Maha Samadhi celebrations continue here in a quiet way…

Later in the morning Bodhinatha had a seminar with all the devotees…

This is Hiranyavaha Balu, who is here for the first time with his mother and father Balu and Parimala from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Hiranya is eight years old and enjoys helping in the temple… Today extra decorations were going on at Gurudeva’s shrine. Eight-year olds have interesting ideas about their future. At first Hiranya wanted to be a Formula One Race car driver… His father suggested this may not be the best route to take and he might consider other options. Hiranya did that… Now he wants to be the First Malaysian Astronaut, and after his debut in space he would come to Kauai Aadheenam to be a monk.

Last evening after appropriate pujas we removed the old Muruga Deity in the outside shrine of Kadavul on the east wall. And this evening we will install the new one…

His arm had been broken and we’ve been waiting for an opportunity to replace the murthi with the proper ceremonial rites.

Silpi Rajendran tries his best to separate the murthi, which has been bonded into place, from the concrete peedam.

The previous installation was well done, and it takes more than a few blows to free the old murthi.

As it turned out, we needed to bring in jack-hammer for the final moment to free the old murthi from its place.

Our team takes him away.

“Where are we going now?”

“Down to the river…”

It is almost night fall as the team goes down the pali path…

Here we are, on the banks of the Wailua River where the forces of the old murthi will be adjusting a few days and then finally he will be immersed in the river…