Today at Kauai Aadheenam

A New Drone for the Aadheenam

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Jai Ganesha!

Today our monks were able to send up our new drone for a quick test flight, and capture a few photos with its Hasselblad-engineered lenses.

Apart from using drones for taking pretty photos, the Aadheenam puts them to work in other capacities as well, such as in surveying our agricultural, construction and landscaping projects. They are also used for taking updated images of our sprawling, nearby agricultural water systems—an important part of our island’s local sustainability efforts in our area.

  • A view from the top
  • The aadheenam’s new survey drone. Time to launch.
  • current test pilot
  • Kadavul Temple
  • It takes just a few seconds to fly over the pali to Iraivan Temple
  • Looking back we can see to the ocean
  • The temple’s new path foundation is looking bright!
  • A quick journey to the rudraksha forest parking area. Can you spot Hanuman?
  • Our vegetable garden looks quite organized from up above
  • The mulch (on the left) is gifted to us by island tree trimmers
  • Ganesha’s shrine sits at the garden’s center

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Monks traveling

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Jai Ganesha!

Yoginathaswami and Nirvani Tejadevanatha are traveling to Malaysia. They will be in Malaysia from May 18 to June 10. During their visit, they will attend various events and give talks on a wide range of topics related to Hinduism and the Path to Siva book. They will also meet with our members and attend satsangs. Aum

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Return of the Lotuses

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  • Ken Bernard is the island’s true aquatic expert
  • Lotus can be distinguished from water lilies by the fact that they hold their leaves above the water when mature.
  • Swami adds the small fish.
  • Ken places the first lotus, the American Yellow, into its pot
  • One of the water lilies is already blooming
  • The lotus propagation area
  • That tall pink plant is an aquatic carnivorous plant Ken brought.
  • More to come…..

The Saga Continues

We have shared recently how lotuses that were once super abundant in our ponds were totally eaten by the ravenous tilapia fish some years back. Inspired by two pilgrims, we have successfully (with the help of Kauai’s lotus whisperer, Ken Bernard) established just yesterday seven lotuses in seven 130-gallon pots buried in the ground. Ken also brought water lilies and five fast-growing aquatic plants. These will provide interest in the pots when the lotuses naturally die back and hibernate. He also introduced some small red platies fish and a few small snails who, as they multiply, are to become the maintenance crew.

Ken brought an abundance and with the additional plants he and Sadasivanathaswami set up a small Water Garden Propagation Area with the idea that when these lotuses and water lilies in smaller pots bloom they can be displayed at the Iraivan Temple entrance for all pilgrims to enjoy for a few days or weeks.

We learned from Ken that there are only two true species of lotus on the planet, the Asian Sacred Lotus and the American Yellow Lotus. Ken remarked that their new home, being half Indian and half American is an apt place for these two. And, he added, lotuses have been on the Earth for 130 million years, and are among the earliest flowering plants.

Factoids

Lotus has several unusual features that fascinate botanists:

Thermal flowers

Some lotus flowers can regulate temperature slightly, which is rare among plants.

Extremely durable seeds

Sacred lotus seeds have germinated after more than 1,000 years. One famous Chinese lotus seed was dated to around 1,300 years old and successfully sprouted.

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Iraivan Temple Circumambulation Road Completed

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The road construction is complete! Two sections were added to tie it to the road coming down from the main Aadheenam buildings. Drainage pipes were also installed underneath in strategic locations. The concrete contractor team did a great job and persevered despite the challenge of persistent rain on one day. For their good work, they were given a bonus and a case of noni juice, for which they were very thankful.

Within a few months, a second team will begin installing quartzite tile on top of the concrete.

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Spiritual Workout App Version 3.0 Released!

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Jai Ganesha!

Today we have just rolled out a complete rebuild of the Spiritual Workout App for iOS!
Android users will be receiving their update next week.

So if you have an Apple device, you should be able to use it today. If you have the previous version already, it might auto-update, or you can go to your app store and search for it to download it or update it manually.

What’s New

A complete rebuild — refreshed look, smoother feel, and several new ways to deepen your daily practice.

  • Custom Routines — design your own daily sequence, with the practices and durations of your choosing
  • Custom Affirmations — write your own alongside the built-in ones
  • Journal — capture insights and reflections after each practice
  • A daily reflection from Gurudeva on the home screen
  • Practice insights, a 14-day mood chart, and a quiet heatmap of your year
  • Multiple color themes to suit your mood and surroundings
  • Gentle daily reminders, and an optional Face ID lock for privacy

Fully offline. No ads. No tracking. A refuge to return to each day.

More info from our App Store Description:

While today nearly everyone appreciates the need for daily exercise to stay fit and healthy, many don’t realize the need to maintain a balanced spiritual life through daily practices. The Spiritual Workout is designed for Hindus — and for those who consider themselves Spiritual But Not Religious — who would like to maintain a daily spiritual practice but may not always have much time to give to spiritual well-being.

The app offers a range of practices drawn from the Saiva Hindu tradition:

— Japa: mantra repetition
— Meditation: guided sessions of several lengths, with optional voice guidance
— Affirmations: built-in affirmations to gently reprogram the subconscious mind, plus the ability to add your own
— Aum Chanting: the most fundamental of all mantras
— Pranayama: a simple but powerful breathing practice
— Hatha Yoga: gentle posture sequences
— Ganesha Puja: a complete home worship with step-by-step audio guidance
— Chanting: Learn several complex Sanskrit mantras
— Study: four important Himalayan Academy publications — Path to Siva, Dancing with Siva, Living with Siva, and Merging with Siva — available offline, with bookmarking and adjustable text size

For those new to spiritual practice — or for busier days — the 10 Minute Sadhana combines several practices into one short daily routine. You can also build your own custom sequences, combining any practices in any order, with the durations you choose.

Spiritual Workout works offline, contains no ads, and tracks nothing about you off your device. It is offered as a refuge — a place to return to each day, not a streak to maintain.

Aum Namah Sivaya

Spiritual Workout App Version 3.0 Released! Read More »

Hinduism Today is Now on Instagram.

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Jai Ganesha!

We have brought Hinduism Today articles to Instagram by selecting three to four articles from each issue and transforming each one into a 10-slide carousel. Each carousel simplifies the original article, making it easier for people to read, understand and engage with the content quickly. This approach helps readers gain a basic understanding of the topic before diving deeper into the full article. Above is the sample we made with Kashi Corridor article. Aum

Hinduism Today is Now on Instagram. Read More »

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