Today at Kauai Aadheenam

Sun Five today brought us the report by the Siddhidata Kulam. Yoginathaswami has been very busy with all the work needed to get permits for all structures on our property. This has in fact been a multi-year project. Meanwhile his team has been working on preparations for the next stage of roofing on Iraivan which will begin in a few weeks. They are handle the regular duties of keeping our vegetable garden going, pick fruit, and a variety of other projects related to on going maintenance and improvements on our property.

Recently they have done quite a bit of landscaping with a focus on flowers, which are blooming. Yoginathaswami writes: “First three flowers are amaryllis that are blooming again for us this year after spectacular show last year. Last white flower (rose like) is Gardenia whcih just began blooming this year.

This morning a group from the Kauai branch of the Association of Family and Community Education, a program of the University of Hawaii Tropical Agricultural Human Resource walked through Siva's Garden of Life, guided by Isani.

They were able to witness the priming of the Chinna Gopuram West Tower

Here the team from Maryland begins the priming of the North tower. Once it dries, they will apply the sizing and the 23-karat gold. Did you know that gold is so thin that 200,000 sheets would only be an inch thick? You can see our slideshow on the priming below.

The gilders are moving forward with the priming of the chinna gopurams Click here for a slide show

Gurudeva has been completed but the team will look closely for areas needing touch up, tomorrow.

The gates of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery opened wide for over fifty beautiful souls this week on pulic tour day to look, hear and feel the wonders of Saivite Hinduism.

Here pilgrims stand among a royal blue carpet of rudraksha seeds, while hearing about why Saivite Hindus wear and use these sacred seeds.

Kandan gives an inspired demonstration of the ancient art of temple carving. It always amazes the guests how fast and accurate he swings his mallet -- never missing the chisel.

The Felton family from Missouri had a wonderful time. The children found the extensive grounds a wonderland of Koi, flowers and rudraksha seeds!

After the tour a guest sits in a secluded corner to absorb all that surrounds her.

The Kauai Branch of the Association of Family and Community Education visited today. They are part of a world wide organization which originally was a Home Economics group for women.It is a branch of the UH Tropical Agricultural Human Recourses. The organization was designed to help women learn cooking, sewing, crafts and other home skills. Now most members are elderly and widows. They have a group outing once a year for educational and cultural enrichment. Some are quite elderly took a ride out to Iraivan on the people mover. The members invited some of their family and neighbors along to learn about Kauia's Hindu Temple and to see the beautiful gardens.

These five friends joined the tour. They live on Kauai, but work during the week and couldn't make it to one of the weekday tours. They were all very grateful to have an opportunity to enjoy a tour.

Somnath and Kavita Paramshetti enjoyed at tour of Kauai Aadheenam today. They are originally from Pune, India and now reside in Omaha. They shared information about Hindu gathering, Hindu Dharma Sabha in July at the Durga Templ, 8400 Durga Place, Fairfax Station, VA. For more information go to www.forumforhinduawakening.org

Every few years a duck decides that San Marga is an avian sanctuary. We normally let them live with us as long as they behave themselves. This is the latest arrival. If he or she sticks around long enough we will have to find a name. The last one was humorously called “Sambandar.”