Skip to content
Nithyanandapedia
A long row of saffron-robed sannyasis sits cross-legged on the floor during a Maheshwara Puja style feast. Many wear rudraksha malas and white vibhuti or tilak marks on their foreheads, arms and chests, and several hold their hands together in prayer. In front of them stretch banana-leaf plates laden with food, with rows of small white cups and a brass kalasha-style vessel in the foreground. Colourful striped umbrellas and a white draped stage hang in the background, with a few people standing and a woman in an orange sari visible behind the row. No individual is clearly identifiable as a person from appearance cues in this view.

More like this

Open the gallery
January 01 20192019-01-01Long rows of saffron-robed sannyasis in orange turbans sit cross-legged on a white cloth runner along a polished floor, with green banana leaves laid before them holding yellow flowers, fruit and food offerings. Several sadhus have white sacred markings on their bodies and rudraksha malas around their necks. Behind them, seated devotees in white clothing watch from rows of chairs, and a man in a white dhoti stands at the right side near a camera tripod. A large screen and a gold-railed platform appear in the background. No single figure is identified as a person in this frame.2017-09-19A row of shaved-headed monastics in saffron-orange dhotis and rudraksha malas sits cross-legged on the floor, bodies bare above the waist and marked with white horizontal sacred ash stripes. Several have palms joined in prayer, while others rest hands on their laps in front of long banana-leaf plates heaped with food and rows of small white cups. A woman in a red and orange saree stands at the upper left, and a decorated backdrop with hanging ornaments fills the background. No identifiable individual is singled out as a person in this image.2016-12-18January 01 20192019-01-01September 30 20162016-09-30A photograph of a large ceremonial gathering in a tented hall where many sannyasis in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls, wearing rudraksha malas, sit cross-legged on colourful striped mats in rows. Leaf plates with food and small white cups are set before them, and a man in the foreground at centre gestures with a hand near a microphone. Behind them, a standing crowd in white clothing and a row of decorated umbrellas and a canopy frame the scene, with wall displays of photographs on the left. A seated figure at centre-right with a shaved head and orange garments appears to be the focus of the rows, with a drum visible at right. Several people are seated at the front holding plates and cups.2016-12-18A large hall packed with seated devotees on colourful striped mats during a satsang. Many men wear white dhotis and some wear orange or saffron shawls, with rudraksha malas and vibhuti visible. Young boys in orange robes sit in the front rows, and a bare-chested man in an orange shawl with a rudraksha mala sits near the centre. Two framed portraits hang on the left wall and a large framed picture hangs on the right, with white-draped drapes and a mirror on the back wall. Many people sit in the rear rows, with some standing near the back.2017-07-08A photo of a welcoming ritual inside a canopied tent with yellow curtains and a red-walled backdrop. A man with long dark hair, wearing an orange robe, rudraksha-style garland and floral garlands, sits on an ornate gold throne with his palms pressed together. Around a red patterned carpet, several people sit on the floor: women in white and yellow-bordered saris and orange clothing, and men in white. They hold brass bowls and offer fruit, sweets and food arranged on a long white cloth in front of them. Brass lamps and offering plates are visible on the carpet. Other seated devotees in white sit along the left side of the tent.2009-11-19A photograph of a long row of seated sannyasis in saffron-orange dhotis and shawls, many wearing rudraksha malas and white sacred markings on their chests and arms, sitting cross-legged on mats before rows of banana-leaf plates heaped with food and small cups. Behind them, ceremonial parasol-umbrellas in red, yellow and green stand beside trident staffs, and a few people in orange and white robes stand or sit near a stage. A brass lamp stands in the foreground. The scene suggests a food offering ritual with monastic participants.2016-12-18A photograph of a seated group of devotees at a ritual meal offering. Front row, several women in rust-red and orange saris with gold borders sit cross-legged with palms pressed together in namaskar, eyes closed; some wear rudraksha malas and white tilak marks on their foreheads. Before them lie banana leaves holding bananas, fruits, rice and small cups, with water bottles nearby. Behind them, rows of people in white and orange clothing sit in a hall with gold-toned decor, some with hands folded. Visible ritual setting suggests an annadan or puja offering.2016-09-30A seated row of sannyasis in saffron-orange dhoti and wrap sit on a floor before a banana-leaf spread of fruit, bananas, limes and cups of drink. Several wear rudraksha malas and white horizontal tripundra markings across the forehead and arms. A man in the centre holds a black microphone and reads from white papers on his lap. Others have hands folded or eyes lowered. The setting is an indoor hall with cream walls and a rosewood-coloured backdrop. No candidate for a person is clearly identifiable by appearance here, so the speaker is described by role only.2016-09-30A row of shirtless male sannyasis in saffron-orange dhotis sits cross-legged at a long table with green banana-leaf plates of fruit and food, palms pressed together in prayer. They wear rudraksha malas and beaded bracelets, with white and sandalwood-coloured vertical and horizontal markings on their chests, arms and foreheads. Water bottles stand along the table. Framed photographs of temple scenes and festival imagery hang on the white wall behind them.2016-09-30