During our last retreat, we traversed a very auspicious day… February 15th, the 30th anniversary of Gurudeva’s vision of Siva, walking the lands of San Marga in the early morning of 1975. It was a life-changing vision, not only for us but for every pilgrim who will ever come to visit this sacred place — the Iraivan Temple that began three decades ago.

Gurudeva said: “It was in 1959 that my path led me to the Hawaiian Islands for the first time. In 1968 I returned to the islands on a vision quest, seeking and finding a place to move our international headquarters, there to live a contemplative life in harmony with the ultimate attainment of the Self within man. One early morning, before dawn, a three-fold vision of Lord Siva came to me. First I beheld Lord Siva walking in a valley, then I saw His face peering into mine, then He was seated on a large stone, His reddish golden hair flowing down His back. That was February 15, 1975.

“This was the fulfillment of the quest for a vision of what the future might hold, which led me and my followers to the lovely Garden Island of Kauai, held the most sacred of all by the Hawaiian peoples long, long ago. It is alongside the sacred Wailua River, leading to the top of Mt. Waialeale, that this place of pilgrimage is being built, a temple of kaivalya, granting freedom from the past and a vision for the future. The temple’s 700-pound 50-million-years-in-
the-making crystal icon is a kalpaka (spiritual wish-fulfilling) ever-giving Sivalingam. So many blessings await each pilgrim. None is ever neglected.”

Below is the Svayambhulingam Mandapam that is being built around the site of Gurudeva’s vision, sponsored by a devotee in Hong Kong. Preliminary engineering has started, soil tests have been made and in the months ahead the work will begin.

A walk through the Aadheenam grounds…

It’s just February, but the days are starting to get longer and we can sense the plants are “waking up.”

Nepali Ganesha at the beginning of the entrance to the the path to Kadavul temple.

Beyond this humble magic portal of ferns and banyan branches, a surprise awaits the visitor.

What is that we spy through banyan tendrils streaming down everywhere and rooting into the ground…

Oh! A big Siva temple, on Kauai!

and beauty on all sides….