Here is Bodhinatha amidst our joyful open house festivities today. We have 120 photos of events from the Chitra puja, this morning’s homa and open house, which we will bring to you over the next three days.

Ah, what a remarkable day this was, this first day of our annual Guru Purnima Festival. Hundreds of visitors, wonderful events, profound sharing, resonant music, sweet conversation, sumptuous food….But this is TAKA and right now we need to publish YAKA “Yesterday at Kauai Aadheenam,” since otherwise you will miss all the great preparations that made today special. Not to worry, all of today will be revealed tomorrow. As Saturday falls behind the mountain here, we will step back in time to the last day of last phase. Here are the weekly guests on tour day.

“What are those interesting carved symbols on the pillars?”

And these round balls inside the lion’s mouths?

70 guests… a big group….

Then, the second day of our retreat was Chitra puja day. Many of the devotees coming for Guru Purnima had already arrived.

All the way from Malaysia….

Jai Gurudeva!

Everyone chants Gurudeva’s names… and his presence is so close, so palpable… as if having so many of his sishya all together here at the Aadheenam somehow draws him even close to the physical plane.

Then third day of our retreat was a big work day for everyone. The monks really, really, REALLY! want to thank the Kauai members and all the Malaysian members for their very hard work in the few days ahead of the open house. If would have been impossible without you.

Chopping vegetables to feed today’s open house crowds…

The ladies are all together having fun getting to know each other and share together…

100’s of pounds of vegetables were sliced and diced and set aside ready for the cooking to begin, as it did, early this morning about about 3 am…

Meanwhile out on San Marga, behind the Swayambhu Lingam, the tent contractor has arrived with a beautiful white gathering tent.

Giant stakes are pounded in….

Arjunan Subramaniam and Kailash Daksinamurthi… helping to set up the catering station….

Tandu Sivanathan has been working hard for several days.. The Aadheenam’s wealth of tropical foliage is put to good use today and hundreds of decorative plants are cut, ready for the show.

We know a lot of our Malaysians are tuning in… here is Kulapati Thanabalan… with his Red Vel… the beautiful torch gingers… He gives you all a big “Vanakkam from Hawaii… wish you could be here… ” smile…

A stunning collection of heliconia flowers..

Devasiva Veylan from Edmonton Canada… acting assistant to Sadhaka Dandapani, the event coordinator….. lots of driving back and forth between San Marga and the Aadheenam.

From the entrance to the Swayambhu Lingam square you can see the tent is about to rise, in the back…

Up, up….

Wow! a really professional, beautiful one…

Some 600 plus chairs are included… and the monks prepare some smaller tents… just to make sure there there is a shady and shower protected area for everyone.

The decorations team goes to work…

Tombai, flags, flowers.. .everywhere.

Meanwhile the feeding station is also being geared up… by the end of the day everything was as ready as we could make it…

Then the auspicious first day ceremonies began with a homa and a special vrata and diksha…

Kartikeya Katir takes his brahmacharya vrata, vowing aloud, three times, to the whole group and before the sacred fire:

“I, Kartikeya Katir, seek the blessings of God, Gods and guru as I declare of my own volition my firm intention to live a pure and virtuous life and now take this brahmacharya vrata. I vow to value and protect purity in thought, word and deed, and chastity in body, to sublimate and transmute the sexual energies and the instinctive impulses of anger, jealousy, greed, hatred and selfishness….”

“I promise to remain chaste and pure until marriage and wear this sacred brahmacharya cord around my waste to betoken this solemn oath.”

“At such time that I marry, I promise to marry a Saivite Hindu virgin by arrangement of both families and with the blessings of my guru.”

Flower blessings from Bodhinatha…

Next, the all important Samaya Diksha…also known as Mantra Diksha… the transmission of the sacred Panchakshara Mantra from the Satguru to the sincere Saivite devotee, setting the devotee firmly on the path of spiritual sadhana..

Bodhinatha conveys the mantra into the right ear of Kailash Dhaksinamurthi, along with instructions for the proper performance of japa, which is the very first step on the yoga marga….

It is a very sacred, profound and significant moment in the passage of the spiritual teaching and power from the Satguru to the devotees. This is the true essence of sampradaya and is at the heart of almost all Hindu lineages.

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami places his hands on Kailash’s head for several minutes… transferring the sacred power and blessing. This is only the beginning, now the real inner work begins. The satguru gives the spark, but the sishya must uphold the instructions and fulfill the sadhana for the diksha-initiation to bring to fruition the spiritual unfoldment.

Bodhinatha has prepare a wonderful booklet for Mantra Diksha initiates, which provide them with detailed instructions for their sadhana.

Kailash and Kartikeya join in offerings to the sacred fire… it was a very special beginning to a wonderful day…

Then Bodhinatha gave his Sun One talk and our event coordinators stood up to say:

“Ok everyone! we will have a coordination meeting at 7:30 and a short breakfast and then get ready for the open house.. people will start arriving at 8:15… so, have a wonderful day…”

Stay tuned for more pictures tomorrow.