A photo from the Innersearch earlier this year in Sydney, Australia, as we send Bodhinatha off on another long journey. He left for Malaysia this afternoon. He arrives in Penang, Malaysia on August 31st. Acharya Kumarswami is traveling with him for the next three weeks.

We bring you the story of yesterday’s Ganesha Chaturthi.

Sadhaka Jivanandanatha does the puja. We will let the pictures tell their own story…

After the puja, we go down to the river to immerse clay Ganeshas in the Wailua River.

Ginger flowers and tree ferns capture our photographer’s attention on the way down.

Durvasa Alahan and a young boy swam out into the pool and after some chanting released Lord Ganesha into the elements.

Notice there are a dozen or more small, hand-sculpted Ganeshas on the palanquin, amid all the tropical flowers.

It was a wonderful afternoon for families on the island and visitors.

More pictures of yesterday’s guests from Shama Kumaran who hosted them out at Iraivan.

Tamil and Theresa Anban from Vernon, Connecticut, were taken on an early morning tour of the Iraivan Temple after which they were blessed with a special meeting with Sat Sivaguru, Bodhinatha Veylanswami.

Two other families arrived for a late morning visit to the Iraivan Temple. Perumal and Saroja Balasekaran from Dallas, Texas, originally Chennai, and another family from Paradise Valley, Arizona with three physicians in the family! Arcet Premukar, pulmonology, Kamala, psychology and their daughter Ashrini, a neurologist and daughter Arathid.