Bodhinatha at Guru Purnima this year.

It’s another very quiet day at the Aadheenam… one lady who has been coming here for 16 years and lives on Kauai, came to the temple this morning, and as she was leaving met one of the monks on the path to the temple and stopped and said:

“Thank you so much, for keeping the vibration here, of such a profound peace, from the heart.”

One pilgrim remains, Amma Saraswathy Sivanathan, Potriyan’s mother who is living nearby the temple, coming every day for worship and quiet karma yoga. One of our “super mom’s” Saraswathy said, having almost completed the raising of all her children, “I have done everything… I think it is time for me to just be close to Kadavul now….”

After serving others diligently for so many years she has time now to work on her inner life.

Sadhaka Jivanandanatha writes today about a recent shipment of items for our Mini-mela gift shop.

“Here are some rare items from India that arrived not too long ago. We have two people in India who scour the high end shops and craftsmen’s studios to find these remarkable pieces. The first is our wonderful Nellaiappan who lives in Chennai. The second is Anil Gupta from Haridwar. Both have an eye for the special.

“The quartz crystal dancing Ganesha was found by Nellaiappan. Most crystal Ganeshas are in a sitting form because it is easier to carve (not as many delicate parts as in a dancing Ganesha). I’m told that most crystal is quarried in South India, then shipped to North India where it is carved. Then it is shipped back to South India for sale.”

Sadhaka Jivanandanatha enjoys ordering these and opening up the packages. It’s always a surprise since each piece is unique.

This clear quartz crystal Nataraja was also found by Nellaiappan. It took a very large piece of high quality quartz to carve this one. Artists that carve these types of deities, hardly ever do some thing so delicate. The chance of breakage must be huge. A very rare item indeed.

The large dark green Jade Ganesha and the light green Ganesha both came from Haridwar.

Weighing in a over 300 grams these are truly amazing pieces. Potriyan is helping with the photo shoot today providing the hands that hold the pieces.

If you are looking for something more substantial here is a robust carving of Lord Muruga in granite

If you are interested in any of these items, please write Sadhaka Jivanandanatha: minimela@hindu.org