Above is a classic shot, which says so much about Saiva Siddhanta Church, our international congregation and our future.

Sivaneswaran began studying Gurudeva’s teachings when he was just a teenager in Malaysia. Meanwhile across the Indian Ocean in Mauritius the daughter of one of the founding members of Saiva Siddhanta Church in Mauritius, Venilla Mardemootoo was also growing up under the grace of our Paramapara. Who knew then that they would marry and today a second generation has come, under Gurudeva’s successor, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami.

This photo was taken at the Ganesha Mandapam at the Saiva Dharmasala, Saiva Siddhanta Church, Mauritius.

Meanwhile news from Bodhinatha is filtering back from his trip… He sent a note just a few minutes ago:

“Today’s was a flight from Los Angeles to Washington, DC where we were met by Nigel Siva, his mother in law, Padmini and Vayudeva who provided a traditional Sri Lankan stringhopper dinner.

“Yesterday in Los Angeles, our morning began bright and early with an eight AM limousine pickup for the forty minute drive to the Long Beach headquarters of Halbert Hargrove Russell, financial management company for Hindu Heritage Endowment. The driver was a Hindu from Nepal, so we had an interesting talk about these times of transition in Nepal.

‘In the evening we had satsang at the home of Tushar and Alka Doshi, the sponsor of our San Marga Hanuman Murthi. A group of about 15 relatives and friends gathered. Included a slot for questions and answers on Hindu issues with some good questions from all age groups.’

It was a bright sunny day at the Aadheenam. It is the monthly “Archive Day” in the Ganapati Kulam with all hands and brains focused on the wealth of the heritage of materials that we have from our beloved Gurudeva.

Here is Thambynathan Satya Subramaniam, inputing catalog information on “Mathavasi Shastras” more tapes of talks that Gurudeva gave to the monks thru the years.

Gurudeva was a big fan of what he called “the Flowbook” which documented standards for procedures and conduct in all departments of our monastic life. He used this as a training manual for new monks and to help us stay reminded of the way things should be done and run.

Acharya Kumarswami is going through old flow book pages. This one is dated April 5, 1971, signed By Gurudeva. Entitled “Nutrition for Meditation Policies”

Natarajnathaswami is getting down to the bottom of the piles of old photos. This has been under organization for literally 8 years.

Its a beautiful sunny day today and we received several visitors from all parts of the Mainland.

A couple from Seattle and a group of graduate students from Chicago and Ohio who are all on vacation in paradise. All were taken on a tour of the property. After the tour they were asked what they thought of their first visit to a Hindu temple. As their faces lit up and they all chorused together “Beautiful!” Everyone wanted to come back after it was completed.

Another couple arrived, Avinash Mude an architect and his wife Malini who is a psychiatrist from Philadelphia PA.

Avinash was previously from Maharasthra and his wife was from Karnataka.

They thoroughly enjoyed their tour of the Iraivan Temple and both found it to be “Beautiful, wonderful and unforgettable,” and highlighted their visit to Kauai.

Due the huge crowds coming to see Pancha Mukha Ganapati, a second smaller Murthi has been established nearby for people to worship.

It is a lovely new addition to our Spiritual Park.

if you ever want to go on a vacation, enjoy a beautiful new world and also go to temples and have satsang with Gurudeva’s family… go to Mauritius!