Today Bodhinatha met with the Hinduism Today team to discuss a new project on the drawing boards which will be a special edition of Hinduism Today called “What is Hinduism” with more pages, which would then be turned into a book. It was an initial planning session for something that will take a year of more to develop.

At lunch today the Siddhidata Kulam shared news. The big event was the morning stone lift of the sunshade stones up to the East Chinna Gopuram.

Sadhaka Tejadevanatha, Sadhaka Adinatha, and Adaicken on the ground team….

Small pieces incoming.

The giant scaffolding project done last phase proves successful as the aerial team of five is working up high around the top of the gopuram… safe and stable.

Sthapati, Sadhaka Nilakantha, Yoginathaswami, Sankaran and Karuppiah are topside, waiting while the ground team rigs the next stone.

A corner piece going up.

Larry Conklin on the crane and making sure everything is safe.

The “sunshade” forms the “eaves” of the temple, running along the outer edges of the roof…

Easy… down…

Ok and, down… now.. unstrap

“What’s happening up there?”

Another incoming stone…

A view from underneath the corner piece

Lovely, ornamentation…

More stone are prepared for the lift.

Sthapati on top, standing by…

Sankaran…

Karuppiah

The capstone…

Getting ready for the next stone…

OK here it comes..

Not too heavy…

The stones are place on shims and will be later carefully fitted by the silpis

Praful Patel and wife were back again today joined by their friends to
tour the grounds and also worship at the swayambhu lingam. They were amazed
at the progress that has been made on Iraivan since they were last here
about 2 years ago.