A cool and beautiful Sun Four and Chitra puja day at the Aadheenam. The Siddhidata Kulam gave their news today… more about that later….

The Chitra padapuja invoking Gurudeva in the morning… it is always a profound experience.

The atmosphere gradually fills with an inner “fragrance” of a powerful loving force.

As if Gurudeva were pouring out to us all, as one monk said “a river of liquid love” in response to the same coming from our monastic pujaris. The white milk on his sandals did seem like white, flowing adoration for the Satguru.

The words of Yogaswami come to mind on these special days of Guru bhakti:

He is the helper of his devotees, an ocean of bliss.
Night and day he adorns the precincts of the temple (Nallur)
He forgave me all my faults and made me his.
Day and night he is dancing in my mind.

On those, who harbour envy, anger and deceit,
His grace that free one also will bestow and say–“Don’t fear!”

In the hearts of those, who even in dreams do not forget his lotus feet,
His sweetness will be relished like panchamirtam.

Now we are off to Iraivan….

The Siddhidata Kulam gave their news at lunch today. Sannyasin Yoginathaswami describes the four-hour process of installing a single pillar.

Another Tara pillar is moving into place… magnificent!

Meanwhile he checks with his team who is working on the “eternal scaffold in the sky.”

Our silpis are working on new ornamentation on the upper levels of the main sanctum and they need high work space… Here is Sadhaka Adinatha, putting the support systems together.

Sadhaka Tejadeva mills lumber to specification for the “high rise working floors.”

Our silpis prepare mortar for the base of the Tara pillar.

Rajendran and Manikandan are busy preparing the concrete surface for the two remaining Bhadra pillars, which are the last of the pillars in the temple. Breaking concrete by hand — now that’s hard work! Yet, always with a smile on his face.

Aki and Miki Kikuchi visiting a Hindu Temple for the first time. Miki is originally from Kyoto and her husband, Aki, is from Fukushima outside Tokyo. Both now live in Saltspring Island, Canada with their two young children.

They attended the morning Siva puja and found Hinduism to be “profound” and the peacefulness of the entire property, “unbelievable.”

Along the way to Iraivan, pilgrims encounter some amazing palms, like this Corypha giant which one day will dominate this corner of the land (it’s still a baby!)