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A seated puja in a hall with a golden deity murti and gold-trimmed backdrop behind. In the foreground, a shaved-headed priest in saffron robes with white tripundra markings on his forehead and arms sits beside silver puja vessels and garlands of white flowers. A young person in a maroon wrap and rudraksha mala holds an open book and gestures while speaking. Further back, men in white dhotis and orange scarves sit on the floor, and a tall gold lamp stand with coloured tiers stands at right. Photo credit overlay reads Nithyananda Paramashivam

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Seated worship scene in a hall with a painted deity murti behind. A shaven-headed priest in orange-saffron dress with a rudraksha mala and white vibhuti marks on his forehead and arms sits cross-legged on a mat, performing a puja with silver vessels, flower offerings and a silver lamp before him. Beside him, a younger attendant in orange robes sits close. Behind them, devotees in white clothes with orange lanyards sit in rows, including a woman in a cream sari at left and a woman with curly hair in white at right. Pink and white flowers and a silver bowl lie on the floor and a yellow-tiered stand sits at right. A white fan stands at left.2013-05-13A ritual puja in progress indoors. A shaved-headed man in a rust-brown robe with a rudraksha mala and a heavy gold-and-bead necklace sits cross-legged on a woven mat, hands raised in mudra over brass and silver vessels, a kalasha, flowers and an oil lamp. Beside him a younger attendant in orange robes and a rudraksha mala holds a silver bowl. Both have white sacred ash marks on their foreheads and arms. Behind them, several seated devotees in white clothes wear orange lanyards. Marigold and red flower offerings sit on a gold tray. The figure with the gold necklace may be a person, appearing as a ritual officiant in rust-brown robes and gold ornaments.2013-05-17A seated group of shirtless male devotees performs a puja on a white tiled floor, with small brass oil lamps, brass bells and flower-decorated brass plates in front of them. The foreground pair wear saffron-orange dhotis and rudraksha malas; the man on the far right holds a brass bell and a small brass lamp. Several others in white dhotis and ash markings on their chests and foreheads hold lamps and bells. Plates of pink flowers and offerings lie on red and yellow cloths. Behind them, more participants sit in a hall with boxes stacked along the back wall.2017-01-07April 28 20152015-04-28Night-time outdoor ritual on a raised stone platform: a young man in white dhoti and shawl with a gold border sits cross-legged at the centre, white vibhuti stripes on his arms and forehead, rudraksha mala and a thin wrist cord. Around him sit several young men in saffron-orange robes, rudraksha malas and white forehead markings, some chanting or reading from open books and a blue folder set on a stand with a microphone. Yellow marigold garlands, a brass bowl of sweets, a lit oil lamp, a brass kalasha-style vessel and a brass lamp rest on the platform, with a yellow flower garland in the foreground. A seated man in white stands behind at left, and a table with offerings sits in the background.2013-12-17A night-time ritual photograph of several shaven-headed men in saffron and orange robes seated on a low stone platform. In the foreground, a man in a rust-brown shawl wears a heavy gold necklace and rudraksha mala; beside him, a man in orange wears a rudraksha mala and gold bangle and holds his hands together. A seated man on the right in red-brown robes reads from an open book at a microphone. Behind them, brass vessels, a bowl of yellow flowers and a small silver lamp stand on a white platform, with a gold-and-brass shrine above. Other men in orange sit in the background.2013-04-29Two young men in saffron-orange robes sit cross-legged on a striped green-and-red mat before a yellow brick fire pit (homa kunda) with smoke rising from it. The man on the left, bare-headed with white sacred ash marks on his forehead and arms, holds a bundle of dried grass and looks down. The man on the right wears a rudraksha mala, a saffron wrap, and white tilaka marks, holding a bell and a small oil lamp beside brass bowls of offerings and a plate of flower petals. A microphone stands behind them, a garland of white flowers and an orange cloth lie to the right, and a golden ornate throne is visible in the background. This appears to be a homa or fire ritual.2013-05-28Several sannyasis in saffron and orange robes sit cross-legged on a white tiled floor at a ritual, with white vertical tilak marks on their foreheads and white paste on their arms. Rudraksha malas hang around their necks. Each has brass and silver plates before him holding yellow marigold petals, pink flowers, small brass oil lamps, bells, a brass kalasha-style vessel and cups. Several men with shaved heads and orange robes sit in rows behind them, and a few younger boys in the background watch. Red curtains and framed pictures hang on the walls, and a small bag rests on the floor. The scene looks like a puja or abhishekam preparation.2014-01-28November 23 20102010-11-23Several young men in saffron-orange dhotis sit cross-legged on the floor in a row, bare-chested and marked with white vibhuti stripes on their arms and torsos. They wear rudraksha malas and some have long hair or shaved heads with a tuft. Before them stand brass puja vessels, a small oil lamp, a kalasha-style container, flower petals and offerings, with incense smoke rising. A man in the front right lowers his hand toward the offerings. Behind them, more devotees in orange and white sit in a hall with a painted panel on the wall. The setting suggests a ritual puja or homa-type ceremony.2017-01-03 +1 copiesMay 19 20132013-05-19January 23 20132013-01-23