Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A night puja at a temple shrine. A shirtless priest in white dhoti with a green and gold waist cloth and a headband holds a lit camphor flame on a lamp toward a deity murti decorated with red, yellow and white flower garlands and a pink cloth. Smoke rises in the air. Brass oil lamps, fruits and flower offerings sit on the floor and altar. One other attendant in white stands behind him. This is an aarti and abhishekam-style offering scene. The priest is a ritual officiant, and no identifiable a person depiction is present.

More like this

Open the gallery
July 09 20132013-07-09A temple puja in progress. In the foreground a priest with a bare chest, white dhoti and a green-and-gold patterned cloth wrapped around his shoulders is holding a lit camphor aarti flame toward a deity murti. The murti and the stone seat behind it are densely covered in garlands of red roses, yellow marigolds and white flowers, and a small kalasha-like offering sits among them. A second person in a white dhoti stands partly behind the priest. On the right, a seated deity image in a purple garment is framed by yellow and white garlands, with a silver-toned crown and jewellery. Smoke drifts through the dim hall.2013-07-09A photograph of a temple ritual at a deity murti decorated with abundant garlands of red, orange, yellow and green flowers and a striped garland draped over a large carved arch. A bare-chested priest in a white dhoti with an orange-and-green waistband stands at left, raising one arm toward the altar, and wears a dark headband. Behind him a second figure in white stands near a dark statue. The altar is covered in a white cloth with blue edging and holds a brass lamp, a small bell-like vessel and offerings. The setting is dimly lit.2013-07-04A priest in a white dhoti with a light shawl and a blue-green headcloth performs aarti with a flaming oil lamp before a decorated deity murti on a red-draped altar. The altar is heavily garlanded with red roses, white jasmine and yellow and green foliage. Behind it, two standing deity figures in silver and gold ornaments stand within a garland-festooned shrine lit by warm light, and smoke drifts across the foreground. No a person candidate is visible in the foreground; a partially visible figure at left edge is indistinct.2013-07-17Evening puja at a temple shrine decorated with dense garlands of red, yellow and white flowers. A priest in white dhoti with a yellow cloth and a turban-style headdress holds a flaming camphor aarti lamp, with smoke rising, while an assistant in white and yellow stands beside him. On the right a seated deity murti in a pink dhoti is adorned with flower garlands and silver ornaments, set against a gilded arch. Brass oil lamps and kalasha pots sit on a white-draped platform in front of the altar. Two people are visible.2013-07-09July 17 20132013-07-17December 12 20162016-12-12October 04 20112011-10-04Photograph of a puja before two deity murti seated side by side on a turquoise-draped platform, heavily decorated with red, yellow, white and green flower garlands and gold crowns. On the right, a shaved-headed priest in saffron-orange ritual dress with a rudraksha mala and white vibhuti markings on his forehead and arms raises a silver multi-wick oil lamp (aarti) toward the deities. A small brass lamp stands at the lower left.2014-11-11December 07 20162016-12-07A photograph of a padapuja-style ritual in an indoor hall. Two life-size deity murtis seated side by side on a green silk-covered seat are heavily garlanded with white, red, orange and yellow flower strands; one murti wears a crown and a gold necklace. In the foreground a man with a shaved head, white tilak markings and a rudraksha mala stands at right in a rust-red and gold dhoti and shawl, holding a lit multi-wick oil lamp (aarti) toward the figures. A brass lamp stands at lower left and a window is behind him. Only one physical person is visible.2014-11-30 +1 copiesA photograph of a temple puja inside a shrine. A long-haired man in a saffron-orange dhoti and shawl, with a forehead marking and gold armlets, holds a lit flame on a brass lamp (aarti) toward ornately decorated deity murtis. The deity figures wear multicoloured garlands and a silver-embellished robe, and a golden arch frames the shrine. Two attendants in orange garments stand at left holding offering trays. Marigold petals lie on the floor, and a draped white and yellow cloth covers a platform. Probable Swamiji is the man performing the aarti, identified by his long swept-back hair, ornate gold jewellery and saffron clothing.2011-11-29 +1 copies