Shashikant and Kumud Sane visited this morning from Minnesota in the northern USA. Their community’s under-construction temple was vandalized on April 5, and most of the granite murtis destroyed in the process. The temple had been slated to have it’s kumbhabhishekam very soon. It was devastating to the community, however they pulled together and started the recovery process immediately. Mr. and Mrs. Sane had come here to share the news with Bodhinatha in person.

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END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our short four-day phase.
This edition of TAKA will remain posted
over our coming two-day retreat,
until Dvitya Tithi, Sun One, Friday, April 28th.

Both are very devout and spiritual souls. Kumud was delighted to see an article in progress for the next edition on the famed “wari” pilgrimage to Pandharpur in Maharastra. She herself was a “warakari” (pilgrim) who performed this arduous vrata years ago.

Let see how this is done.

Kasi and Vidya Ramanathan (left) also visited today with both sets of parents from Anne Arbor, Michigan and Chicago area.

They have nearly all been here before at some time or another, but the first time as a whole group, and also the first time since Kasi and Vidya got married last August.

Kasi had visited us three years ago alone on pilgrimage. He was quite taken with the spiritual vibration of Kauai Aadheenam and enrolled in the formal Master Course Correspondence Study, which he followed diligently for a year.

They are all very happy to be here and Bodhinatha presented Kasi and Vidya with a special shawl as a wedding blessing. That asked him for advice for newlyweds and he conveyed Gurudeva’s main advice that all disagreements, which naturally will arise in the course of married life, be resolved before going to bed by talking it through calmly and quietly, seeking to understand each other’s points of view and come to an agreement.

The families have good question and answer session with Bodhinatha.

We completed work on our new parking area out at the front of the monastery and tried out a phase end tour for the public today. A new plan to try to space out the big crowds was implemented: one tour begins at 9 AM and the next one at 11 AM. The intended goal being that parking space will open up for the second group after the first group departs. We catch a glimpse today of the people arriving.

After several weeks of a break, Sadhaka Dandapani is back on duty.
These tours had a dual purpose, the second being to train Brahmachari Satya Subramaniam in how our visitor excursions are held. Satya will learn and in the months ahead begin taking on this fun responsibility each week.

Our silpis demonstrating the stone chipping process.

Dr. Sunder and Thilaka came for their last day before returning home to California.