Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A night-time ritual outdoors beneath a large banyan tree with aerial roots. Two shaven-headed men in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls kneel at left, one with a rudraksha-style bead necklace, digging or scooping sand near the ground. At right, a man in plain white clothing kneels and bends over a small raised stone platform holding yellow-painted blocks topped with white and yellow flowers, while another person's hand holds a long wooden rod into the sand. A lit fire glows in the dark hollow beneath the tree roots behind them. Mud walls and a wooden stick stand at the edges.

More like this

Open the gallery
April 24 20132013-04-24Outdoor ritual scene beneath a large banyan tree with aerial roots. Two bare-chested monastics in rust-orange robes kneel on a dark tarpaulin, one with a shaved head and hoop earring, the other bending forward and touching sand. A third man in a white dhoti and white shawl crouches on the right, holding a long iron rod pressed into the ground, beside a stack of yellow-painted boxes or blocks topped with yellow flowers. A pink cloth lies in the foreground and a small flame glows in the background.2013-04-24April 24 20132013-04-24A night photograph at an outdoor sacred site beneath large tangled aerial roots of a banyan-like tree. In the foreground a shaved-headed man in a rust-red wrap with gold-edged borders kneels in loose sand, reaching down with his right hand, with a beaded mala on his arm. Behind him a standing attendant in a similar red-brown wrap with gold bands holds a long braid. At right a man in white ritual clothes crouches beside a small glowing oil lamp set in a stone-walled recess. Sand and stone blocks surround the scene, and a yellow tool rests on the ledge.2013-04-24Night photograph of two men kneeling and digging sand from a shallow pit lined with pale concrete walls and a black mat. The man on the left is bare-chested and shaved-headed, wearing a saffron-orange cloth at the waist, with rudraksha beads and a bracelet on his arm. The man on the right wears a white shirt and white dhoti and is pressing sand with both hands. A small oil lamp burns in a dark recess behind them, and a broom leans against the wall. Large aerial roots of a banyan-type tree hang above the scene.2013-04-24April 24 20132013-04-24Night-time photograph of three men crouched beside a low white stone-walled pit filled with reddish-brown sand. Two shaved-headed men in saffron-orange dhotis and sashes, one with a rudraksha mala, dig into the sand with their hands. A third man in a white shirt and white dhoti kneels at the right, holding a long metal rod or pole into the pit. Large tree roots are visible in the upper right. Only these three physical people are visible; no candidate for a person can be confirmed from appearance.2013-04-24April 24 20132013-04-24Outdoor temple scene at ground level in sandy soil beside white stone walls and a dark granite slab. Three men are digging or handling sand. On the left, a bald man with white vibhuti marks on his forehead and arm, wearing an orange-brown shawl and bare chest, reaches toward the sand. In the centre, a man with dark hair and a white dhoti crouches and digs with his hands. On the right, a bald man in a red-orange cloth and an orange rudraksha mala sits and scoops sand. Yellow and white flower petals lie scattered on the ground and stone, and a wooden stick leans in the upper area.2013-04-24April 24 20132013-04-24April 24 20132013-04-24Three men kneel together on reddish-brown earth beside white-painted stone walls, digging or pressing soil with their hands. The man in the centre wears a white sleeveless vest and white dhoti and has short greying hair. The man on the left is shaved-headed, wears an orange-red cloth draped over his shoulder, a rudraksha mala with ornate gold pendants, and white ash markings on his forearm and forehead. The man on the right is also shaved-headed, wears orange clothing and a rudraksha mala, and has a white marking on his arm. Marigold petals and a few yellow flowers lie on the ground and on a stone bench, and a purple cloth is visible at the lower left. The scene appears to be an outdoor ritual site or sacred ground preparation.2013-04-24