Today is the annual festival for Lord Murugan, the festival called Thai Pusam in the Hindu sacred calendar. Bodhinatha is here watching the silpis at work under the banyan tree, preparing to install the Six-Faced Lord….

Have darshan of Lord Murugan during the powerful Arati by watching today’s latest video posting. Click here to go to our video index home page and navigate from there.

END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our phase.
This edition of TAKA will remain posted
over our coming three-day retreat,
until Tritya Tithi, Sun One, Wednesday, February 15th.

Just setting in the west over our extinct volcano, the full moon in the month of Thai heralds this sacred day early in the morning just before dawn in the east.

Thai Pusam is sacred to Lord Murugan, God of yoga and renunciation, of healing and spiritual striving. Here He is in the early hours before dawn, awaiting the devotees, with a golden palm leaf behind Him.

This is the chosen day to install Lord Murugan under our ancient Banyan tree. Here he is at night, in His form as Shanmugam, with six heads and twelve arms. The harness is holding Him aloft until the auspicious moment.

Early this morning he was surrounded by torch lamps …

Sitting on blocks while the puja went on in Kadavul temple.

Inside Kadavul the ever amazing abhishekam to Lord Subramaniya.

After the puja and abhishekam, devotees gathered under the banyan as the sun was just rising.

Bodhinatha leads the installation.

Craftsmen work with the ropes and chains which hold the 4-ton sculpture.

Bodhinatha watches quietly as the silpis go to work…

The statue is rigged now, straight up….

Bodhinatha takes the nine gems…

..places them under the murthi…

And then an arati is performed..

The silpis hoist up the massive nearly 2-ton statue …

Sadhaka Tejadeva rings the bell during the installation rites.

Down He goes, settling into His new home.

The silpis remove the wooden blocks and spread mortar in the opening.

Silpi Chelliah guides the block into place.

The deed is done. Tat Aastu.

Final touches to the position…

And Bodhinatha breaks a coconut…

Bodhinatha with the silpi team. They did a great job.

Morning rites complete… Bodhinatha returns to the Aadheenam..

Later in the morning we had our end of phase tour day… A local group of elders joined us… this Amma wanted to have her picture taken with Sadhaka Dandapani, the tour guide.

Now our visitors have a new and magnificent darshan to experience on the way up the temple path….

Vetri Vel! Muruganukku!