At home we started the phase with homa as usual and it was also tour day. But, today’s photos are coming from our work in remote locations. First, Bodhinatha’s mission to Toronto and then a series from Mauritius.

Here we are on Day One in Toronto. Leaving Kauai on Thursday the 19th, Bodhinatha and Acharya Kumarswami after a long red-eye arriving in Toronto on Friday at about noon. After a short rest they were off to the Varasiddhi Vinayagar Temple in Toronto.

Bodhinatha writes of this day:

“Flew from Chicago to Toronto arrived around noon. Rested at our hotel for a few hour. then left for Varasiddhi Vinayaga temple at 5:30. At temple 6 PM to 11 PM. A powerful festival evening with 600-700 people there. They had printed my talk ahead of time in English and Tamil and handed it out to everyone. The theme of this day of the festival is Ganesha doing puja to Siva, so my talk on Siva is the God of love fit in perfectly.

“The parade deity was special for the day, a bejeweled Ganesha and Siva lingam. Afterwards we gave vibhuti to maybe half the group and Kumarswami handed them All About Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. Great chanting, four tavil and four nagaswaram players who were quite good.”

As the evening began only a few devotees were there, but by the end of the pujas over 500 had gathered.

A highly professional team of priests, here doing pujas at the various shrines.

The homa begins.

A photo of Gurudeva is prominently displayed in the temple next to the image of Sri Yogaswami.

The puja here centralizes around the temple flagpole, kodimaram.

Bodhinatha offers arati.

Introductory presentations.

Bodhinatha gives his talk at the end of the ceremonies on the theme, “Siva is the God of Love,” Anbe Sivam.

Final arati is offered to the parade Deity by the officiating priest.

Ekadipa, the single flamed lamp.

The large parade Deity was carried around the Deity on the shoulders of 16 men at an stately, slow pace.

We are pleased to share with you a few photos the July Ganesha Homa at the Spiritual Park of Mauritius… A great moment of worship and deep devotion to Lord Pancha Mukha Ganapati.

As usual the ceremony starts with devotional songs to build up the vibration.

Today the inside of the Ganesha Mandapam is once more tightly filled up with loving devotees.

Kulapati SK Moorghen welcomes all the devotees present. Most of them are seated outside….

Lord Ganapati looks bright and cheerful decked with beautiful garlands.

All through the ceremony devotees traveling from all parts of the island bring offerings to be placed at the feet of the deity.

The fire is lighted. Kulapati Siven Koothan officiates the ceremony.

Meanwhile devotees quietly seated outside chant the holy Ganapati mantra ….

One young lady from Rose Hill gave a wonderful testimony of how her worship of Lord Ganesha helped her obtain a scholarship to study in the USA.

Kulapati Siven Koothan gave a public talk on the subconscious mind from the Kailasa parampara teachings.

New young visitors coming to the Ganesha for the first time. They are very impressed by the ceremony.

A narmada lingam is about to be installed at the Park and devotees would be going down the river to collect water that they would then pour on the lingam.This is the site where the devotees would walk down to the river….

Kulapaties Koothan, Mogul, Valaytan and Pallanee discussed on the site to discuss how a mini waterfront is to be constructed.

Kulapati Mougam is in charge of looking into this new project and make proposals to the COM.

The homa ceremony is over . Devotees are able to come a little closer to the deity for personal worship.

Paramasiven (right) with some regular visitors ….