Today at Kauai Aadheenam

Gurudeva gave many gifts, spiritual and practical, to Kauai island. And his spirit of giving continues in this story from a blog posted recently and printed in a local newspaper. It is a story by Anne E. O'Malley. And it is about six granite signs that dot the island, radiating a message of oneness. Enjoy…

Residents may note that five of six red granite signs placed strategically around the island and carved with messages of aloha are sparkling like new once again. The sixth is soon to be refurbished.
The stone signs, imported from India, are a gift given by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, affectionately known as Gurudeva. The founder of the Kaua`i Hindu Monastery, Gurudeva gave the signs to the people of Kaua`i in 2001. According to a blog on the Monastery’s website, they are carved from the same granite used in constructing the new San Marga Iraivan Temple in Wailua.
Former Mayor Maryanne Kusaka recalls Gurudeva coming to her office and expressing that it was important that leaders of the island network and from that time, community leaders gathered as they sought to find a vision for the island. They searched for something they believed would describe the beauty and heart of Kaua`i.
“At one point, we decided that what we were doing is describing aloha,” says Kusaka. She adds that Gurudeva believed it was a wise choice for a vision because “it says so many more things than words can express.”
Drawing upon the vision work, Gurudeva had three of the granite signs inscribed with the message, “Aloha – It’s Kaua`i’s Spirit.” Three more of the stone signs bear the inscription, “Kaua`i — One island, many peoples, all Kauaians.”
He unveiled them at an open house on the temple grounds in July, 2001.

Says Kusaka, “I saw Gurudeva’s vision. His vision of this island is oneness and he wanted to keep it fresh in the minds of all Kauaians and visitors.
“The way he expressed it encapsulated the definition of aloha. He meant we came from many backgrounds, yet we were all Kauaians, we all lived here in harmony, and that’s the message he wanted to get out.”
These six gifts of Gurudeva are located as follows: at the police station in Princeville; at Lydgate Park; in Po`ipu, where there are two — one at Po`ipu Beach Park and the other at the fire station; at Nawiliwili Park; and at the park by Kekaha Neighborhood Center.

Kusaka says Gurudeva challenged her to find locations and workmen to fashion rock encasements so the signs could withstand heavy winds and strong weather. Her friend, Rosie Bukoski, found the laborers — Tongan stone workers. Bukoski donated lava rocks from her backyard in Koloa.
A decade later, a friend called to Kusaka’s attention the state of the signs, and Kusaka says, “I noticed they were looking horrible.”
Stained by weather, mildew, mold and other elements, they clearly need refurbishing. When Kusaka contacted the temple to discuss it, there was no hesitation. Says Kusaka, “They’ll take care of it as long as it needs to be taken care of.
She adds, “I was so touched. I’ve done so many volunteer projects and many times after a project is done, it’s neglected in later years.
“In this case, it’s so gratifying to see the Hindu temple say ‘it was something our Gurudeva did that we want to perpetuate in his honor.’ This brought joy to my heart.
“It’s a legacy that carries on his gift to Kaua`i that will live on in time.”

The lovely new outdoor information and display area that we call “Siva Darshanam Vanam” is progressing. The three kiosks are finished, art work depicting Gurudeva’s visions that established San Marga and Iraivan are installed and the landscaping is nearly done. Several large Foxtail palms gifted by a neighbor have been planted in the back and a cactus and rock garden is under construction in the center.

Here visitors can enjoy the peace and learn all about how the temple was founded and enjoy the masterful art that our Kerala artist is creating, art which depicts the visions that Gurudeva had of Lord Siva, and more.

We raised about 800+ Areca palms from seedlings and these are now moving into five gallons bags. Here is the team working under Arumuganathswami’s direction.
After these palms fill out the five gallon bags, they will be transplanted into the ground on Himalayan Acres.

Some regard it as the most beautiful vine in the world. Thunbergia mysorensis, a native of Mysore, South India.

Today it is blooming lavishly in our garden. We have 4 or 5 of the vines planted here and there. They grow to be massive, covering half an acre or more, with thousands of inflorensences, which grow down on ever-lengthening tendrils and are about 20 inches long, in bright purple and yellow.

In fact, there is a flower on the vine every day of the year.

The birds love to sit on the yellow lip and drink the nectar it holds.

With some sunny dry weather for the first day of Spring today, Jonathan finishes up another segment of the monastery walkway upgrade. Quartzite slate now goes right up to our courtyard.

Another addition to our exotic mushroom collection. These tend to appear for a day or two at a time near our Nepalese Ganesha entrance. We refer to them affectionately as our “crystal mushroom.” You can see why. Sometimes they are milky, as this one, and sometimes totally clear like glass.