"A satguru is needed because the mind is so cunning and the ego is a self-perpetuating mechanism. It is he who inspires, assists, guides and impels the shishya toward the Self of himself.
"
Gurudeva
Gurudeva, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami Founder of Kauai's Hindu Monastery
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.
Our November 2011 news video covers events in October, including: two swamis' attendance at the Uberoi Foundation's 2011 Experts Meeting at Loyola Marymount University where they released our book "The History of Hindu India;" the gathering of nearly 100 people from around the world on Kauai for four days of celebrations of Gurudeva's life and remembrances of his mahasamadhi a decade ago; testimony from Aran Veylan about Gurudeva instructing him to start the Mahaganapati Temple in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; photos of the Nandi and yalli handrails for Iraivan Temple; an update on our "Save the Agamas" project in India; and a major upgrade to the monastery electrical system by the monks, volunteer Easvan Param and the island electric company.
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Aum sivaya,everyone.
Ayudha Puja is a important puja for all production units. Iraivan worksite celebrates this in a grand way. All the silpis will be very happy because they will receive their bonus and new clothing.
Here is the group photo of the silpis . Jiva Rajasankara and Senthilathiban is seated .
This is another group photo where Thuraisingam is seated. Chinmayie (Thuraisingam's daughter) is standing with Senthilathiban..The third generation has joined the function. We will learn her to learn this craft.
We do not allow boys under 18 to work. The boy standing is a son of one of the silpis .
Puja begins at the blacksmith (pattarai) Our retired silpi, Sundaramachari came to join the function. We allowed him to do the puja.
After the puja, he shows the arati to all the silpis.
A new stone is normally blessed and chipped on this day. Supervisor Manikandan is preparing the thread to mark the stone. Sundaramachari is doing the puja.
The stone is marked with the red oxide thread. The silpis are looking on.
It is a tradition that the sthapati or the supervisor starts the first chipping. Then each of the silpis come forward to chip. After chipping they apply sandal paste and kumkum on the point where they chipped.
After the chipping a huge pumpkin with coins inside is taken around the stone three times and broken . It is done to remove evil thought forms.
One of the highlights is when the silpis rush to pick the coins when the pumpkin is broken.
Puja is done to the gangsaw. This machine can cut 2.5 feet in depth. You have to cut 0.5 inches at a time.
Periperal wall stones will be cut using this gangsaw.
After the puja, the machine is started. Water keeps pouring from the shaft above while it cuts.
There are 2 trolleys below the stone. The top trolley can rotate 360 degrees. This makes it easy to cut any sides without removing the stone.
This is the yesti stone from Darasuram Temple, a Chola temple near Tanjore, from which we have derived the current yesti for Nandi Mandapam.
This is the drawing on plywood which was done the last time Stapathi visited the worksite.
A full view of the yesti marked on tracing.
This is the front view of the yesti marked by Stapathi.
The one on the left is the view that will be seen from the front.
The two separate drawings on the right side is a split view of the front part and the back part. This was done to make it easy to carve, especially the temple which comes behind the elephant..
This is how the yesti stone will look finally part of Nandi Mandapam.
This if the final part of the drawings and its the closeup of the makaram. Its an composed of various animals like parrot, crocodile elephant etc. We can see the elephant trunk, then a crocodile like mouth and it has wings and legs of a bird.
This is the elephant that is holding or pulling the makaram. This yesti is a double step yesti.
Selvanathan Stapathi fine tuning the temple part of it.
Shekar Stapathi and Assistant Stapathi Manikantan again, yes we have two Manikantans in our site. This is the one in the blue shirt. He was also part of the last batch of silpis.
Here, they are working on the front elevation of the yesti.
More formations of the same.
And Stapathi marks the same yesti on a piece of tracing so that we can make a cement model from it before carving.
Last month we had showed some photos of the Nandi Mandapam Yesti Stone Drawing. After approval of Bodhinatha Veylanswami, Selvanathan stapathi is redoing a new drawing for the final stone carving.
Shekar Stapathi does another part of the drawing.
Manikantan Stapathi, our resident Stapathi helps.
This yesti stone is the stone which flanks the sides of the steps and is used as a barricade and also as a support to hold and climb the steps.
We are happy to release our year in review video today, summarizing activities of Kauai's Hindu Monastery from September 2010 to August 2011. See progress on Iraivan Temple; follow Bodhinatha on his travels across the globe; enjoy some powerful words about the Self from Gurudeva; learn about publications, art, sculpture and grounds projects; and take a peek at what is happening at our center on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
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Inspired Talk: Title: Niyama Ten: Tapas
Category: Soul Duration: 15 min, 4 secs
Date Given: 2012-01-11
Given by: Bodhinatha
Description:
Tapas is to practice austerity, serious disciplines, penance and sacrifice which increases the speed at which we are moving forward on the spiritual path. Daily sadhanas and penance to atone for misdeeds are obligatory. Austerities, assigned and overseen by a guru, give a great sense of release from the past, a profounder understanding of the path and deepening of one's worship and meditation. Meditation on Ishana and Tatpurusha: veiling and revealing grace. All along we are Siva and finally that dawns on us.
