Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a man seated on the floor in a white dhoti with a red shawl draped over one shoulder, bare-chested and with sandalwood or vibhuti marks on his arms and shoulder, performing a puja. He sits before a tray of silver vessels and kalasha-style bowls with orange flowers, beside a tiger-striped cloth and a tall stack of fruit including apples, melons and dragon fruit. An orange silk-draped altar with a brass bell stand sits behind him, and papers rest in the foreground. Appearance-based cues do not qualify him as a person, so he is described only by role as a priest performing puja.

More like this

Open the gallery
December 16 20122012-12-16A seated priest in white dhoti and shawl with a red sash reads from a paper text during a puja on the floor of a room. In front of him stands a small gold-coloured altar holding a deity murti dressed in orange and gold, with a gold-bordered cloth beneath. Offerings are arranged on a red cloth: a silver plate of glass vessels, a bowl of white flowers or puffed rice, and a tray of melons, watermelon, apples, pineapple and bananas. Other people in white and red sashes sit behind, and a silver kalasha-style vessel and brass lamp rest nearby. The scene suggests a puja with fruit offerings.2012-12-16December 25 20122012-12-25December 16 20122012-12-16Close view of a puja offering setup on the floor. A person in white and gold-bordered clothing sits cross-legged on a purple cushion at the upper left, arm partly visible. In front are silver and brass vessels, a silver kalasha-style pot on a tray, a small oil lamp, a brass cup with incense, a bowl of red flower petals, a brass plate of fruit including bananas, oranges and green grapes, betel leaves, and a large brass bowl of red flowers. A brass urn sits behind and a patterned cloth lies to the right.2012-04-01A young shaved-headed priest sits cross-legged on an orange cloth in a temple hall, wearing a white dhoti with a red-and-maroon border and a white shawl over his shoulders. He has white vibhuti lines on his forehead and arms and wears a dark rudraksha mala. He holds a brass plate with a small mound of ash or powder, beside a lemon, a small brass cup and a foil-wrapped packet. A blurred arm enters from the left edge, and a gold-toned shrine is visible behind the white wall.2010-11-05July 08 20102010-07-08A seated priest in white ritual dhoti and shawl, wearing a heavy gold necklace, rings bells with a handheld brass bell while holding a small book and a brass vessel during a homa. A lit fire burns in a brick-lined fire pit with yellow flower petals on the bricks. Nearby are brass pots, a kalasha-style vessel, potted plants, offering plates, a brass lamp and a microphone on a stand, with an orange cloth canopy behind. Setting appears to be an outdoor ritual space.2011-12-28December 26 20122012-12-26A photograph of a shaved-headed priest seated on an orange cloth in a hall, viewed from behind. He wears white dhoti and an upper cloth with gold border and a gold necklace, and is working at a yagna altar. The altar holds stacked yellow turmeric-coated bricks, a bowl of turmeric paste, a heap of dried twigs, three silver kalasha pots topped with orange-yellow flowers on a banana leaf, a plate of yellow flower petals, bananas, a silver ladle and a silver incense burner. An orange draped curtain forms the backdrop.2011-12-28A photo of a homa ritual at an ashram temple. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with gold-coloured sacred thread sits on the floor, holding a silver ladle over a silver bowl and pouring offering into a fire pit that burns at the right. Behind him stands a golden lion-shaped vahana beside a deity murti draped in garlands of white and orange flowers with green leaves, and pots of plants line the steps. Silver vessels, a open book, a silver bowl of yellow offerings and a plate of nuts lie on the floor in front. No visible candidate for a person is present.2011-12-31A photograph of a puja being performed on a purple and red brocade cloth on the floor. A priest in white dhoti and shawl with an orange-red sash and a gold ceremonial necklace sits cross-legged, placing an item over a silver tray holding bowls of rice, grains, halved fruit, dragon fruit and melon. Silver figures of deities stand on a carved wooden altar at right, with a metal tray of milk-like liquid in the foreground. Seated children and adults in white and orange-red garments watch from behind.2012-12-26