Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Photograph of a Shiva Deeksha initiation hall with participants in traditional white dhoti and shawl clothing with gold borders, many bare-chested and wearing rudraksha malas and white sacred ash markings on their bodies. A shaved-headed man in the centre holds a small offering while a woman with long dark hair receives it. Foreground: a checked tablecloth with a brass bowl of yellow flowers, a wicker basket of marigold petals and a black tray of yellow flowers. Left: a man in white dhoti holds a small booklet. Background: a large screen showing a bearded figure in orange robes and garlands above a brass oil lamp on a draped table, with shelves of folded fabric at the rear.

More like this

Open the gallery
April 26 20172017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26April 26 20172017-04-26Photograph of a Shiva Deeksha initiation session in a bare hall with pale walls and a tiled floor. Several bald men in white dhotis with gold borders, bare-chested and wearing rudraksha malas, have white vertical tilak marks on their foreheads and bodies. In the foreground, a bald man in a white dhoti and gold-bordered shawl holds a small book while smiling beside a man with long swept-back dark hair and a white dhoti who holds a brass bowl of yellow flowers. Two round wicker baskets and a black tray of marigold-like flowers sit on a checkered red-and-brown table cloth. A woman in a white sari with a lanyard stands behind a side table holding baskets of yellow petals, and more initiates in white dhotis stand in the background near shelves of folded cloth.2017-04-26Indoor ritual scene in a plain hall with tiled floor and a reflective mirror panel on the wall. Several men in white dhotis with gold borders and sacred white markings on their foreheads and bodies, wearing rudraksha malas, perform a ritual. A standing man in the center holds a wooden object while another man in a white dhoti and mala is in front. On the red-and-green checked table sit a brass bowl and a black tray filled with yellow flowers, and a wicker basket of flowers. A woman in a white sari with gold border stands in the background beside a table with cloth. Oil lamps are at the left edge.2017-04-26A large hall with cream tiled floor where many men sit cross-legged in rows, most bare-chested and wearing white dhotis with gold borders, sacred threads over the shoulders and rudraksha malas. Several hold small brass vessels, oil lamps and pink flower offerings on plates in front of them. Behind them, orange-robed attendees stand near a golden-tinted stage, and a deity murti and framed image are displayed at the top of a red-curtained platform. Small brass lamps and bells sit on the floor. A partly visible video camera on a tripod is at the right edge.2017-07-27July 25 20172017-07-25 +1 copiesJuly 25 20172017-07-25Under a white tent at an outdoor evening event, several men stand in a row distributing small packets and papers to the crowd. The foreground figures wear orange-saffron dhotis and long orange shawls draped over bare chests, with beaded rudraksha-style garlands and sacred marks on their foreheads. Two older men in white dhotis, one with white hair and white sacred threads over bare shoulders, hand items across. Seated devotees in white clothes fill the background, lit by stage lights, with speakers and a dark backdrop behind. A plate of small white packets is held at right.2017-03-11 +1 copiesPhoto of a ritual gathering in a hall with pink walls and red curtains. Many men stand with their backs to the camera, bare-chested, wearing white dhotis with gold borders and golden shoulder cloths, and some wear rudraksha malas. Several hold objects raised in their hands during worship. Brass puja plates with oil lamps, flowers and offerings sit on the floor before them, and brass lamp stands stand at the sides. Others in saffron and orange robes move through the crowd, and a bald man kneels in the lower right corner.2017-07-27