Sun Three at the Aadheenam. We had a marvelous Ardra Abhishekam this morning… Lord Nataraja seems to be generating ever more actinic power with each month’s Ardra puja.

Posing in front of the Iraivan Temple entrance –Left to Right(Silpis) Chelliaya and Pandi; Charlene Oakes from Alaska who (guess what) ran into her neighbors who are old friends outside the temple door this morning! The Dandapanis are longtime devotees here, also on pilgrimage from Alaska (not shown in this photo).

Suzi Karr from Calimesa, CA and Wilhelma Buffo from Alaska. Next is (Silpi) Rajendran; Kartik Narayan and his wife, and far right is the Nuggihalli family from California.

Caught!

One last photo before reluctantly departing for foreign ports.

The new addition to the Monastery bovine family is full of energy and loves to run around the garden.

“If you want my photo with this thing around my neck, you’ll have to catch me first.”

We bring you more photos from the California fair in Davis held last Saturday.

Kulapati Easan Katir with the news today…

Photos by Chuck Kunda of Davis

Beautiful weather greeted everyone for the Autumn Indian Bazaar.

Vendors were busy

Priya Kareti is all smiles after face painting from Tickles the Clown

Deepa Param decorates Gowri Shankara’s hand with traditional mehendi.

MC addresses the SRO crowd.

Tickles and Poco ask Kartikeya to assist with a skit.

The Bazaar was enjoyed by young and old alike

The MC: “When you go home tonight and tell your friends you saw two clowns bangra dancing today at the Indian Bazaar, they are not going to believe you.”

Some vendors said the entertainment was too good; they wanted more patrons visiting their stalls.

A college group, Tharangana, comprised of University of California Davis students, ( left to right ) Tina Mann, Anu Ranganathan, Sangeetha Ramalingam and Abhijit Kalavapudi,singing classical Hindu songs.
Tina Mann began Hindustani classical vocal training with her father, SurinderS. Mann,at age 3. She seeks guidance from Rita Sahai at UC Davis. She is working on her first album.
Anu Ranganathan began singing Carnatic music at age 5 under Smt. Jayashree Varadarajan, and has performed in temples and at community events in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was awarded the title “Gaana Deepti” after completing her solo vocal debut in 2005. Since enrolling in UC Davis, she has performed with ‘Tharangana’. Anu is also a talented and disciplined Bharatanatyam artist, having studied under Smt. Mythili Kumar, and was awarded the title “Nritya Mani” after her arangetram in 2003.
Sangeetha Ramalingam, a 3rd year pre-dental student at UC Davis,began her singing at age 5. Every summer she goes to India to learn from acclaimed artists such as Srimathi Charumathi Ramachandran and Nookula Cinna Satyanaraya. She recently completed her vocal arangetram. Herparents areDr. Kumar and Mala Ramalingam of Sacramento.
Abhijit Kalavapudi has played tabla for 10 years, staring at age 11. His Guru, Daniel Prabhakar, is a well-known musician in Washington DC. Abhijit has played in temples and cultural events, and national Telegu conventions.

The final performer of the day, Nafeesa Mahmoud, enticed all with a spiritual Odissi dance. Nafeesa studies with Guru Sri Vishnu Tattva Das. She spent two summers studying at the Odissi Research Center with Guru Kum Kum Mohanty in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa and at the Smitalay Dance Academy with Guru Jhelum Paranjape in Mumbai. Nafeesa is a biology student at the University of California Davis.