Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a ritual scene in a temple-like room with a gilded ornate panel behind. A young shaved-headed man in white dhoti with a red border, bare-chested, wearing a gold-beaded necklace and a gold bracelet, holds a small silver oil lamp (aarti lamp) in one hand while gesturing with the other. Vibhuti (white ash) marks are on his forehead and body. Behind him a woman in an orange shawl and white garment stands, and to the right a woman in a yellow garment with folded hands and a blonde woman in a cream sari hold small lamps. Silver puja plates with offerings and a lit flame sit in the foreground, with several heads in silhouette. No one in the scene is identified as a person by appearance, so the central man is described by role as a priest performing aarti.

More like this

Open the gallery
October 23 20102010-10-23October 23 20102010-10-23October 23 20102010-10-23 +1 copiesA photograph of a ritual scene with a shaven-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl with a red border, wearing a heavy gold bead necklace and gold bangle, holding a small silver lamp (oil lamp) with a flame. Beside him a woman in a white sari with green and gold border presses her palms together in prayer, wearing a dark beaded mala and a red bindi. Behind them, a man in a white shawl and gold necklace speaks into a microphone, and another man in an orange cloth with a gold necklace and forehead markings sits at right. Silver plates and small lamps with lit flames are in the foreground, with a blurred person at lower left. Visible white vibhuti/tilak lines mark several foreheads and arms.2010-10-22 +1 copiesOctober 22 20142014-10-22 +1 copiesA shaved-headed man in white ritual cloth with a maroon border sits cross-legged before an offering tray, hands cupped together in prayer with a rudraksha mala around his neck and a red kumkum dot on his forehead. Beside him a woman in a cream sari with red border and a dark beaded mala watches with eyes lowered. Behind them a gold-carved throne stands with red and green cushions, and an orange and maroon cloth hangs in the right foreground. Silver and brass vessels hold offerings of fruit and sweets on the table.2010-11-14A photograph of a group ritual with oil lamps. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and shawl, with white and red tilak on his forehead and arms, holds a small brass lamp with a lit flame and a gold ornate necklace. Beside him a woman in a white saree with green border and a red bindi presses her palms together in prayer, with a black mala around her neck. Behind them an orange-robed man wearing a gold necklace and a white-clad man with a microphone sit among brass plates and a kalasha. Blurred figures in the foreground.2010-10-22 +1 copiesA shaved-headed man in a white dhoti and white shawl with a red border holds a silver lamp with a lit flame in both hands during a ritual. He wears white horizontal tilak and sacred ash markings on his forehead, chest and arms, a red-and-white forehead dot, a rudraksha mala, a long gold ceremonial necklace and bangles. Behind him a woman in a yellow sari and a second woman in orange stand, and an orange cloth and a gold-carved wooden panel frame the scene. Lit oil lamps and the back of a seated head appear in the foreground.2010-10-23A photograph of a ritual aarti during a padapuja-style ceremony. A shaved-headed man in a white dhoti and white shawl with a red border sits centrally, eyes half-closed, a red bindi on his forehead, wearing a heavy gold bead necklace with a small framed portrait pendant. Flames of small oil lamps are held up in silver lamp trays by women in white and yellow saris, one woman wearing a rudraksha mala. Behind them, devotees in orange and saffron shawls sit with hands folded in prayer. A hand in the foreground extends a lamp toward him. Ash and kumkum marks are visible on several foreheads.2010-09-08A ritual photograph of a shaved-headed priest in a white dhoti with a pink border, bare-chested with white ash markings on his arms and a red bindi and white tilak on his forehead, wearing a long gold bead necklace and a small pendant. He holds a brass lamp with lit incense sticks in both hands at chest height while a woman in a white and green sari beside him holds a similar incense stick offering. On the right edge, a figure in orange robes stands near a gold-decorated wooden shrine with a red cushion. The setting appears to be an indoor puja hall.2010-11-24A photograph of a ritual puja in an indoor hall. A shaved-headed priest in white dhoti and a gold-beaded necklace with a green-and-gold border holds a lit oil lamp and performs aarti with ash markings on his forehead and arms. Beside him a woman in an orange sari with a red bindi holds a lit lamp with hands pressed together, and other devotees in white and yellow clothes sit with palms joined. In the foreground, the backs of heads and hands hold silver plates with flower petals and offerings. At left, a gold-carved wooden seat draped with orange and red cloth sits beside the lamps. A white ceiling fan and a dark curtain are visible in the background.2010-10-21A photograph of a shaved-headed man in a white dhoti with a red border and a long gold bead necklace, holding a small silver bowl with a red apple and a flower. White vibhuti horizontal stripes mark his forehead, arms and neck. Beside him a woman in an orange and white sari with a dark mala stands with eyes lowered, and a man in white with a yellow cloth is at the right edge. Behind them is an ornate gold-carved pillar and orange draping. a person candidate not established by appearance cues.2010-10-23