Today was a big tour day and many visitors… Bodhinatha had darshan and meetings with several people this morning…

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, Sun One, Monday, May 2th.

Ben from a local contractor company has come to do an estimate on pouring the foundations for the Nandi Mandapam.

Several contractor’s bids are being sought. The job will also involve extensions out from the main foundation of Iraivan in front of each of the three Chinna Gopurams. Sannyasin Yoginathaswami guides him.

The top piece of the next gopuram to go up looks amazing.

Sadhaka Haranandinatha, acting as driver for some visitors today.

The outer stones of the roof of the next gopuram in progress.

From a few vantage points, you can take photos that would make anyone think the temple was finished!

Chidambaram of the West…

Our latest booklet “Raising Children as Good Hindus,” pictured here, is already in high demand. It is a treasure of good tips for the religious education of children: tips for cultivating spiritual qualities, developing character, a positive self-concept, etc. And it is available on the web as of today.

Every issue of Hinduism Today has an “Insight” section in its center 8 or 16 pages, each elucidating some key Hindu teaching or practice. Some six issues back we started publishing reprints of these articles…

Well: instant success! Have proved most helpful to parents, teachers, seekers and students of Hinduism, “This is just what we’ve been looking for!….” The Pillaiyar Kulam, one of our teams of monks who oversee the abundance and achieving-good-results aspect of our mission, work to let people know these booklets exist and make them available–in a variety of ways, over the internet among others. They can be seen at http://www.himalayanacademy.com/teachingtools/ or ordered at 800-890-1008.

About 50 visitors today…

Shanmuga Sthapati and one of the silpis demonstrate carving…

“Impressive indeed,” one guest takes pictures of the symbols on the pillars.

Our team, working on the base stones of the west Chinna Gopuram.

Meg and Ethan are here on their second visit to the monastery. They came last year after their wedding on the island and today returned with Meg’s parents Dale and Darryl. They enjoyed the morning tour and were very interested in Gurudeva’s teachings so the young couple bought Gurudeva’s trilogy of books to begin daily study of the Master Course.

Now we take you for a silent nature walk to the Path of the Saiva Saints, where, on the north end corner there is a orchid show in progress from orchids the monks have placed in various trees which are all blooming…

See you next phase…

Aum Namasivaya….