Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
Night procession on a pale sand or ash-covered ground. Two men perform inverted body-bending acts, bent backwards with their feet raised, holding a red and gold canopy frame or palanquin-like arch on a wooden pole. Their arms and legs are dusted with white powder, and bells are tied at their ankles. Behind them, drummers in white dhotis play drums, and red and blue ceremonial umbrellas decorated with lights and peacock feathers rise above the crowd. Devotees in white and orange clothing stand watching.

More like this

Open the gallery
Night procession on a pale, sandy or ash-covered ground. Two performers in orange and yellow patterned costumes lie face-down and arch backward, their legs bent over a red and wooden rig carried on a horizontal pole. Bells are tied around their ankles and their hands are white with powder. Behind them, a crowd of men in white dhotis and orange or red garments watch and drum; several hold drums and ornate umbrellas in blue and red stand above. A man at left in a white shirt and shawl stands beside the crowd, and an orange-robed man in the background wears a rudraksha-style necklace. Visible cues are insufficient to confirm a person's presence.2016-12-09December 09 20162016-12-09December 09 20162016-12-09December 09 20162016-12-09Night procession with a performer in white dhoti balancing upside down on his hands, legs raised, carrying a wooden pole across a red-and-white arched frame decorated with peacock feathers and bells. Men in white dhotis and shirts stand nearby, one playing a drum. A man in an orange robe and devotees in white and red follow, with decorated umbrellas in blue and red overhead. The scene suggests a street procession.2016-12-09A night-time street procession with performers in front of a crowd. In the foreground a performer in a white sleeveless top and dark leggings bends backward into a wheel-like arch, gripping a wooden pole, while another performer in red and white behind him mirrors the pose. Each performer's arch is a red or red-and-gold frame with feathered tassels and a drum slung beneath it. Around them, men in white dhotis with gold borders, some with white shirts and name badges, stand and watch, and a figure on the left has yellow-green painted skin and body paint. Dust covers the ground and the scene is lit by spotlights.2016-12-09December 09 20162016-12-09Night procession with drummers and musicians at left, several in white dhotis and maroon or orange attire. A devotee lies prone on a sandy road in front of a red wooden cart or palanquin, wearing grey leggings, an orange and gold embroidered cloth, a rudraksha mala and bead ornaments, with long dark hair spread out. Behind him, smiling participants in white clothes and a teal shirt watch, and a large red decorated umbrella or canopy glows with lights. Festive, crowded street atmosphere in the dark.2016-12-09Night procession on a sandy ground with a crowd watching. In the foreground a performer in a white sleeveless top and white trousers bends backward over a red-and-gold decorated arch frame, gripping a wooden pole, while a second performer in red shorts bends similarly beside a gold-and-green frame. Behind them men in white dhotis and white shirts, some with rudraksha-style beaded necklaces, play drums and a long horn, and a yellow-body-painted drummer stands at left. Spectators in light shirts watch from behind.2016-12-09December 09 20162016-12-09December 09 20162016-12-09A devotee lies face-down on sandy ground beneath a red-and-orange arched canopy decorated with peacock feathers and red cloth, a wooden pole resting across the frame. He wears a white dhoti with an orange-and-gold cloth, a bare upper body with rudraksha or bead necklaces, ash or white marks on the arm, and bells on his ankle. Several men in white dhotis and a figure in yellow body paint stand at the edge of the frame watching. The scene appears to be a procession or ritual act of devotion.2016-12-09