When bodhinatha travels, one important aspect of the journey are the many personal darshan meetings and and personal discussion he has with various devotees and local community members.

In the afternoon of the Kumbhabhishekam of the Montreal Murugan Temple Bodhinatha several devotees came for darshan at the hotel lobby.

Here in Montreal with Bodhinatha is our Master Course student Roland Ndyahoze. He has been reading the Master course on email for the past three years.

Before this meeting, we had a nice lunch at an excellent Indian restaurant. It was with our Saiva Siddhanta Church clan–Indra and Kailas, Rogini and Jayam, Vel and Valli and the two of us. Here are Kulapati Vel and Kulamata Valli Alahan all the way from Colorado.

Rogini Shanmugam and her husband Jayam.

Here is Dharmalingam Siddhan and his mother.

Dharmalingam played a short video of his little daughter talking to Bodhinatha.

It was a brilliant sunny day on Kauai as June arrived.

A lovely lively group of healers and therapists arrived with Davala Shanmuga. She wanted to show them the “most peaceful place on earth.”

That’s Shama Kumaran there second from the left in white who has been hosting pilgrims and is also now taking pictures and sending captions for TAKA. Though officially retired she is a very busy lady!

She writes: Sarah Ray, a massage therapist from Virginia, felt that Kauai called her here. She loved the energy and beauty of this sacred place. Barbara Crane from Sparta, NJ is a Reiki practitioner and is totally interested in healing and spirituality. Her visit here was “magnificent.” Maria Prinz from Greeley, PA is a Holistic practitioner and came here for “spiritual reasons.” She found serenity and beauty in a very spiritual place. Moya Burns of Hendersonville, NC experienced a “spiritual reconnection” and plans to return here upon the temple’s completion.

The tropical sun shone brightly today on Siva’s devotees. There is a hint of heat in the air, of summer’s proximity.

We took a stroll out into the gardens. Here is a small Nandi worshipping Siva near our Lotus Pond.

Another view of the water leaving the pond.

And still father back.

The cooling waters are a blessing to our life here, flowing night and day, gurgling and bubbling down the waterways.

Giving life to Torch Gingers nearby.

And giant water lilies.

And orchids in the trees.

This is “Picasso,” an aptly named bromeliad, relative to the pineapple and splattered with a wild design that looks like spilled paint.

Off through our tunnel of wild guava trees leading us toward Iraivan temple.

There it is, in the distance.

We approach from the east.

Past the golden bamboo.

And discover Silpi Chelliah working on one of the new granite benches.

This one is quite near the temple, and Chelliah helped install it a few days back.

He noticed a small black stain, and is using his carver’s “sandpaper” to remove the splotch. Softly hammering away the top few molecules of stone and along with it the blackened spot.

We continue with a final series from Montreal’s temple events.

Here is an outside picture of the Montreal Murugan Temple from the celebration.

The celebration is in high gear as devotees gather at the brand new temple.

This is a close up image of a brass deity of Lord Murugan atop his mount the peacock in the main sanctum area.

This image is from the inner sanctum with beautiful detail on the art work.

This is from the second day of the celebration where the priests and musicians enter into the main sanctum.

A grand new temple for Lord Murugan in Montreal!

The Sri Subramuniya Kottam was established 25 years ago by Gurudeva in Kopay, Sri Lanka, to provide religious and secular education for the youth of the surrounding villages. The Kottam is also to serve as a spiritual and cultural hub for the Saivite Tamil community of the area. As part of its services the Kottam sponsors visits of Swamis, other spiritual and community leaders to attend functions of the Kottam to provide lectures and guidance for the community.

Last October Sri Saimatha of Nallur, Jaffna, visited the Kottam. We just received pictures of the following events of her visit to share with you all.

A Kottam elder Mr. I. Velayutham welcoming Sri Saimatha.

Sri Saimatha giving a talk. Standing next to her is Kulamatha Sivalosani Kanagaratnam.

Sri Saimatha with some of the Kottam members.