Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A priest in a rust-red dhoti and saffron-gold shawl, with vibhuti marks on his bare upper body, applies a sacred mark to the forehead of a young girl in a green sari and yellow marigold garlands with red flowers. She sits before a grouping of painted deity murtis, including a white-clad goddess with a raised weapon and a blue-skinned figure, under a corrugated roof with a decorative kalasha-style pot nearby.

More like this

Open the gallery
A priest in a rust-red dhoti and saffron-bordered shawl stands at left with bare chest, sacred thread and a red-beaded mala, raising his hand in blessing over a young girl in a green sari with white and gold trim, seated before a large white-clad Devi murti. Marigold garlands in yellow and red hang on the goddess and her lion vahana, and a green-skinned figure with a sword stands nearby. A brass vessel and flowers sit at the lower left under a corrugated roof. This looks like a puja or blessing ritual before a deity murti.2014-10-02A photograph in a covered open-sided hall shows a shaven-headed priest in an orange-brown dhoti with a white sacred mark on his arms, placing a garland of yellow and red flowers around the neck of a young girl seated on a low platform. The girl wears a green sari with a red border, gold jewellery, and a maang tikka, and she looks down. Behind them stands a large group of white and gold deity murtis, including a multi-armed goddess in white with a red-and-yellow garland, a lion, and a green-skinned figure holding a sword. Pink lotus flowers and marigold garlands decorate the shrine.2014-10-02October 02 20142014-10-02A photograph of a puja at a shrine before a large white-clad deity murti with yellow and red marigold garlands and a sword. A bare-chested man in a red-brown dhoti with a red rudraksha-style mala instructs a seated girl in a green sari, who receives a blessing with a tray of yellow flowers held by a white-clad attendant on the left. Flanking murtis wear white with garlands, and a green-faced figure with a trident and a lion-decorated base appear beside them.2014-10-02October 02 20142014-10-02A photograph of a Durga-style deity murti adorned with marigold garlands and white floral decorations under a corrugated metal shelter. In front, a priest in white dhoti with a rudraksha mala holds a brass tray of flowers, while a second priest in saffron-orange dhoti with white tilak pours or offers from a vessel. A young girl in a green sari with a silver necklace sits on a patterned cloth beside the deity, garlanded. Other smaller murtis with lions and garlands stand nearby, and palms and potted plants surround the open-sided shrine area.2014-10-02A young girl in a green sari with gold border sits cross-legged on a red-and-blue cloth before a large white-clad goddess murti decorated with yellow and red marigold garlands and pink lotus flowers. Her forehead bears a gold tikka and she holds a pink lotus and a flower garland. A priest in an orange-red dhoti with gold border stands at left, bending over offerings, with a brass vessel nearby. Smaller white-robed deity figures with garlands flank the central murti, and a green-skinned figure with a bow appears behind the girl, under a corrugated metal roof. The setting suggests a puja at a temple shrine.2014-10-02October 02 20142014-10-02A puja before a large Durga-style deity murti with white ornate crown-like backdrop and multiple attendant figures. A priest in a red-brown dhoti and shawl with a red rudraksha-style mala stands at center, holding a pradipa or plate and touching the head of a young woman in a green sari seated before the murti. To the left, a bare-chested man in white dhoti with gold border holds a brass plate of marigold and red flower garlands. Marigold garlands drape the deities. Attendant figures wear white and red garments. The setting is an open-sided canopied shrine with trees behind.2014-10-02A photograph of a ritual in progress before a decorated shrine. A young person in a green silk blouse and green saree sits on a red cloth, wearing a crown-like headpiece, a multi-stranded jewelled necklace and yellow marigold garlands with red flowers. A priest in a rust-brown dhoti with a gold border, bare-chested and wearing rudraksha beads, presses his right hand to the seated person's face and holds a steel plate of offerings in his left hand, while another person's hand holds the tray. Behind them stand deity murtis including a green-faced figure, white lace-patterned drapery, pink lotus blossoms and a small brass lamp. Two people are visible, the priest and the seated person, plus a hand holding the tray.2014-10-02A priest in white dhoti with gold border, a red-beaded mala around his neck, waves a peacock-feather fan over a seated young girl in a green saree with a silver waist belt and garlands of yellow and orange marigolds. Behind her stands a large ornate deity murti of multiple goddesses decorated with white lace-like cloth, yellow marigold garlands and pink flowers, with a red cloth draped at its base. A framed portrait of a saffron-robed figure sits at the left edge, and a corrugated metal roof covers the open shrine space. Another attendant in a rust-coloured dhoti stands beside the girl.2014-10-02A festival puja before a large white-clad deity image decorated with marigold and red flower garlands. A young woman in a green sari with gold border sits on a red cloth, holding a pink flower, and a man in a white dhoti with gold border stands at left holding a plate. A middle-aged priest in a saffron-red dhoti and shawl, with a sacred thread, holds a peacock-feather fan and stands near a lion vahana and multi-armed murti figures with garlands. A tent-roofed open pavilion surrounds the scene. No a person candidate is clearly visible in this image.2014-10-02