Bodhinatha shares a preview of a talk he plans to give in Toronto on his up-and-coming trip at our Sun One homa today…

Today our home was very special as it was conducted by the elder Kurukkal, Nrityaraja, who performed all the kriyas (actions) while the younger Kandasamy Kurukkal chanted. Aran and Tara Veylan sponsored today’s homa and sit near for blessings and to make offerings.

Nrityaraja Kurukkal conducted the rites with a relaxed gentle grace and ease that only comes from a lifetime of serving in the temple. We were all blessed to have him…

The homa was filmed on video to help train our monastic priests.

It was yet another day in over a week-long series of truly “mangalam” (auspicious) events… We feel as if we have been lifted into another world.

But if you think of it… this is simply the result of the following the Saiva Dharma, and the gift that such a lifestyle offers to those who walk on the path of the Saiva Neri.

We have to thank our Gurudeva and all the rishis and sages who preceded him for bringing forward such a blessed heritage.

The priest come up for blessings after the homa.

Dr. Selva and his wife, from Lancaster, California, are here on pilgrimage. They flew over a few days ago to attend the Garbhanyasa ceremony for Iraivan Temple and have been spending their time on the island here at the aadheenam.

Though they have heard of us before and read Hinduism Today, it is their first visit to the aadheenam. This morning they had a nice meeting with Bodhinatha.

Now that the ceremonies are over… we are all back to work. Yesterday’s retreat day was “Iraivan Day” and the monks were all focused on various projects. One was to get a lot of posters prepared for up-and-coming fund raising events. We are not sure if we ever showed you all this amazing painting by A. Manivel, showing Hanuman carrying Iraivan from India to Kauai…

We have about 300 photos in our queue from events that have transpired here in the past few days… we will bring them to you in chronological order… and let many of them simply speak for themselves.

The day after Guru was a day “off,” with no special events. But we were all busy nevertheless. Bodhinatha had darshan meetings with many of the devotees during the morning… Here is Jutikadevi Sivaraja, receiving her Samaya Diksha (Mantra Initiation) sadhana guidebook…

Signed by Bodhinatha…

Nalakini Niranjana from Malaysia shaved her head and received blessings…

Uma Swami also from Malaysia..

Aran and Tara Veylan from Edmonton…

One of their sons, Devasiva Veylan

That afternoon, all the members and many of the monks were focused back at the Iraivan temple. A big team worked on gold leafing the capstone of the West Chinna Gopuram.

A natural clay homa pit was prepared for the Garbanyasa ceremony to come the next day…

Sadhaka Nilakantha applies the wet vibhuti tripundra decorations.

We will let you all enjoy the following gold leafing picture in “silence.”

Koviloor Swami sits at the temple site watching the gold leaf work… a technology he may take back to India.

Little Chidambaram says: “This isn’t so hard to do!”