Sadhaka Dandapani sends us photos from Jan 6th and on to today from the Innersearch group in Australia…

“Jan 6th: Surrinder Jain interviews Bodhinatha in the hotel room. Surrinder produces shows for a community TV station and they are planning to do a documentary series of Bodhinatha’s talks in Sydney.”

Our first official event for the Innersearch, traditionally called the Crows Nest Meeting – a meeting to get to know one another.

Bodhinatha welcomes everyone and shares with them some of the topics that he plans to cover in his classes in the days ahead.

The monks lovingly produced a study guide for each participant that covers the classes during Innersearch. Bodhinatha hands one to Rudy Tanzi, from Boston.

That evening the group visits the Sydney Murugan Temple. It’s a beautiful temple built in the traditional style.

The monks are welcomed with garlands and a rose for each Innersearcher.

There were about 700 to 800 people at the temple. Local Hindus commented that it was one of the largest crowds they had seen to welcome a swami.

Ganga Sivanathan and Devi Tandavan take their first official step into Hinduism by taking their namakarana samskara.

After the puja, Bodhinatha went to the cultural hall next to the temple to give a talk titled “Devotion to Lord Murugan”

The hall was packed and many were outside unable to get in.

The Nagaratnam family, these young boys and girls, oversaw the literature distribution on behalf of the aadheenam.

Palaniswami introduces Bodhinatha to the crowd.

Bodhinatha honors Mrs Nageswari Nadarajah for being a long time supporter of Iraivan Temple and Hinduism Today.

She often collects money from family and friends and sends them to the aadheenam for Iraivan Temple. A certificate is presented to her.

Dr. and Mrs Nagaratnam are also honored for their help with Iraivan Temple over the years. They were the first people to sponsor a stone, the gomukai, for Iraivan. The gomukai happen to be the last stone that Gurudeva put in place with his own two hands. They also sponsored the East Chinna Gopuram.

Jan 7th (day 2): Innersearchers walking through Sydney city with a monorail above them.

Josan Feathers and Chudika Mahadevan admire a beautiful fountain.

Making our way along the wharf in Darling Harbour to our boat, Magistic Two, for a cruise on the harbour.

Bodhinatha enjoying the view from above.

Shelah Young and Carole Kahn full of smiles.

Bodhinatha poses with Deva, Gayatri & Shivani Rajan (right) and Priya Alahan (left)

Palaniswami talks to Rudy and Dora as we sail past the Opera House.

A view of the beautiful city of Sydney.

It was an absolutely smashing day and the views from the boat were spectacular.

Easan Katir from California, happy to be here with Bodhinatha and sends his love back to his family who view TAKA daily.

Dr Nagaratnam, from Sydney, gets to know Krishnan Mariappan from Singapore.

Sadhaka Jivananda enjoys a conversation with Panjan Nagaratnam and Ainkaran Krishnarajah.

Palaniswami with the Wigneswarans who have been extremely helpful with coordinating Bodhinatha’s visit to Sydney.

Innersearch is a wonderful opportunity to get to know the monks better.

After the cruise we feasted on a wonderful Malaysian/Singaporean lunch.

After lunch we strolled to the Outback Centre for a live didjeridoo performance.

Later that evening we headed to Circular Quay. A Holland America cruise ship makes its way past the Opera House.

A Chinese dinner at the Peking Imperial. A restaurant with a million dollar view of the harbor bridge and Opera House. They serve some amazing contemporary chinese cuisine.

Our traditional Innersearch group photo.

Back home at the Aadheenam we start up a five-day phase after a quiet retreat. One very important package has arrived from India!

Here are the five volumes of Ajita Agama in Sanskrit and English translation. These are very important text for our Saiva tradition.

This section of the Ajita Agama deals primarily with the ritual worship of the Siva linga and related temple ceremonies.

Beneath the banyan tree the Six-Faced Shanmuga Murthi awaits it’s time to be raised and installed. Yoginathaswami discusses the operation with Shanmugam Sthapati.

We have him carefully protected. Since the banyan tree will prevent a regular lift by crane, it will need to be done by the silpis themselves. But first a solid base must be made.

The temple tank for Kadavul, with the murthi the young Saint Sambandar in the distance.

Our month long dry spell has broken with showers these past few days. With our Satguru away with five of the monks, the Aadheenam is blissfully quiet. But we still have a steady stream of visitors each morning. We thought that by now it would have abated, but many have extended holidays. Each one is overwhelmed with the peace and sanctity that permeates that Aadheenam atmosphere.