We bring you a another series from Atlanta from Bodhinatha’s mission to the temple ceremonies there…. submitted by Jutikadevi who worked long hours helping to prepare for Bodhinatha’s arrival and during the events…. The homas were especially power and she excerpts the Vedas to accompany some of the photos…

The Priest Panit Kumar the head Saiva priest at the Siva temple and his entourage of helpers, chanted their hearts out while offering rice and ghee.

They arrived for a very special and most powerful homa welcoming the devas and Mahadevas to the Bhuloka. As this went on we felt that the weather was roaring outside, it was quite unusual to have our Sunday weather like this, the winds were blowing the tarps around the homas, the rain poured and poured, Sivaloka was sending their blessings to us.

With in the background, chanting, Aum Sivaya Svahaa, we all chanted along.

Then, the passing of the Poornahuti tray so everyone can put their prana into it.

“We call you, O vital powers come with your swift and sweet controlling power, like a wet whiplash to lead mankind to its ultimate destination. O vital powers, the innermost chamber of the prayerful devotee, to which you are proceeding in your car, is not far from you.”

Now for the grand Poornahuti, you could see it clearly from the events the devas and Mahadevas came from the Sivaloka from our calls to them and blessed us through the sacred homa fire.

All this time we have heavy pouring rain, Some of the fire went up higher than the tall priest who stood there.

Yea, jiva is actually Siva. The vedas explain, “As water poured into water, milk poured into milk, ghee into ghee become one without differentiation, even so the individual soul and the Supreme self become one.”

“We invoke the source of light, the divine Creator, bestower of a wonderful home full of wealth and wisdom.”

“May our friends assemble and sit down to pay homage to the divine creator, for only He can bestow divine wisdom.”

“O adorable God, may you depute all the vital virtues of cosmos and Nature’s bounties to embellish our devotional prayers.”

“For preservation, I invoke the divine Creator, imbued with golden radiance.”

“O adorable God, may you depute all the vital virtues of cosmos and Nature’s bounties to embellish our devotional prayers.”

“O adorable God, may you come to us with vital forces, brilliant, terrific and yet benevolent and protective. O Lord of spiritual fire, may you be with us with vital forces working behind the luminaries in the radiant celestial regions beyond the sun.”

“O adorable god, please be with us with vital forces; I pour out the devotional prayers, sweet like elixir, which may lovingly be accepted by you and enjoyed. We invoke the resplendent, adorable Lord, the preserver of the devotee’s spiritual fire, offering heartfelt expressions of devotion.”

As this went on we felt that the weather was roaring outside, it was quite unusual to have our Sunday weather like this, the winds were roaring blowing the tarps in the homas the rain poured and poured, Sivaloka was sending their blessings to us.

All this time we have heavy pouring rain, Some of the fire went up higher that the tall priest who stood there.

We all bowed and prayed to them to seek their blessings.

The devas loved us, they loved the chanting and that we invited them there, we were so happy to have their presence to grace the event there.

The environment and atmosphere, made it so easy to be in Satchidananda …the ever blissful permeating state.

Here we are back at the Aadheenam today… where the temple site was quite active today…

Mr. Jeyapalan and his wife are visiting us from Sydney, Australia. Their cousin had been here a couple of years ago and said that they should visit the Aadheenam if they are ever on Kauai. They enjoyed attending the 9am Siva puja and seeing Iraivan Temple. They head back home to Sydney tomorrow and are looking forward to meeting Bodhinatha there when he visits during the Innersearch in January 2006.

Dr. Narayana Rao and his wife, Sarojini arrived on Kauai last night from Illinois, and are on their 3rd pilgrimage to Kauai. This time they are here with their children and grandchildren to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary which will be in a few days. They stand in front if the east side of the sanctum where they have sponsored the 2 bronze Siva murthis that will
go on the sanctum walls.

Here is a sweet testimony from: “None of the professional accomplishments that I have to my credit would even come close to the significance of the moment when, during the visit to the Aadheenam, I will be holding my five-year old grandson in my arms and telling him, pointing to the Iraivan Temple from the high ground, “You know, Vinay, that is the beautiful Iraivan Temple that the monks are building here for you and children like you. You are going to come back here as you grow up and say, ‘My grandfather brought me here when I was five.’ ” 

Dr. Rao will be fulfilling this vision when he brings his grandson here in the days ahead.

The domes of the North Chinna Gopuram when up today…

Our pilgrims watch from a distance…

We will let the rest of the photos tell their own story….One more great day in the history of Iraivan!