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Nithyanandapedia
Night-time ritual gathering under a tented roof with string lights. A central figure in a rust-red turban, long dark braided hair and a gold ornament, wearing a red-orange cloth, sits on a leopard-print seat with a gold lion-headed armrest and raises one hand over a seated boy. The boy wears a white dhoti and a white sacred thread and presses his palms together. Nearby, a fire burns in a yellow-cloth-covered altar with brass vessels, and a bare-chested man with white-painted forehead and tilak sits in front. Colourful striped mats cover the floor and a dense crowd of people in white and orange clothes stands behind them.

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February 21 20172017-02-21February 21 20172017-02-21Evening ritual in an open-sided pavilion strung with multicoloured fairy lights, with a crowd of devotees seated on striped mats. In the foreground, a figure with long dreadlocks and a rust-orange turban, wearing a gold necklace and a shawl, stretches his arm to touch the forehead of a young boy in a white dhoti and bare chest. The boy stands before a tall gold staff topped with a gold ornament. Nearby, other boys in white dhotis and sacred threads kneel, and a ceremonial fire burns beside a brass vessel and yellow flower-decorated offerings. A cameraman stands on a platform at the back. Exact count not determinable.2017-02-21A large indoor ritual hall under a tin roof strung with coloured fairy lights. In the foreground a seated man in a rust-orange turban and long braided dreadlocks, bare-chested with gold ornaments and a brown-orange wrap, reaches out to touch a young boy's head. Beside him a golden deity murti sits on a leopard-print cloth. Several shirtless boys in white dhotis wear white sacred threads, and a woman in an orange sari sits nearby. A fire burns in a yellow-cloth-covered homa area with flower arrangements, coconuts and brass vessels, while a crowd of seated devotees in white and orange fills the hall. A cameraperson with a tripod films at the back. Appearance-based candidate: a person, identified by the turban, long braided hair, bare chest, gold adornments and central ritual role.2017-02-21A night-time ritual in a open-sided pavilion strung with multicoloured fairy lights. In the foreground a man with long dreadlocked hair, a rust-red turban, bare chest and a brown-orange cloth, and gold ornaments on his arm, places his hand on the head of a seated child. Beside him a golden ceremonial staff topped with a serpent-like finial and a gilded lion-head pedestal stand near the frame. A fire burns in a homa pit with offerings in front of them, and a second man with long dreadlocks and a white cloth around his waist sits nearby with a rudraksha necklace. Behind them a large crowd of white-clad and saffron-clad devotees sits on striped mats, with a banner of a world map and a portrait at the top right.2017-02-21February 21 20172017-02-21A seated man in a rust-red turban and rust-red robe, wearing a heavy gold necklace, gold armband and bangles, marks the forehead of a bare-chested young male devotee with his right hand while sitting on a leopard-print cushioned throne ornamented with gold scrollwork. The devotee wears a white cloth and a brown beaded mala. Behind them, a woman in a white sari with a brown beaded necklace and another devotee with a white forehead mark and orange garment look on. A red pillar and a gold and red floral arrangement appear in the background.2017-02-21A photograph of a Shiva Deeksha initiation at an open-sided temple hall with a corrugated roof and string lights. A bare-chested man with long swept-back hair, rudraksha beads, gold armlets and a red-orange cloth seated on a gilded throne with a golden parasol overhead touches the forehead of a young male devotee with his right hand. Beside them a standing attendant in white dhoti and a rudraksha mala holds a small object, and another attendant in white stands nearby. Behind, a crowd of devotees in white and saffron sits in rows near offering plates and lamps. The seated figure is an appearance-based a person candidate in an initiating role, presented on the page as attending this Vishesha Deeksha event. Text on the photo reads a copyright line and a source credit.2017-05-02February 21 20172017-02-21December 15 20162016-12-15 +1 copiesNight outdoor photo of a seated man on an ornate gold throne with a leopard-print cushion and a golden lion figure beside him. He wears a maroon-red turban with a gold emblem, a maroon-red cloth, a heavy gold necklace, gold armbands and bracelets, and has a white forehead marking and a full dark beard. He appears to be receiving an offering: a shaved-headed woman in orange with a dreadlocked hairstyle, bare-shouldered with white body markings, bends forward holding a white cloth bundle with flowers. Another woman in orange with a long gold-beaded necklace stands at right. Gold sunburst-style carvings decorate the throne and strings of lights hang overhead. Two physical people are visible, plus a partially visible third woman in the background at right.2017-02-21April 14 20182018-04-14