Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night outdoor ritual at a shrine in Tiruvannamalai. In the foreground a bare-chested young man in blue jeans and a dark belt holds out a small white cloth to a shirtless man in a white dhoti with his palms pressed together in prayer. Beside them a shirtless older man in a white dhoti stands with hands joined, and a woman with long dark hair wears a patterned orange-and-brown cloth and gold necklace, holding her hands out. On the left, a shiva lingam with a coiled cobra hood, draped in a pink-and-white flower garland, sits on a dark stone base next to a metal pot. Other men in white dhotis and a row of onlookers stand behind, with string lights and a green lamp in the background.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night-time outdoor ritual at a Shiva lingam set on a yoni-shaped base draped with a pink and white flower garland. In the foreground a young man with long matted hair wears a rudraksha-style red-orange mala, bare chest, and an orange cloth, holding a white cloth. Beside him, a bare-chested older man in a white dhoti stands with palms pressed together in prayer, and another grey-haired bare-chested man in a white dhoti and glasses stands nearby. A shirtless man in jeans pours or holds a white cloth near the lingam. Behind them, seated devotees in orange and white clothes and standing onlookers gather under lights in the courtyard, with a metal pot and brass vessels by the base.2017-03-11Night-time photograph of an outdoor abhishekam at a Shiva lingam on a black stone yoni-peetha, wrapped with a pink and white flower garland. A bare-chested man in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans pours from a metal pot. A shaved-headed man in white dhoti and shawl holds a white cloth near the lingam, while a long-haired sadhu with dreadlocks wears an orange cloth and a rudraksha mala. Other men in white dhotis, some bare-chested, and women in saris stand or kneel nearby. A blue-lit metal frame and trees appear in the background.2017-03-11March 11 20172017-03-11Photograph of a crowded ritual gathering at night. In the foreground, a bare-chested man with a short beard and glasses, wearing a white dhoti and an orange headband, bends forward with cupped hands receiving something from a long-haired man at right. That man has long dark hair, a garland of pink and white flowers around his neck, a dark rudraksha-style mala, gold bangles and a gold earring, and wears a maroon shawl over his bare shoulder. Behind them, several bare-chested men with white markings on their torsos and foreheads stand in the crowd, some wearing white dhotis and beaded necklaces. A red cloth-covered surface and gold ornament edge appear at the right edge. The setting suggests a Rudra Abhishekam or similar temple ritual, though the exact rite is not clearly visible.2016-12-02March 11 20172017-03-11December 22 20162016-12-22November 24 20152015-11-24March 11 20172017-03-11December 02 20162016-12-02May 02 20172017-05-02A crowded ritual scene of devotees, many bare-chested with white ritual cloths and sandalwood or vibhuti marks on their bodies. In the right foreground a long-haired man in a rust-brown shawl, wearing a white and pink flower garland, gold armlets and bangles, extends his hands to receive or hand over small items to a bearded man with a rudraksha mala and a red tilak. Other devotees watch, one with arms folded, and a woman in the lower left leans in. Behind them stands a colourful pooja setup with a garland-draped table. The gathering suggests a Rudra Abhishekam-style practice, though the exact rite is not clearly visible.2016-12-02May 02 20172017-05-02