Today is a very auspicious one — the 32 anniversary of the installation of Lord Nataraja. In a way, it could be said to be the founding day of Kauai Aadheenam.

The story began in 1969 when Gurudeva discovered the island of Kauai and bought the estate up in the Wailua Homesteads overlooking the river… Here he began to train his monks and settle down to bring Saivism to the West….On the 1972 India Innersearch, Gurudeva was in New Delhi and he said to a few of his monks “Let’s go for a walk.” They arrived at a small shop called “Nirmala’s Copperworks” and in front was this giant, six-foot tall bronze image of Nataraja.

Gurudeva went in and asked the shop owner how much he would sell it for. The shop owner said he wouldn’t sell it, because it had been in his family for so long and was like an emblem for his business. The man was very intrigued with Gurudeva’s state of the art sony cassette tape recorder, and asked where he could get one, as such did not exist in India… Gurudeva replied if he would sell him the Nataraja, Gurudeva would give him the tape recorder.

He agree, and a year later the Nataraja arrived in a crate and was first placed on the edge of the pali, the cliff looking down over the river. Gurudeva one evening asked Lord Nataraja… “Where would be a good place for us to install you,” then the next morning on March 12, 1973, Lord Muruga came in a vision, and with his Shakti Vel struck three times a step that was the main entrance of the estate. The monks were surprised, “But, wait, that’s the main doorway?… ” After considerable struggle the monks placed the Deity at the very spot Lord Muruga had imbued with his powerful Shakti and Gurudeva instituted immediately the 24-hour vigil– a monk on duty, awake, alert, doing puja, sadhana and studies for 3 hour periods. Slowly the physical temple came up with the worship and sadhana.

The rest, as they say, is history…

This is Manivel’s depiction of the holy sanctum of Kadavul Temple….

From that moment… to today, Kadavul has been the spiritual anchor for the monks and thousands the world over.

Our little calf, Anuradha, is given plenty of time to romp and play.

Shanmuganathswami and Sadhaka Jivanandanatha are raising and caring for the calf. He brought “Anu” out to play and get some fresh air and sunshine.

The little calf thinks it’s a little human being… and gets a lot of love and attention from all.

Tandu Sivanathan has decided to gold leaf all the 108 Tandavas.

It is a massive karma yoga undertaking…

But this will be magnificent, turning Kadavul into the “Golden Hall of Lord Nataraja.”

The curtain is closed, but deep in the inner sanctum the Lord of the Universe dances…