October 03 2008 - Nithyanandapedia

Nithyanandapedia

October 03 2008

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October 03 2008

A puja at a temple shrine lit by a warm, dim light. A young priest in an orange-saffron dhoti and shawl, with a tilak on his forehead and a beaded mala around his neck, sits cross-legged at left, tending brass ritual vessels and a small oil lamp in front of a richly decorated deity murti. The murti is draped in layered garlands of yellow marigolds, red flowers and white blooms, with a gilded arch framing it. Blurred foreground figures include a man in a checked shirt at far left and a person in a white garment at right.

A photograph of a night-time puja before a large decorated deity murti pair seated on a throne, adorned with red, yellow and white marigold garlands. A man with short dark hair, wearing an orange saffron shawl and a rudraksha-style mala, sits cross-legged on the left at the foot of the dais, while a woman with a long dark braid in a white top faces the deities from the lower right, with a brass lamp (oil lamp) and a plate of flowers and a small metal vessel on the steps. Gold-painted arch frames and warm lights frame the shrine.

Night photograph of a temple-style stage during Navaratri worship. A seated man in an orange-saffron cloth with a gold chain and a tilak on his forehead sits at left, holding a small white item in one hand. Behind him a large deity figure, dressed in orange and pink with a gold crown-like headdress, is garlanded with yellow, orange and red flower garlands. In front stands a smaller white deity murti in red and gold clothing with a garland, flanked by brass oil lamps and a kalasha-style vessel. Two or three blurred people in light blue and white clothes are in the foreground, one with a dark braid, one with short dark hair.

October 03 2008

A photograph of a temple ritual in an open shrine area. A man in white dhoti with a gold-beaded necklace holds a silver tray on the left. In the centre, a man with long swept-back hair wears an orange-red shawl over his body, a rudraksha-style beaded necklace and gold bangles, with one hand raised in a gesture. Before them sits a white marble seated sage statue draped in red cloth and garlanded with yellow and purple flowers. Behind, colourful deity figures in red and gold attire are adorned with yellow marigold garlands and hanging silver ornaments. Brass lamps and a brass vessel sit on the floor, and a few people stand in the background near a drum. Swamiji (probable): the centre figure has long swept-back hair, saffron-orange clothing and beaded necklaces.

March 03 2011

Photograph of a temple shrine with a pair of richly garlanded deity figures on an elevated altar, one seated figure in orange and gold holding a sceptre and the other standing in orange and purple with a gold crown. In the foreground a seated white marble-like figure wears an orange cloth and a large garland of yellow, orange and purple flowers. A standing figure in an orange robe with long hair and a headband holds a lit lamp near the altar. Two men in white dhotis and gold-bordered shawls, one holding a silver tray, stand at the left beside a brass oil lamp. Brass vessels, a banana-leaf offering and an arch of carved stone frame the scene. Relevant ritual: aarti at a shrine with garlanded murtis.

A photograph of an outdoor temple shrine with a golden ornate arch. Two priests in white dhotis stand at left holding a brass plate and aarti items, while a sannyasi in orange robes with a long dark braid holds a small lamp at center. Right of center, a deity murti in orange and red garments with a crown and garlands in marigold, red and purple sits in front of a seated white and orange-robed statue. A lit oil lamp burns beside the figures, and brass lamps sit on the floor.

December 21 2010

A photograph of a temple shrine during a puja. Two large deity murtis stand on a raised golden-framed altar, one wearing a green-and-orange turban and a silver crown with a trident, the other in an orange-red sari; both are garlanded with yellow and red flower garlands. In front, a central decorated altar holds a large ceremonial lingam-shaped form framed by a garland. A man on the left in an orange dhoti and orange shawl with a rudraksha-style bead necklace sits and performs the ritual, while devotees in the lower foreground face the altar. Brass oil lamps with flames stand on either side and a smaller garlanded deity figure sits at the right edge.

Temple ritual before a golden arched backdrop with a dark red curtain. Two gilded deity murtis of a standing couple are adorned with heavy garlands of white, yellow, orange and purple flowers, and a golden crown and jewelled ornaments. A priest in orange robes at left holds a metal vessel. A bare-chested priest in maroon-and-gold dhoti stands centre, pouring liquid from a vessel toward the murtis. At right, a man in white dhoti with gold border and orange turban and garland stands with palms joined in namaskar. Rose petals scatter on the floor, and a silver tray sits near the base. Other garlanded deity figures stand behind.