It is Sun Six today…the last day of a long, productive and busy phase here with many activities, guests, pilgrims.

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END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our phase.
This edition of TAKA will remain posted
over our coming two-day retreat,
until Dasami Tithi, Sun One, Friday, December 29th,

Murali and Anu Subramanian came on pilgrimage from Seattle and were “spiritually uplifted” by their experience here. Both are originally from Madras, South India.

Here they are with some of shilpis (stone carvers) whose Art has to be seen to believed.

In front of the Dakshinamurthy

This being the holiday season we scheduled two tour days this phase.

A large happy group arrived for the 9 a.m. tour. Here they are in front of the Yallis at the Iraivan Temple. Their first visit to a Hindu temple for most of them.

The second tour at 11 a.m. was slightly smaller, but just as enthusiastic about their visit to this paradise within a paradise. Just over 100 visitors today, included several families who are here on a dedicated pilgrimage.

Its the day after Pancha Ganapati Jutikidevi’s pictures of her pink quartz crystal Ganesha were a big hit and we bring you more from her home today….

She writes:

“Here is another 3 set of pictures, without flash, which gives a better representation, how it feels like in my living room, I feel like my apartment is floating somewhere!!”

Our three monastic pilgrims are in Chidambaram today. Meanwhile Yogi Japendranatha managed to send a few photos and captions…

Yoginathaswami sitting with Mr. Muthumanikam, our host in Palani, and one of the priests at Palani. Muthumanikam is the chairman of the endowment board for Palani temple and principal of the nagaswaram and tavil school connected to the temple. He is well respected by the temple staff and gave us unprecedented access to the temple, pujas, etc., bypassing throngs of devotees even at extremely busy times. The Ayyappan devotees are on their pilgrimage now, so the popular temples like Palani are packed with the black-clad, excited, uncontrollable yatris.

With the nagaswaram students at their school.

A coconut tree at the school that has branched out exactly like a trisula!

The nagaswaram students.

Two top nagaswaram students perform for us. They were amazingly good.

View of Palani from the rope car coming down from the hill.

Swamimalai temple as viewed from the second prakaram. Each prakaram at Swamimalai is on a different level, as in altitude.

Meditating in a mandapam in the second prakaram at Swamimalai. Swamimalai is mystically related to the fourth chakra.

That’s it for this phase from the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Above is a Google photo from satellite, with the 15-mile-long Niihau Island just offshore at the top, called the Forbidden Island. The yellow check is where the monastery is located. We will be back on Friday evening.

Aum Namasivaya!