twine. Behind him, a man in a white dhoti and yellow shawl stands with palms pressed together and holds a brass plate of yellow flowers. At left, a seated man in white with a yellow shawl and red marks on his forehead tends brass vessels and a tray of offerings on the ground near small bowls with sweets. Another man in white stands in the background. Plants, flowers and a pile of debris surround the area.2009-09-25A seated saffron-robed sannyasi with a shaved head, tilak marks, a red-and-saffron shawl and a heavy gold necklace performs a homa at an outdoor ritual ground beside a young banana tree. Around him, men in white kurtas wear yellow scarves and rudraksha malas; one man at left holds a silver tray of offerings and another kneels with a silver vessel. Women in white saris with folded hands sit in the background, and a wooden bench and mats cover the ground. Brass and silver ritual vessels and a small fire-pit area are in front of the priest.2009-09-26September 26 20092009-09-26 +1 copiesA photograph of an outdoor ritual at a rural ashram. A tall man in saffron-orange robes and a matching orange shawl, with a rudraksha-style mala and gold beaded necklace and a vibhuti mark on his forehead, holds a silver vessel and spoon over a brass tray of offerings. Two assistants in white dhotis with yellow shawls stand beside him, one holding a tray and another seated on a woven mat in front. Tall green banana leaves frame the scene, with a small flower and offering arrangement on the ground. Behind them stand a white attendant and simple white ashram buildings, one with a red door and a partly visible painted sign. Sandy ground surrounds the ritual area. The tall man's appearance does not clearly match a specific identity, so no identification is made.2009-09-26A photograph of an outdoor ritual on bare ground under a light shelter. A central figure sits cross-legged on a striped mat, wearing a saffron-orange robe with the head draped in orange cloth, a gold ceremonial necklace with a pendant, and a forehead marking. He holds a small ritual vessel while attendants in white kurta-style clothes and yellow shawls sit around him. One attendant to the left holds a silver bowl, another at the front right arranges brass plates of small white sweets and offerings, and a younger attendant in the background holds a tray of lamps. A wooden post stands in the middle of the scene with a chalk circle drawn on the ground nearby, and silver vessels and a brass plate sit at the lower left, consistent with a homa or puja setting. The central figure is an appearance-based a person candidate with saffron robes, a gold ceremonial necklace and a shaved head, seated among ritual attendants.2009-09-26Outdoor ritual at a palm-lined ashram site with a banana-tree pole set up in sand. A figure in an orange shawl and orange dhoti with a maroon border, wearing a gold beaded necklace with a pendant, holds a lit oil lamp and bell toward the banana pole. Around him, several men in white kurtas and white dhotis, some with yellow shawls and rudraksha malas, stand or kneel; one kneeling man holds a brass tray with lamps, flowers and offerings, another holds a tray of offerings at the right, and a man on the left holds a tray with pooja items while others stand with hands folded. A sign behind reads Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam - Bidadi Ashram. Small offering plates with flowers and grains sit on the ground at the base of the pole.2009-09-25A ritual outdoors in front of a white building with banana plants. A man in a saffron-orange robe with a matching orange shawl and a tall orange head covering stands barefoot on a woven mat, holding a small silver ritual vessel and a bell. He wears a large ornate gold-toned necklace with a pendant and rudraksha beads, and a horizontal sacred ash mark on his forehead. Three men in white dhoti and kurta clothing surround him: one on the left holds a brass tray, one behind him holds a tray, and one at right in a yellow-and-white shawl holds a plate. A seated man in white with a yellow shawl in the foreground holds a brass plate with offerings. Flower petals and offerings lie on the ground. A deity murti is visible at upper right behind a black pedestal. The scene resembles a puja with offerings.2009-09-26September 25 20092009-09-25