Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night photograph of women seated on red-painted temple steps during a Karthigai Deepam ritual. Rows of black stone Shivalingams stand on round black yoni-peetha bases, with brass lamps and small offerings placed among them. Several women sit with palms pressed together in prayer. One woman in a purple shawl and white dhoti-style garment sits at left, a woman in a green salwar and dark top sits centre, and a woman in a yellow-and-green saree with red bangles sits at right. Bright floodlights and strings of coloured lights line the upper stands, where a large crowd is seated.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night ritual on a red-tiered stone stairway lit by floodlights and string lights, with red flags on poles behind. Dozens of devotees sit on the steps beside black stone Shiva lingams, many with brass plates and lamps. Foreground: a woman in an orange shawl and white trousers holds a brass item; a woman in a blue patterned dress holds a small object; a woman in a magenta sari and a woman in a purple headscarf sit near brass vessels. Several men sit bare-chested in white dhotis, and a man in the back right wears a white garment. Oil lamps and brass vessels are visible along the steps.2016-12-06Night photo of devotees seated on red-painted tiered steps at an outdoor deepam lamp event, lit by bright floodlights under a canvas canopy. Many brass oil lamps sit on the steps in front of rows of people. A woman in a teal top and black trousers sits center with palms pressed together in prayer. A young man in white dhoti and bare chest holds a lamp beside her, a woman in a white top and yellow sari sits to the right, and a man in white with a red-and-white shawl sits at left. Others in saffron, pink and purple saris and white clothes fill the rows behind, with small black lingam-shaped stone pieces placed among the lamps. Strings of colourful bunting run along the fence above. Some people appear to be standing at the back and sides.2016-12-12December 06 20162016-12-06Night photograph of a large outdoor ritual on tiered red steps lit by floodlights and strings of colourful lights. Many participants sit cross-legged in rows, most in white, cream or colourful saris and kurtas, and several bare-chested men wear rudraksha malas. Black stone shivalinga stand on the steps before them, with brass vessels and lamps placed beside them, indicating a Shiva abhishekam-style ritual. A bald elderly man in white clothing with a mala sits in the lower right foreground, eyes closed and hands folded. A woman in a yellow-green saree and another in red sit with hands pressed together in devotion.2016-12-06December 11 20162016-12-11 +1 copiesDecember 12 20162016-12-12December 12 20162016-12-12December 06 20162016-12-06Night-time photograph of a large outdoor ritual gathering on tiered stone steps lined with black Shivalingam sculptures. Many devotees sit in rows, several holding small oil lamps or flames, and some wear white dhotis or saris, saffron-orange cloth and rudraksha-style necklaces. Strings of lights, red flags and illuminated trees frame the site behind them, with floodlights overhead. The setting suggests a night puja or aarti with lamps around Shivalingams. No single person is clearly identifiable as the a person from appearance, so no candidate is marked.2016-12-06December 11 20162016-12-11 +1 copiesDecember 11 20162016-12-11 +1 copiesNight photo of a crowded outdoor deepam ceremony with rows of small black stone shivalingams on red-brown tiered steps, each set with brass lamps, bowls and flower offerings. Seated devotees fill the steps: a woman in a purple salwar kameez with a long braid and gold jewellery, a blonde woman in a purple top holding a brass lamp, a man with grey hair in bare-chested white dhoti with a rudraksha mala, a bald man in a white dhoti with a red-and-orange mala, and a bare-chested man in a white dhoti and orange mala, with a pale purple shawl and a wristwatch. Behind them many more people sit under bright string lights.2016-12-12