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Nithyanandapedia
A night-time Navaratri worship scene in a temple hall decorated with red and gold draping and fairy lights. A large image of a multi-armed goddess murti, with ornate silver-framed arch behind her, presides over the shrine. Several priests in white dhotis and bare upper bodies, one with a shaved head and gold chain, kneel at a raised white altar making offerings, lighting an oil lamp and preparing ritual items. Fruits on silver plates, brass bowls, a kalasha-style vessel and bundled twigs sit on a white cloth on the floor. Women in red and orange saris sit to the left, and a standing priest in white reads from a book at right. Roughly a dozen people are visible, including a seated figure in a white robe beside a red velvet chair. The scene reads as a Dasara puja.

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A night-time ritual at a temple in Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam with a large deity murti of a multi-armed goddess framed by white ornate arches, a golden canopy overhead, and red string lights. In front, a fire pit is lit and several men in white dhotis and bare upper bodies sit at the homa platform, one tending the fire. Women in orange and red saris sit nearby. Brass vessels, a plate of fruit, bundled sticks and a small oil lamp lie on the orange mat. On the right, a man in white sits on a gold-trimmed throne with a seated attendant beside him, and a standing man in white and orange holds a book. A figure in white on the left stands in the background.2010-10-16A night-time homa ritual in a decorated pandal lit with red fairy lights. A white-clad priest with a shaved head kneels at a square fire pit, tending it, while another white-clad priest sits beside him. Behind the pit stands a large deity murti of a goddess with a red-and-gold figure, flanked by smaller murtis, ornate white floral arches and a gold-fringed canopy. Women in orange and red saris and devotees in saffron sit on the platform. At right, a figure in a white turban and white dhoti sits on an ornate red-cushioned throne, with attendants in saffron and orange around him. Brass vessels, a silver kalasha-style pot, bowls of fruit, lit oil lamps, incense smoke and a folded white cloth lie in the foreground.2010-10-16October 16 20102010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16Night ritual at a temple-like stage decorated with red and orange cloth, string lights and hanging banners. In the centre a large deity murti with many arms and a red-and-white garland stands before an ornate silver-white arch. A shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl kneels at a white stepped altar, lifting one arm toward the murti while attending to brass bowls, a silver pot and a kalasha. Fruit offerings, marigold petals and a tray of dried plants lie on the orange floor cloth. Women in red and orange saris sit in rows on the left and right, one seated priest in white pours or tends near the altar, and another man in white with a shawl stands at a lectern reading from a book. A small oil lamp burns in the foreground.2010-10-16A night ritual inside a decorated temple hall with a large deity murti of a goddess, surrounded by smaller painted clay-style figures and white floral halo arches. In the foreground a priest in white dhoti with a bare upper body and a gold garland kneels beside a black square fire pit (homa kunda) on a white stepped platform, with flower petals and brass vessels nearby, and brass oil lamps and bells on the left. A child in white sits near the left lamp. Standing at right, a man in saffron robes with a bare torso and white body markings holds his hands in añjali, while another standing figure in white wears a yellow turban and holds a tray. Red and gold hangings and string lights decorate the background.2010-10-16 +1 copiesOctober 16 20102010-10-16A night ritual in a decorated hall before a large white-and-gold deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms and a lion mount, framed by a tall ornamental arch and a red-and-white canopy. In the foreground a man in white dhoti and gold necklace kneels at a square fire pit (homa kunda) with a brass bowl and oil lamps, while others sit in white near offerings and flower petals. Standing to the right, a man in a white turban and white robe holds a silver tray, beside a man in a saffron-orange robe, and an elderly bearded sadhu with bare upper body, white forehead markings, a turban and red-orange cloth holds a ritual item. Strings of fairy lights glow behind them. Several people are seated near the murti and a few more stand at the back. Two figures in this group wear distinctive saffron or orange clothing but lack the required combined cues for identification, so a person is unsure.2010-10-16Photograph of a nighttime homa ceremony before a large deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms, in a decorated hall with hanging lights and smoke rising. A man in white dhoti and white shirt kneels at a square fire pit, tending it with offerings, with brass vessels, lamps and flower petals on the white platform. To the right, a man in white robes and a white turban holds a plate of offerings. Beside him stands an older sadhu with a white beard, bare upper body, white markings on his arms, and a red-orange cloth wrapped around his waist. Behind them a red throne with gold trim sits empty, and other white-clad devotees are seated in the background.2010-10-16A photograph of a dimly lit temple hall during a homa fire ritual. A deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms stands in an ornate silver-and-white arch, flanked by smaller decorated murtis and a large umbrella canopy above. In the foreground a priest in white dhoti sits cross-legged at a white stone homa pit, tending the fire, with brass vessels, oil lamps and scattered flower petals around it. Beside him seated boys in white clothes sit in rows near the murtis. To the right a man in an saffron-orange robe holds a silver tray, and an elderly ascetic with a white turban and rudraksha mala stands in maroon robes with a bare chest and tilak. Strings of lights glow behind a red-draped seat.2010-10-16Night-time photograph of a Chandi Homa at a temple shrine decorated with a large white-and-red ceremonial umbrella, strings of green leaves and hanging red-and-white decorations. Behind the central fire pit, a large white ornate image of a goddess with multiple arms and a fierce form stands on a dais, with smaller white-framed deity figures beside her. In the foreground, a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and sleeveless vest kneels at the square fire pit, with a second priest in white beside him tending the fire. Several women in red and orange saris sit on the left, some seated with their hands together, and smoke rises from the homa. Offerings are arranged on brass plates including apples, oranges and bananas, with a brass bell, lamps and a kalasha-type vessel nearby. On the right, a man in a white turban and white garments sits on a gilded red throne beside a seated figure, with a man in white and a shawl standing behind. Additional devotees in white stand along the back wall beneath strings of lights.2010-10-16A night puja at a temple shrine with a large deity murti of a goddess with multiple arms, framed by white floral and sequined arches and tiered alcoves holding smaller figures. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti kneels at a stepped white altar, pouring from a silver vessel, while devotees in red and orange saris and clothing sit on the floor. Fruit, a brass lamp and a kalasha sit on mats and cloth in front, and a lit oil lamp glows. A standing priest in white holds a book at right. Fairy lights and banners decorate the background, and small brass bells rest on the floor.2010-10-16