Today at Kauai Aadheenam

Vel Alahan hosted two familes today. On the right Mylvaganam Kathirgamanathan (he calls himself Kathirgamanathan) and his wife Sarathadevi are from Jaffna, Sri Lanka, now living in Toronto, Canada. Kathirgamanathan is a surgeon and attending a conference on Kauai. He has memories of the days when Siva Yogaswami was alive. In fact his whole family were devotees of St Yogaswami.

On the left The family from Queensland, Australia originally from Fiji: Priya Ayesha Sinh (daughter), Mrs. Sushila Sinh, Ravi Sinh (son), Vinod Sinh (father). They follow the Aadheenam closely on line and are donors of the gilding of Iraivan Temple.

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A few recent projects in from the woodshop. First, a redwood batton door, similar to the style on the original aadheenam building from 1929, but here we used tapered sliding dovetail crossmembers, inspired by work at the Russian Fort in California. Second, three photos of some window frames using drawbore pins; and third, a look at the lathe corner.

On our final day in Bengaluru we visit the Iraivan worksite for most of the day. The large compound is full of stones in all stages of completion. When the Jiva Rajasankara family moved here 7 years ago, it was in the wilderness, but today it is surrounded by homes.

The fluted pillars are destined to go to Suttur Mutt, where we have been a week earlier.

We examine the steps that will lead up to the Rajagopuram, and another set that will take the priests up to Nandi's level at the Nandi mandapam.

Jiva and his sons take us through the many projects that are under the chisel, showing us the remarkable detail the team is achieving.

One project is a rose-colored map of Kauai island that will one day go into the gardens, near the flagpole. It shows all of the contours of Kauai, and the position of the temple on the island.

We carefully examine the three elephants, which are virtually done. Notice in the slideshow how the baby calf's trunk is interwoven with the mother's tail, all made from a single stoneÔøΩquite an achievement.

We take a close look at Hanuman, and talk for a time about the Chola base that he will sit on. The statue is 15 feet tall, and will sit atop a three-foot base, making him 18 feet high.

We are taken to an area which stores all of the Nandi Mandapam beam and roof pieces, completed, awaiting shipping. We marvel at the detail our silpis have achieved.

Sadhaka Satyanatha walks through a forest of pillars, which have been carved for Kailash Ashram, fifty of them.

We offer you hi-resolution slides of today's homa. Click on the pop-out or full screen icons.

Bodhinatha departed for India yesterday with Arumuganathaswami and Yoginathaswami early in the morning. They reported in from Singapore that they arrived safe and sound.

Today Bodhinatha's paduka sit by the homa. Sivanathaswami presided and gave a marvelous talk quoting from Gurudeva, our shastra and Merging with Siva. he focused on the Yugas in terms of the soul's evolution from Manipura to Vishuddha chakras.

Swami Ishwarananda Ji of the Chinmaya Mission in Los Angeles made his second visit to the Aadheenam today. He first visited ten years ago, and he barely missed meeting Gurudeva at that time. Accompanied by Sri Lankan devotees from Southern California, Swamiji told us that he came to Kauai this weekend solely to visit the monastery.

The group of thirteen attended the morning Siva puja, toured Iraivan Temple, met with Bodhinatha and met with some of the swamis of the Ganapati Kulam. The monks also served him and his entourage lunch.

Bodhinatha has always praised the good work of the Chinmaya Mission. Swami Ishwarananda is an excellent teacher and speaker, one of few that Chinmaya Mission has stationed permanently in the US. He and Bodhinatha met in November 2008 during a visit to Anaheim. Since then, Swami has moved the center to Tustin, just a few miles away, to accommodate a larger student body. Every Sunday they have 800 children and 400 adults attend their satsang and classes.

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Today was an auspicious one for the Kailasa Paramapara, Rudiren Carpanen Pillay and Uma Sivanathan. They both received their Samaya Diksha and the precious and magical gift of Panchakshara mantra was passed on from preceptor to sishya in the simple ancient initiation into mantra japa yoga given by Bodhinatha to each of them.

This is the first and foundational step onto the Saiva Neri, the Path to Siva. The daily contemplation on Lord Siva, Siva Dhyanam, begins with this practice and deepens through the years, as we repeat the Sacred Letters Five and let our hearts and minds melt in Divine Love for the One God of All.

Yogaswami sang:

"Thou who art non-pareil,
The consort of UmaDevi,
Whose temple is thy devotee's heart.
Hail Namasivaya.

'Ye art not the body', said he
And gave me strength divine
To purge me of my fearful bonds,
Oh Primal One, Namasivaya

That Tattvas ninety six are unreal,
I realised through thy grace,
And transcended their barriers,
Oh Siva, Namasivaya.

To those who have crossed
The six centres of consciousness,
Thou did'st grant thy Lotus Feet
Thou great God, Namasivaya

In the void of silence, that I may
Attain peace thou willeth.
Thou source of Vedas and God of Devas,
Thou sovereign ruler, Namasivaya.

Thou pursued me that I may turn to thee,
Thy beauteous form I saw,
In rapt synthesis I was thine for ever,
Oh Source of Grace and Power! Namasivaya.

Those who behold the sight
Of thy dance with raised legs-
Will they perish in this world
Full of toils? Namasivaya.

Art thou not the support
Of those who seek thee
In the temple of the body?
Oh Sankara, Namasivaya."