Here is Bodhinatha being greeted in Penang, northern Malaysia. but we will being our story back on August 28th, at the Aadheenam.

In the car and off we go

a relaxed moment on the way to Honolulu

Kumarswami checks out the safety features on the plane.

In the friendly skies above the Hawaiian Islands

Calling the shuttle

Woops, got the camera turned around the wrong way�

A Confucian shrine in Taipei

One of those long airport walks�

Sivaram Eeswaran, Devika and Sivaram’s mother, greeting Bodhinatha at the airport in Penang.

Bodhinatha is greeted by 75 to 100 devotees from the Penang community at Thanabalan and Ahila Ganesan’s home

Here he is greeted at the door. The priests at left serve at the nearby temple.

Pada puja is about to begin.

Bodhinatha wraps a shawl around newlyweds Taraman and Marri.

during the puja, the priests chanted Sri Rudram.

Devotees came forward afterwards for blessings from Bodhinatha.

Ahila and Thanabalan present a gift, a sandstone Ganesha from Thailand.

Vibhuti prasadam for a happy little girl.

Bodhinatha has already shifted to Kuala Lumpur and held an all-day seminar from 9 AM to 6 PM at Hotel Singghasana in Petaling Jaya. Topics included:

• The Yamas and Niyamas,
• Learning from Mistakes,
• Worship in Home Shrine, Temple and Pilgrimage,
• Karma Management,
• Work Is Worship,
• Basics of Meditation

.

We will pick up the story of his travels with more photos tomorrow.

Ganesha Chaturthi is a big festival in Mauritius and an national holiday. It is grandly celebrated at our Saiva Siddhanta Church Branch in the north in the small coastal town of Riviere-du-Rempart. Our report brings you this series today and more to come.

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The giant Panchamukha (Five-faced) Ganapati has be beautifully decorated. Every year the Spiritual Park of Mauritius celebrates Ganesha Chaturthi, the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is a time of rejoicing, when all Hindus worship together as Lord Ganesha is honored by Hindus of every sect. This God knows all intricacies of each soul’s karma and the perfect path of dharma that makes action successful.

On Ganesha Chaturthi Hindus of the island make it a duty to worship this benevolent God in their home shrines, local temples or pilgrimage to the Spiritual Park. Gurudeva Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder of the Spiritual Park said of His vision of the Park:”It is destined to become a pilgrimage site of great renown in the Indian Ocean.”

Today thousands of devotees have happily come to the Park with their families.

Sivacharya Siva from India is today performing an elaborate parartha puja for Lord Pancha Mukha Ganapati!

Here is the worship of Lord Ganesha through water, lights, flowers, fruits and sweets offered by devotees..

The Mandapam is full with devotees barely leaving any walking space. Tents have been erected on two sides where devotees comfortably seated can follow the puja. Tents have also been erected in front the building to cater for the large numbers of devotees.

Nadeswaram players are enhancing the Agamic and Vedic rites with their traditional music.

The members of the Spiritual Park are leading the bhajans. All devotees form the chorus. The mandapam is filled with inspiring devotional songs.

The Sivachariya preparing the homa fire…

While those close to the Homa are experiencing the intense heat of the fire, many devotees outside are quietly worshipping in the cold rain. Both are happy today to be receiving Lord Ganesha’s Blessings…

SatGuru Bodhinatha explains: “See Ganesha’s majestic face and with mental force ask for help and explain the problem. Lord Ganesha will send you ideas and thought power, introduce you to new attitudes, help you to understand other people, help you use wisdom and not emotions to face life’s many experiences, and when that happens you will be more successful in all you undertake.”

Many written prayers have been burnt into the sacred homa fire to Lord Ganesha.

Lord Ganesha is the Lord of Obstacles, revered for his great wisdom and and invoked first before any undertakings…

The ceremony is about to come to an end after the homa.

Meanwhile the rain has stopped outside.

Kulapati Manon, an elder of the Spiritual Park giving a talk based on the Gurus’s teaching on Lord Ganesha.

Devotees are listening in silence…

Those taking care of offerings at the small Pancha Ganapati shrines had a real busy time. Thousands of coconuts offered to the Lord, were broken on that day! A real humble seva for our members and HA students.

Books including the Saivite Trilogy and Loving Ganesha and other artifacts were on sale. Our HA Students were in charge of that booth taking care of it for the whole day…

Our dedicated ladies of the Park, preparing sweets to be offered to everyone coming to the Park.

At the Food station a large crowd was queued up to be served. Here is Kulapati Sivakumaren and Kulamata Kavita happily serving everyone.