Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Outdoor ritual on sand under a pale sky. A central man in a dark maroon robe with rudraksha malas and a forehead marking stands with palms pressed together, holding flowers. A bare-chested man with a long mala and a white shawl kneels or bends near a flower-filled basket and brass pots, while a seated man in a white dhoti with a magenta cloth attends a small wooden stand with a metal vessel. Other men stand behind in red and orange cloths with rudraksha malas, hands folded. Flower petals, a brass kalasha-style pot and a tray of offerings lie on the sand. This appears to be a sand-based puja or padapuja.

More like this

Open the gallery
April 28 20182018-04-28Outdoor sandy beach ritual under a pale sky. A central man with long dark matted hair, a red tilak on his forehead, white ash marks on his arms, and layered rudraksha malas, wears a maroon cloth and sits with palms pressed together in namaste, eyes closed. Beside him, a younger man with a topknot and bare chest, wearing orange-red cloth and rudraksha beads, kneels with hands folded. Behind them, standing men wear white dhotis with gold borders and bare chests with rudraksha malas. A devotee at right in white dhoti tends a silver lamp or kalasha on a wooden stand holding red-and-pink flowers. Large heaps of marigold and rose petals, fruit, and a rudraksha garland lie on the sand in front.2018-04-28April 28 20182018-04-28April 28 20182018-04-28Outdoors on a sandy beach under a pale blue sky, a ritual is underway. A central man sits cross-legged with palms pressed together in namaskar, wearing a rust-red robe, a dense rudraksha mala across his chest, bangles and a tilak on his forehead; long dark hair falls to his shoulders. Around him, bare-chested men in white dhotis and saffron cloths sit or stand, one holding a brass pot and another arranging a plate of flowers and fruit with a red offering on sand dusted with turmeric. A man in a saffron-yellow dhoti stands with hands folded, and a cameraman with a video camera sits at left. Scattered flower petals and offerings lie on the sand.2018-04-28April 28 20182018-04-28Outdoor ritual on a sandy beach under a pale sky. A man with long dark hair, rudraksha malas and a red-brown wrap sits at the centre, smiling and holding rudraksha beads over a mound of yellow turmeric or kumkum sand decorated with pink flower garlands, a rudraksha mala and small offerings. Around him, seated and standing sannyasis wear saffron-orange cloths, bare chests, rudraksha malas and white head-cloths; one holds a red bundle. A wooden stand holds a silver tray, a brass kalasha and an open book. Bananas, a brass pot and green leaves lie in the foreground.2018-04-28April 28 20182018-04-28Outdoors on sandy ground, a group of men perform a ritual puja beside a heap of mixed flowers in red, pink, white and yellow with green leaves, with turmeric powder scattered below. A bearded man with long matted hair, rudraksha malas and white ash marks on his arms and chest sits at the centre, smiling and handling offerings. Beside him a bare-chested man with a rudraksha mala plays a small drum, and another man in a dark cloth and beaded necklace holds a silver puja box. At the right a seated man in white dhoti and shawl with a rudraksha mala and wristwatch watches. Silver vessels, a metal pot and a hose sit on the sand. Other people in orange robes and white stand in the background.2018-04-28April 28 20182018-04-28April 28 20182018-04-28Outdoor beach ritual under a pale sky. A central seated man wears a dark maroon-brown robe, large rudraksha mala necklaces and matching bead bracelets, with a red tilak and long dark hair; he holds a small object in his hands before a heap of pink and orange flower petals and garlands. Around him, several men in saffron-orange and red dhotis sit or stand on sand, some bare-chested with rudraksha malas, one wearing a white dhoti and a red-and-white thread, and others with tied topknots. A small metal kalasha-style vessel and a silver tray with green leaves sit on a low wooden stool, with a white hose running across the sand. Sparse beach figures appear in the far background.2018-04-28