Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A night-time ritual scene at an open-air hall. A shaved-headed priest in an orange-saffron turban and bare upper body, wearing an orange-saffron cloth over his shoulder, holds a small offering plate with his right hand toward a row of young girls seated on a raised platform. The girls wear colourful silk saris in purple, green, pink and yellow, with flower garlands of marigold and red blossoms around their necks and flowers in their hair. Behind them, a man in white dhoti with gold border stands near a brass pot and a tray of offerings. Hanging leaves, yellow flower strands and a painted cloth decorate the ceiling. Several other people in white and orange dress are partly visible at the left and right edges. A small brass vessel sits on a side table. The priest appears to be conducting a puja or blessing for the seated girls.

More like this

Open the gallery
October 10 20162016-10-10October 10 20162016-10-10October 10 20162016-10-10Outdoors at night under a open-sided pavilion with hanging yellow leaf garlands and a red pillar, a bare-chested priest in an orange-red turban and orange-red dhoti with a gold border stands at left, extending a hand toward a row of young girls seated on a raised platform. The girls wear flower garlands of white jasmine and orange and red marigolds, in colourful silk saris and dhavanis in pink, green, purple and yellow, with jewellery and hair ornaments. Two bare-chested assistants in white dhotis with gold borders stand nearby, one holding an open book, and a brass pot sits on the platform. A watermarked archive photo of a ritual scene.2016-10-10A night-time ritual scene in which a bare-chested priest in an orange-red turban and orange-saffron dhoti stands at left, extending a small brass bowl toward a row of young women seated on a stone ledge. The women wear colourful silk saris in pink, green, blue and red, with gold borders, jasmine and marigold garlands, bangles, earrings and tilak marks; several hold pink lotus flowers. Other people in white dhotis and an oil lamp are visible at the edge, with yellow flower petals scattered on the ground.2016-10-10October 29 20162016-10-29Night outdoor ritual at a temple-like space lit by oil lamps. In the foreground, a bare-chested man in an orange-red turban and red-orange dhoti holds out offerings toward a row of young women seated on a stone ledge. The women wear white and gold-garlanded jasmine necklaces, purple and orange silk saris, and forehead markings, and hold yellow-green bundles or leaves with offerings; flower petals are scattered on the ledge. Other figures in orange-red clothes stand in the background. Lamps and brass vessels sit along the edge.2016-10-29Night-time outdoor ritual at a temple-like courtyard with a row of young women seated on a stone ledge, each wearing white and purple or orange saris with jasmine and flower garlands and vibhuti on the forehead. A man in an orange-red turban and bare upper body with a red-orange dhoti and gold border stands at left, extending his hands to offer something to the women, who hold leaf plates and offerings. Oil lamps and brass vessels sit along the ledge, with yellow and pink flower petals scattered on the stone. Other men in orange and saffron dhotis stand in the background, and a dark palm-fringed setting surrounds the scene.2016-10-29A night-time ritual scene at an outdoor temple-style setting. A bare-chested priest in an orange-red turban and red-orange dhoti with gold border stands at left, holding a brass tray with banana leaves, flowers and offerings toward a row of young women seated on a stone ledge. The women wear white jasmine garlands, sindoor and vibhuti-style forehead marks, and silk saris in purple and blue, and one in orange and green with a gold border. Marigold petals lie on the ground. Another person in white stands in the background, and a few other priests in orange and red are partially visible at left. This appears to be a Deepavali-related puja offering, with no a person candidate clearly identifiable.2016-10-29October 10 20162016-10-10A night-time photograph of a ritual scene. On the left, a bare-chested man in an orange-red turban and orange-red dhoti with a gold-edged cloth wrap hands a small yellow flower or offering toward a row of young women seated on a concrete ledge. Six young women in silk saris and pavadai-style dress in purple, green, orange, magenta and multicoloured stripes wear long white jasmine and marigold garlands with red roses and rudraksha-style pendants. Brass lamps and vessels sit on the ledge, and yellow flower petals are scattered on the ground.2016-10-10Night ritual outdoors in front of a red temple structure with a red-pillared porch. A man in an orange-saffron turban and orange dhoti, bare-chested, holds a silver tray of fruit and offerings toward a row of young girls seated on a stone bench, each wearing colourful saris and white and yellow flower garlands. Behind him, bare-chested men in white dhotis with gold borders stand and watch, and a man in a white shirt stands centre. Brass vessels and marigold petals lie on the ground.2016-10-10