It is Thursday in Malaysia and the Himalayan Academy Study Retreat goes into full gear. Here is today’s schedule there.:

DECEMBER 23 THURS DAY FIVE TELUK BATIK (Sun 3)

• 7:30am: General session (2 of 8; Topic: Yamas and Niyamas)
• 10:00am: Special workshop for teachers (2 of 5)
• 11:00am: Special workshop for newcomers (2 of 6; Topic: Caste in the Modern World; Readings: Hinduism Today: 10 Questions, Living with Siva: Ancestor Worship lesson 241,
• 12:00pm: Lunch and break
• 2:00pm: General session (3 of 8; Topic: Four Padas)
• 4:00pm: Program at small Sri Manjung Shiva Temple for Purnami pradosha puja
• 6:00pm: Special workshop for teachers (3 of 5)
• 7:00pm: Special workshop for newcomers (3 of 6; Topic: Lord Ganesha s Importance; Readings: Loving Ganesha, Creed #4, Dancing with Siva sloka 22 and 23; Presentation by Bodhinatha
• 8:00pm: Dinner

For our monastery’s Pancha Ganapati shrine, we added a table below to hold the gifts as they arrive. The latest gift is from one of the monk’s family in California. Chocolates from the famed Ghiradelli Square in San Franscisco.

Being Day 2 of Pancha Ganapati, (see below) Sadhaka Dandapani and Sadhaka Jivanandanatha are out driving all over Kauai giving away honey bears to all we know.

“December 22, blue: Day two is devoted to creating a vibration of love and harmony among neighbors, relatives and close friends and presenting them with heartfelt gifts. The sadhana of the day is to offer apologies and clear up any misunderstandings that exist. Relatives and friends in far-off places are written to or called, forgiveness is sought, apologies made and tensions released. Gifts received are placed unopened before Pancha Ganapati.”

For those who are unfamiliar with this festival Here is another article on Pancha Ganapati that appear in Hinduism Today

Today many families continued to visit Kauai Aadheenam during this busy holiday travel season.

There were so many that we couldn’t capture them all on camera, but here are a few photos of three of the families vacationing from mainland USA, plus a fourth couple we didn’t get the names of.

Girish and Chaya Bhatt from Minnesota, Sreenivas and Radhika Reddy family from Illinois and Raj and Sapna Reddy family from Ohio.

They all enjoyed the standard Iraivan Temple tour which also included hugging our healing rudraksha trees

…and visiting our huge Dakshinamurthi.

Afterwards they visited our Minimela giftshop…

One family bought Gurudeva’s trilogy of Dancing, Living, and Merging with Siva as a gift for their temple priest back home.

A new holiday destination for US Hindus… Kauai Aadheenam….

Dasan Mahadevan sends us photos and captions from Pancha Ganapati celebrations among shishya in Southern California.

“Ganesha loved in style.”

Shrine room prior to puja

Just before puja, Ganesa with flower offerings

Ganesa in entry alcove, welcoming guests

Damara’s granddaughters having fun playing with Santosha the cockatoo

Puja in home of Shakti and Dasan…

Sadhunathan & Dasan after puja

Happy Saivites-Damara Shanmugan & Chudika

Sadhunathan taking pictures after puja.

Dasan Mahadevan as Sadhunathan s pujari assistant

Ushdevi Katir holding up her handmade ceramic AUM given to her by Chudika Mahadevan. Chudika handcrafted one for everyone present.

Nadesan’s Pancha Ganapati shrine…