It is Sun Three today and the Pillaiyar Kulam shared news. Shanmuganathaswami has shipped books to Chennai and is working to open up an Indian distribution center so that people in India do not have to pay exorbitant shipping fees for books. With the help of Venkatt Guhesan we will have a special web interface for Indian web shoppers. Shanmuganathaswami has also put in many many hours working with Yogi Japendranatha on our new phone system upgrade. Muruganathaswami has been working on the continuing promotion of the new book What is Hinduism by keeping in touch with reviewers. One important development is that Publisher’s Weekly is planning to review the book. He is also sending out copies to various news papers in key locations around the country. Sadhaka Jothinatha told us news on various new innersearch applicants. Yogi Jivanandanatha who carries a lot of the accounting on his shoulders is in the midst of closing the books for 2006 along with other regular duties like tracking down all the credit card charges that come thru. Dharmaraj has been doing a lot of shipping and is now a “Fed Ex Shipping Expert” … we sent off dozens of shipments of items for sale to our fulfillment center in Michigan. Shanmuganathaswami and his team have recently done a great service to the whole monastery by cleaning up and renovating the shelving in our storage containers for the Lambodara Kulam and also the “Loha Guha” which is a giant metal storage building. He also spearheaded the initiative to get a new professional side walk cleaner which came yesterday and is in testing. Tandavan Task forcer has been helping with inventory of retail items for sale and the storage area upgrades. A very busy team!

This morning was the auspicious monthly Chitra puja for Gurudeva.

Yogi Jivanandanatha and Sadhaka Tejadeva are the priests today.

Below is movie from this morning’s events. Note we are advancing our video format delivery to H.264. You need the Quicktime 7.1 to see these on Windows.

Shama Kumaran with the camera and guests at Iraivan:

Manikandan perches high atop the second of two Bhadra pillars which were lifted onto their bases within the past few days. Karupaiah and Chellaiya stand each side of the pillar smiling at the completion of a successful morning’s work.

A vacationing couple from Minnesota who had heard about the Iraivan Temple, but never dreamed that they would actually “see it,” pose in front of the main entrance after being taken on a spontaneous tour this morning.

Kimberley and her parents Mr. and Mrs. R. Wyckham have been here on pilgrimage for several days now enjoying the morning pujas in the Kadavul Temple and visiting the beautiful Iraivan Temple and botanical gardens of the Aadheenam. Today they return home. Kimberley has spent several months in South India and plans to return there in the not too distant future.

We have also enjoyed the presence of this delightful Danish family over the past several days. Heidi Tordrup and her three wonderful children, Gaia (age 14), Sol Bjorn (age 10), and Wolf (age 7). They return to Denmark with a lot of rich and wonderful experiences and memories during their visit here. Heidi promised that her family “will return to Kauai and this wonderful temple here someday.”

Kulapati Deva Seyon is back from Mauritius and he brought with him these beautiful temple decoration flags for festival days.

They are a stunning addition to the dancing Tandava statues in Kadavul.

The flags say:

“Aum Sakti!”