END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our phase.
This edition of TAKA will remain posted
over our coming two-day retreat,
until Dasami Tithi, Sun One, Saturday, March 5th.

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Today at lunch the Ganapati Kulam related their activities to the whole monastery. Everyone worked during the first few days of the phase on the first third of the next issue of Hinduism Today. All articles slated for completion in February were processed, output, edited and proofed. Paramacharya Palaniswami then turned his attention to plans for a new book, which will comprise all the insights sections of Hinduism Today. It’s going to be something truly beautiful…

Acharya Kumarswami has been focused on his Hinduism Today pages and the completion of the next pocketbooks, Living with Siva and Merging with Siva.

Arumugaswami worked on his increment of Hinduism Today articles and has been continuing his efforts to move the Saivite Hindu Religion course forward. He recently completed first manuscript of a new version of Book Four, which is now being edited by Bodhinatha and the editing team.

Natarajnathaswami has been working on his Hinduism Today articles.

Sivakatirswami also completed one of his pages for the magazine and then switched back to his long list of internet to do’s. He’s almost completed the migration of all the content and links from the previous TAKA archive server to our new server. He has also installed a wiki on our local server on the LAN and has been studying up on implementation and configuration.
He and Arumugaswami will be putting this to use soon to coordinate the project of sevaks, HPI input.

Yogi Japendranatha completed his February article for the magazine and is working on the details for the actual printing of the next pocketbooks, along with many other miscellaneous tasks he has…

It’s a very busy team!

Being the last day of the phase we had a group of about 50-60 visitors… here they are gathered at the front entrance at 9 AM.

We would have thought the flow of visitors would have dropped at this time of year. But, not so… they continue to come.

Arriving at the temple Silpi Karuppaiah Chinnaiah demonstrates the stone cutting…

Mother and son give it a try together.

What a magnificent day!

Some close ups of guests today:

Lisa and Jim are first time visitors as well and were part of the tour group. They said this was one of the main highlights of their visit to the island. They are welcoming a baby girl into planet Earth in July. Congratulations!

Rudy and Dora Tanzi from Boston came up to the monastery yesterday because Dora had purchased a rudraksha mala from the local market where she was told 8 of the beads were blessed by Gurudeva himself. So, they decided to come and visit Gurudeva’s home yesterday. They returned again today to spend more time here after getting to know more of Gurudeva’s teachings and making a new friend in Lord Ganesha.

In the future, guests will arrive at the entrance of the Rudraksha forest and come down San Marga…

On the way, they will see many remarkable plants, like this beautiful flower of the vine called Thunbergia Mysorensis that hails from Mysore in India.

After worshipping at the Swayambhu Lingam they will spy the beautiful Iraivan Temple to the east,

Walking to the temple they may go to the river first or simply come to the temple..

Going around the temple… in the traditional way..seeing the awesome pillars and carvings.

Coming up the front of the temple, of course there will be a roof over their heads at this point.

Approaching the sanctum…

With tarpaulins removed the gold-leafed capstone of the vimanam shines brilliantly in the sun. Our team is taking a very cautious approach to dismantling the scaffolding, to be safe and absolutely certain no harm comes to the temple stone work.

It is a very auspicious day at the Aadheenam as our dear Jersey, Chaturthi, has given birth today to a little heifer. Her name is Anuradha, named after the nakshatra of the day of her birth. Here she is less than an hour after coming out into the Bhuloka, strong, alert, healthy and already walking…

Shanmuganathaswami and Sadhaka Jivanandanatha have decided to take on all the duties of nurturing the mother and her calf. It’s a great service to the rest of the monastery and a break from all their computer world of accounting and programming. Here Sadhaka Jivanandanatha makes sure little Anuradha knows that her human caretakers are all love and kindness.

Like any new born, sleeping is a major activity

Welcome to the Bhuloka! We took her to see Bodhinatha first, and then to the temple. After taking her back to her pen for feeding she ran back to the temple!

Like her mother, Chaturthi, Anuradha will be raised by the monks. Chaturthi actually thought she was a human being in her early years (we are not kidding).

Vyagrapada tends to get a little jealous when other little creatures get all the attention…He’s also very much a “guard bird,” and will screech loudly when something like a little calf walks by… as if to say “Look there’s an intruder here”

Meanwhile another small family is on it’s way as well.

Our Mauritius reporter writes: “We are right into the great preparations for Maha Sivaratree Mauritius. TV programs on Lord Siva is now being broadcast everyday. In Mauritius Maha Sivaratree is the greatest Hindu festival, mostly marked by pilgrimages to the volcanic sacred lake, Ganga Talao at Grand Bassin. It is a public holiday. On the great night of God Siva, devotees attend the four Siva pujas in their local temples until the early morning. Meanwhile, here are photos from our monthly homa….

The Homa fire opens the inner worlds to devotees and allows them to send their written prayers to be answered there. On the first Sunday of every month such a ceremony is performed at the Ganesha Mandapam at the Spiritual park of Mauritius. The February Homa was sponsored by Kulapaties Valaytan, Mooneesawmy and Pariatumbee from Flacq.

Devotees from all over the island rarely miss to attend this ceremony dedicated to Lord Pancha Mukha Ganapati.

Everyone joins in to sing devotional songs.

Those who are not able to find sitting accommodation inside the Mandapam humbly stand on the front lava steps with their minds concentrated on the whole ceremony.

During the testimony session facilitated by Kulapati Rajen Manick, devotees are given opportunities to come forward and share their spiritual experiences with everyone present. Such testimonies are always inspiring and uplifting and all devotees look forward to hear them. Here is Mr. Sookool, who has never missed a Homa sharing his wonderful experience and showing his appreciation for the good works done by the stewards of the Spiritual Park.

Mr. Deven Kathapermal from Lalmatie giving another testimony about how he was inspired to offer lunch to all devotees at the Park.

The testimony session over, Kulapati Manon gave a short explanatory talk. His topic for that event was on Bodhinatha’s talk entitled: “The Power of Kindly Speech”. Here is an extract:

“The case of a friend who is overweight: We are genuinely worried that it is vital for his health to lose some weight. We voice our concern by saying, ‘You are too fat’. Our words pass the test of being helpful, but they fail the test of being kind. We need to express our concern more gently such as ‘I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but it might be good for your health if you get serious about diet and exercise. ‘ In other words, even helpful words need to be expressed in a kindly way.”

Then after the final arati devotees would leave the Mandapam to receive the sacred flame and would then move into the mango grove area where are found the food stations for that day.

This a time we meet everyone and can exchange a few words. Here Kulapati Manon is talking to some friends attending the Ganesha Homa.

Our three young men, Prakash, Tirthadeva and Bhaveshan happily holding the trays containing the sacred flame and vibhuti.

Siven Veerasamy, our hired workman never misses the Ganesha Homa. He comes early morning to set a few things at the Park and is always ready to give a helping hand even on his days off.

The food was sponsored by Mr. Deven Kathapermal and many of his relatives turned up to help serve our guests.

Here are two smiling faces, happy to be together at the Park: Sivaneswaran and Venilla. Sivaneswaran is back to Malaysia after being with his wife a few days. Venilla is staying at her parent’s place expecting a baby soon…

Kulamata Sornumbal Mardemootoo (right), a friend and Tirumati Komadhi Mardemootoo. They all look happy to be at such a wonderful event.

Arnasamy Chellapen from Goodlands, now living in Belgium is very impressed by the new developments at the Spiritual Park. Arnasamy has been to Kauai Aadheenam on Task Force and says that the only spiritual path he knows and follows is that taught to him by Gurudeva.

Kulapati Anba Dayananden Valayten with Kulamata Saroja Valayten and their daughter Ulasa. Kulapati Amba is the main co
ordinator for karma Yoga activities at the Spiritual Park and he organizes a karma yoga for everyone at the Park every month. He is very concerned about tidiness of this spiritual place. Thank you Kulapati Anba!