Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A photograph of a temple-style hall with a ritual underway. A woman in an orange sari stands at center raising a white fan or chamara toward a deity murti in a gilded arch. Seated devotees in red, orange and yellow saris and saffron-robed attendants kneel on the floor with hands folded, while a standing man in white clothes stands at left. In front stands a black Shiva lingam with a silver-trimmed base and brass oil lamps. Behind the arches, rows of small deity figures in colourful cloth line the wall, and a decorated altar holds fruit, flowers and a gold-framed figure at right. Hanging red, orange and white cloth banners decorate the upper walls.

More like this

Open the gallery
A temple ritual photograph taken in a hall with a dark backdrop, where several priests and devotees sit on the floor in front of decorated deity murtis. At left, a gilded arched shrine holds a deity murti with a tall crown and garlands of yellow and red flowers. At centre, a larger murti sits under a yellow-and-gold arch, and a black Shiva lingam with a white horizontal marking is adorned with garlands at the front. A standing man in white clothes and a saffron wrap holds a white fly-whisk, while another man in saffron stands beside the lingam. Seated priests wear orange and maroon robes, and a woman in white sits at right. Brass oil lamps, a kalasha-style vessel and multicoloured decorated pillars frame the scene, consistent with a puja or abhishekam.A temple-preparation scene in a large hall with a dark backdrop and grey carpet. Several decorated deity murtis and shrines stand on the left, centre and right, adorned with garlands and colourful striped hanging cloth pillars above. In the centre, a shaved-headed man in orange robes sits cross-legged before a raised platform, with a brass oil lamp and small brass vessels nearby. Around him, several devotees in orange, red and white clothing sit on the floor, some with hands folded. A standing man in white with an orange cloth raises an arm near the centre-left shrine. Brass lamps and a small brass pot are placed on the floor and on the platform.November 09 20072007-11-09November 09 20072007-11-09A photograph inside a temple hall during a puja before a row of deity murtis decorated with garlands in pink, red and white. The central figure is a crowned deity murti flanked by golden prabhavali arches. To the left, a priest in orange robes stands at the altar waving white fly-whisks, and a larger ornate deity murti with a gold crown sits to the right. Devotees in saffron, orange, red and white saris and kurtas sit on the floor facing the altar, several with heads bowed. A framed portrait of a saint hangs above the altar on a dark drape. Brass lamps and offerings are placed before the altar.2009-10-17A photograph of a temple hall during a ritual, with a dark backdrop, red curtains and ornate gold arches framing a central deity murti adorned with garlands. Several people in orange and saffron garments stand near the altar performing an abhishekam-style offering; one in orange lifts an object toward the deity. Men in white kurtas and women in saffron, pink and green saffron-style saris stand or sit on the floor, many seated on a carpet facing the altar. A framed picture hangs above the shrine, and a camera on a tripod is visible at left. Nearly all faces are turned away from the camera toward the altar.2009-10-17A temple interior during an aarti. A man in orange robes and an orange head covering stands at left with palms pressed together in namaste. In the centre, a man in orange robes with a gold necklace holds a lit aarti lamp raised toward a deity murti at right, draped in a red and gold garment and garlanded with white and pink flowers. A row of devotees in saris and kurtas stands behind with hands folded. Brass oil lamps, a brass vessel, a black Nandi bull statue and a lion figure are on the floor, and gilded arches frame smaller deity images against a white wall.2009-10-17A photograph inside a temple shrine decorated with garlands in red, yellow and green. A standing figure in an orange-saffron robe and head wrap raises a white feathered fan with both hands toward the deities. Ornate golden altars and a gilt arch frame several deity murtis dressed in garlands and jewelry, with a golden crown-like top on the central image. Brass oil lamps stand in the foreground, and a man in white kneels at the lower right near the altar.2008-07-20November 09 20072007-11-09A photo inside a temple shrine room with gold-framed altars and red and gold curtains. Several deity murtis are decorated with garlands of red and white flowers. In the centre, a woman in a long orange robe with loose dark hair stands at the altar holding a ritual lamp and puja items, facing the deities. A crowd of devotees stands with hands folded in prayer in front, including men in white dhotis and kurtas, bald-headed men in orange or white, and women in saris of yellow, red and teal. A dark metal figure of a bull with a bell necklace is visible at the right edge beside a brass lamp stand.2009-10-17Indoor temple event with a seated audience on a grey carpet in front of a row of shrines. A central standing figure wearing an orange-saffron robe and a rudraksha-style mala stands with one hand extended toward a shrine, while the people seated in front wear saffron, red, pink, green and white clothing. To the left, a wall of stacked dark-skinned deity figures in multicoloured cloth with ornate golden shrines behind them stands out. To the right, a gilded canopy shrine holds a decorated deity murti draped in green and red silk and garlanded with flowers, with food offerings and a flower arrangement on a tray in front. The standing figure's presentation is consistent with the page's reference to a person, but the face cannot be confirmed from appearance, so the identity remains unsure. Several people are visible, including children and partially visible heads in the foreground.2008-04-27Interior of a temple hall with a black stone Nandi bull statue on a tiled plinth in the foreground, draped in a pink and gold cloth with garlands. Seated devotees on the floor, several women in saris and salwar kameez, a man in a white shirt, watch a ritual. Behind them a wall of rows of small colourful mini shrine-like caps or hats in red, orange, green and purple. Left of centre stand painted murti figures of deities, including a figure in gold with a crown and a figure in green. On the right, a man in an orange robe with a rudraksha mala stands beside an ornate gold shrine and a kalasha-style lamp stand. Brass lamps, a brass vessel and offerings sit on a low wooden table.2008-04-27