Bodhinatha, Saravananathaswami and Sadhaka Satyanatha had a smooth flight on Thursday to California.

It is Sadhaka Satyanatha’s first time in mainland USA.

They report:

“Friday morning was dedicated to providing Satyanatha with some sightseeing of San Francisco and having a little fun. Our first adventure was a walk on Golden Gate bridge with Easvan Param, Ravi and Sheela Rahavendran and their two children. It was moderately foggy so you could not even see most of the two supporting columns. Weather was a brisk mid fifties . We walked out to the halfway point and then back. No shortage of fresh air! Our second stop was the Conservatory of Flowers which was impressive in the variety of plants that had in such a small space. Many of the orchids were quite stunning, a giant hibiscus impressive, but best of all was a single large lotus flower in full bloom. then was lunch at a fusion Asian cuisine restaurant on Union Street, Betel Nut, followed by going to the top of Coit tower which provides an excellent overview of the city. Then we drove to our retreat facility in Mill Valley to start preparing for the retreat which begins tomorrow.”

Paramacharya Palaniswami and Yogi Jivanandanatha arrived home safe and sound. Today we have another movie from their trip. Final moments in Mauritius and then sights and sounds from Mumbai.

At home we begin a new phase… pilgrims continue to arrive, day after day.

Far right, Gowri and Anadan Navanandan from Boston, Mass. where Anadan is an Engineer. Both are originally from villages near Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Next to them are Vellaiasamy, Pandi, and Manikandan, three of our expert silpis.

On the far left are Pratap and Seetha Chandran from San Diego. They are celebrating their 6 month wedding anniversary today. Pratap is also an engineer and his wife practices Dentistry.

This photo was taken on the far side of the Narmada Lingam beside the lotus ponds.

Pratap and Seetha beside the pool outside the Kadavul Siva Temple. Both genuinely want to return to Kauai to visit the temple. “It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen” said Pratap.

Kulapati Easan Katirs sends this report from Sacramento:

” Dr. Bhagawandas P. Lathi organized a successful fundraising event in Sacramento for the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), and gave a profound welcoming speech. ( Dr Lathi and wife Rajani have also established a charitable remainder trust with Hindu Heritage Endowment. )

Kulapati Easan Katir was invited to pray for Ganesha’s blessings…

Aum shuklambaradharam vishnum
Shashivarnam chaturbhujam
Prasanna vadanam dhyayet
Sarva vighnopa shantaye

We begin this evening with a famous shloka to Ganesha, easiest of all the Gods to contact, from the root scripture of all denominations of Sanatana Dharma, the Vedas. It has been chanted by billions of Hindus down through the ages, revealing five attributes of Ganesha and invoking His all-powerful protection.

In English:

Aum, dressed in white and all-pervading,
O moon-colored, four-shouldered One
with smiling face so pleasing,
upon You we meditate
for removing all obstacles.

“Now what is this removing obstacles? He removes obstacles whether the supplicant understands the process or not, but i think such an intelligent group as is gathered here this evening might enjoy understanding His process. if one prays to Ganesha, will a boulder move out of the roadway? No. Obstacles are in the mind, one’s own mind, the mind of the group we are in, or the minds of others. That’s the only place obstacles are. So when one prays to Ganesha to remove a boulder in the road, perhaps He and his devas will inspire the mind of a CalTrans crew captain to come and clear the roadway. That’s how it works.

“We can look deeper into this shloka. The prayer says “white and all-pervading, moon-colored”. In one’s mediation one sees the moon-like light of Ganesha pervading the mind. This white light is comprised of a spectrum of colors. The yellow portion is Ganesha’s darshan which removes obstacles in our family, by creating harmony and happiness. The prayer says “smiling face so pleasing”. That is harmony and happiness. Immediate family is a small circle of our awareness. The blue is Ganesha’s ray of light for harmony with friends and relatives, extended family. A larger circle. Red is for removing obstacles in business. Green is the sensitivity and insight which gives rise to art, religion, science. And orange is Ganesha’s darshan of selfless giving, where one perceives all beings in the world as one family, a circle of awareness larger than the planet. All of you here have more than average success and harmony with family, friends, business, arts, with these darshans of Ganesha. How do i know? Because if you didn’t, right now you wouldn’t be here. You’d be embroiled in some family crisis, working sunday night to save a business, or enthralled by some intellectual bauble. Instead you are inspired to be here tonight attending a meeting where selfless giving is the theme.

“Ganesha and his millions of devas have the power to move obstacles in the mind and heart. Mihir and the executives of HAF know this well. They don’t waste time and resources trying to push boulders. They go right to the mind of the person or people where the obstacles exist, and with Ganesha’s grace remove the obstacles, sometimes simply through their presence, sometimes through talking, writing, or if necessary, the courts. They are devas of Ganesha in action. This prayer tells us He is all pervading, with that power of the Vedas propelling our thought, word and deed, there is no doubt He pervades our meeting this evening. Om.”

A full banquet room at Gaylord’s Restaurant, Sacramento’s Hindu community realizes the importance of HAF’s work.

Dr. Mihir Meghani, founder of Hindu American Foundation, which has accomplished much in a few years. Examples: the celebration of Divali at the White House in Washington DC, lobbying congress for human rights for Hindus, and filing amicus briefs with the Supreme Court on the separation of church and state. Mihir has been reading Hinduism Today since he was a very young teenager.

Shelvin Prasad, an ardent volunteer, gives his perspective of HAF’s important work for the American Hindu community.