Mr. and Mrs. Tamil and Teresa Anban from Connecticut, getting a shawl blessing from Bodhinatha for their 10th wedding anniversary.

Bodhinatha blesses the gifts the couple brought to give to each other.

He will be leaving for Malaysia and Singapore tomorrow.

Part Two of the Iraivan Concrete Pour, August 2006

Heavy rains blessed us yesterday around 10:30 am, put a damper on photo shots of the final filling of the Nandi Mandapam, but, like most Kauai showers, it was over in a few hours and the project was not affected.

While the finishing team continued work on the top surface of the mandapam foundation, concrete trucks continued to arrive to fill up the “portico” projections in front of the Chinna Gopurams on the North, East and West sides of the temple sanctum area.

No boom pumps needed here… straight from the truck into the forms.

a tarp had been placed over the slab near the end, and was then removed for the finisher to complete their work after the rains abated.

Meanwhile, more video from the 26th below:

The Great Nandi Mandapam Concrete Pour of 2006!

Episode Two!

The team at the end of the day. More about them tomorrow.

Craig Kawakami lifted us way up on a boom crane for a shot of the job. Wow! The temple has really been extended.

Meanwhile in an unexpected boon, it seems estimates on the amount of concrete over shot the actual need and we had a full truck and a half left over.

Well, it was a boon from Nandi Himself to send some concrete out to the cow milking station. A small miracle, concrete for a Nandi mandapam, becomes a mandapam for the *real* cows too (smile)

This means our cows will not have to stand in the mud while they wait their turn for the sweet alfalfa at the milking station.

It also means that our monks have been saved many, many man hours of hard labor that they would have done doing concrete by hand.

The base for a new series of compost bins also completed.

And finished by our very own Siddhidata Kulam team. He said “NFT” ! (Not For Taka!) but we could not resist.

Burlap on hand to throw over the slab to keep it cool. Temperature checks this morning: the slab is “cooking” at a 110 degrees fahrenheit, as the cement undergoes it’s chemical reactions, which is cool enough.

A shot from this morning. That’s not plastic but burlap that covers the slab, soaked with water.

Meanwhile around the world Lord Ganesha took center stage today. We have these photos from Mauritius of preparations the members made last week in preparation for this day there. And more pictures in the days ahead of the festival events.

The Ganesha Mandapam looks quiet in the morning. Visitors usually comes during the day to worship as a family. With the forthcoming celebration of Ganesha Chaturthi at the Spiritual Park on Monday 28th August, the members are busy doing karma yoga at the Spiritual Park.

The Dharmasala building which serves as the main office and where kulapaties hold COM meetings every month looks quiet too…

Vani is getting new stocks for the Mini Mela. Devotees like to buy a souvenir on Ganesha Chaturthi. On that festival day another booth is being set up outside to sell Himalayan Academy publications to cater for the large crowd being expected.

Siven Veerasamy, our Spiritual Park worker in charge of maintenance is getting some tiles ready to be fixed at the small Ganesha Shrine.

Inside the Mandapam a group of sishyas led by Parmeswaran Ramsamy and Nanda Thungavellu are rehearsing Ganesha bhajans that will be sung during the ceremony.

The musicians and singers are to be in correct note tuning…

The ladies are enthusiastically rehearsing for Lord Ganesha’s birthday…

Karma yoga continues with the removal of the main brass bells at the entrance of the Ganesha Mandapam by Paramasiven and Somandiren.

Premila and Maghadevi are cleaning the brass homa pit and other items near the swimming pool area…

…. while Somandiren is cutting a few fine trees in front of the Mandapam. These trees when growing tall would actually be a real risk to the Mandapam should a cyclone hit the island.

In the meantime a family has come to worship privately at Pancha Mukha Ganapati’s Feet.

Many places around the Park needs thorough cleaning. Sivarathna is water-pressurising planks…..

Sivarathna, Jambalini and Giradevi are having some real fun brushing…The planks will then be polished and varnished once they are dry.

With the large numbers of visitors coming a lot of dirt has accumulated in the very porous lava rock steps leading into the Mandapam. Kumaren is taking good care now removing the dirt…

The large bras bell which is always rung at the height of the puja needs some polishing. Our ladies are ready for this seva.

Even little Venilla is happy to see so many activities going on…

The bell is finally polished…

A new water tank has been donated to the park. It will be used for the first time on Ganesha Chaturthi. The sishyas have been fixing it into place while the ladies are serving some tea to karma yogis.

Visitors kept coming and going during the whole day. Here is a whole family that made it a point to pilgrimage to the Spiritual Park together.