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We are closed December 24, 25 and 26th.

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

“Who doth know the luminosity of His Grace,
That spreads its radiance everywhere?
Who can fathom the grandeur of His gracious Feet?”

— Saint Tirumular

A look inside the Ganapati Kulam, where the whole team is focus on the “Last 72 Hours!” meaning the final production effort to produce the next issue of Hinduism Today. You can all look forward to another great insight section on Parenting.

Meanwhile the Pillaiyar Kulam gave their report today. Shanmuganathaswami outlined their very strong outreach mailing program they are involved with now. Sending flyers and brochures to all those who sign up at the many conferences of the past year, renewal mailings for Hinduism Today, email mailings to subscribers, and more.

Iraivan Temple Construction Progress

Unloading the containers is the news at Iraivan … another huge pillar…

One empty and one to go!

A piece of the top of another chinna gopuram…

The Tara pillar looks exquisite even inside its crate.

Our new camera has about 12% wider frame… so we can take these full width shots… Iraivan… taking shape!

Yoginathaswami on the fork lift..

Everyone wearing masks to protect against dust that may be contaminated with the fumigation gases required by law to make sure no unusual insects are brought into the state.

Silpi helper Chinnu…

We some how have been short of excellent pictures of Lord Ganesha, but, look, we have them all around us… Our photographer goes on a Ganesha photo tour…

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

The big news is that containers with more stones have arrived!

We think these two containers hold all the necessary stones to finish off the main gopuram, after which we will be able to remove the scaffolding.

One section of the lovely fluted Tara pillars…

Sankaran Thirumalai Asari and Karuppaiah Chinnaiah on a major reduction of stone along the bottom edge of a roof beam.

Karuppaiah Chinnaiah

The golden capstone, awaiting the day of unveiling…

Our new camera has a very great eye…the east side of the Iraivan sanctum.

At work on the top of the jalakam stones…

This unusual bird is surveying the temple progress from a distance. He’s looking forward to sitting on top of the golden dome in a few months.

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

Sun One has come again after a very productive three day retreat during which we had Iraivan day with all the monks working on various projects to push the temple fund raising forward.

We had the homa this morning as usual and Bodhinatha gave another rendition of his talk on Happiness and Desire, which he has refined carefully for using in the Vanakkam newspaper in Mauritius.

We had many guests today. Kishore and Kripa Venkat from San Francisco are on Kauai for a few days and came up again today to attend the morning puja.

They enjoyed very much the tour of the grounds and to be able to see a traditional temple being built on this Hawaiian island.

Ganga Sivanathan, from Adelaide, South Australia, is here on a week long pilgrimage. It is her first trip to Kauai Aadheenam – a place she said she has been wanting very much to come. Ganga was one of the participants on Bodhinatha’s 2004 Indian Odyssey last year in January.

We had a special tour today for the Crimson Circle Sundance group who are here on the island on a spiritual retreat. Many of their members visit the temple when they are on the island and today they decided to come up as a group.

Saiva Siddhanta Church Golden Gate Mission Satsang

The pada puja starts with Kulapati Vijay Sankara as the priest and Tiru Eesan Sankara assisting.

Various abishegam items were offered to Gurudeva’s tiruvadi.

While the tiruvadi was being decorated,we chanted the 108 names of Gurudeva.

Followed by prostration to Gurudeva’s tiruvadi and arati.

We also wrote and burned Maha Vasana Daha Tantra.

There were some time left and Jothi Param lead us all into singing Nachintanai songs.

Gurudeva’s tiruvadi after the puja. It looks gorgeous!.

Celebrating birthdays this month were Hotranatha Ajaya and Janaka Param. Happy Birthday!

Back at the Aadheenam… a replacement for one of our digital cameras (which had died) arrived a few days ago. It has a much better lens and is much faster. We captured this bee coming for nectar of the magnificent blue jade vine flowers.

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our phase.
This edition of TAKA will remain posted
over our coming three-day retreat,
until Tritya Tithi, Sun One, Thursday, Jan 27th.

Bodhinatha has added more to his message on the Tsunami, which will now be published as the “Publisher’s Desk” for the next issue of Hinduism Today. If you have not read it, click on the link to the right.

Being the last day of the phase, it was tour day and some 70-80 people came.

Besides the regular tour group, Sannyasin Arumugaswami hosted a special leadership group today… he writes:

An Agricultural Leadership Program class of the University of Hawaii visited the monastery and temple today. In a program sponsored by the Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawaii, the fourteen people are part of an 18 month education program aimed to improve the skills of people in the agricultural industry to work more effectively with the broader community. They visit farmers and ranchers on the islands, spend time at the State legislature understanding the legislative process and travel to Washington D.C. to meet Hawaii’s Senators and Representatives. Hawaii is in the midst of a transition from the sugar industry which utilized thousands of acres of land for one crop to small farmers using up hundreds of acres at most. The class came to the monastery to learn about our participation in the creation of the East Kauai Water Users’ Cooperative, which took over the large East Kauai irrigation system from the sugar company when it went out of business. The Coop is the first instance in the State of Hawaii of local residents gaining control and successfully running a complex irrigation system.

The class asked questions of Arumugaswami as to the reason the monastery participated in the Coop — the first reason being our need for water from the system as a main ditch runs through our property. They were all very impressed with the temple construction and enjoyed the demonstration of the stone working techniques by Sthapati and the silpis.

More information on the Ag Leadership Program is available at http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ctahr2001/InfoCenter/AgLead/CurrentProgram.asp.

Our visiting priest Janahan helps with the tour by giving some amazing indepth explanations about the meaning of the temple… here he is talking with Sannyasin Yoginathaswami.

A group photo…

Here is the entire Param family, three generations all together… they are working on the gold-leafing one of the Kalasams for the Chinna Gopuram in the Banyan Mandapam.

Iraja and Nilani Sivadas are helping also.

Iraivan Temple Construction Progress

Later in the day…about 3 PM… the call comes as expected. Larry Conklin checking in “OK I’ll be there with my crane in just a few minutes.” Our Siddhidata Kulam team swings into action… time for stones to move!

Sthapati and Yoginathaswami are poised on top of the pillars of the back, north side of the temple.

Larry sets up his crane… and the team starts rigging a stone on the ground…

Here we go!

and down….

And down…

And into place…

Adaicken mixing mortar for placement… wearing a turban for protection from the bright sun.

Moving into place, having already been carefully fitted on the ground.

News From Sri Lanka From the Treasurer of the Thirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam Orphanage.



Mr. Chandreswaran, treasurer of the Tirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam (TNG) orphanage, sent us this digital image of the orphanage’s other building facilities that surround the main building – now all reduced to rubble. If you would like to hear the latest news from Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, surrounding the TNG orphanage please click on this link Batticaloa TNG Orphanage

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

The Param family came together today for darshan with Bodhinatha

Kulapati and Kulamata, Grandpa and Grandma, Easvan and Devi, Chandran and Sahanadevi and their four children, eldest boy Bhajana Deva, age 10, Jeyendra, age 6 and the new born twins, Bodhisiva Sankara and Bela Sundari.

It was a joyful moment to have three generations connected to the Parampara all in the same room together with our Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami.

Bodhinatha blessing Bodhisiva….

Bodhisiva seems blissfully quiet….

and Bela Sundari.

At the temple, the silpis take a warming respite in the sun, as priest Janahan comes out to talk with them and survey the temple.

The gold leafed kalasa stones for the East Chinna Gopuram…

The nighttime and morning chill is something the silpis don’t experience in India. So having a bit of warm sun later in the day is refreshing.

It’s hard to explain the grandeur of the temple… standing nearby in silence, it speaks of ages and ages of powerful continuity in the spiritual tradition of Agamic Saivite Hinduism… but, those are just words… the shakti that emanates from the sacred space has much more to say….

Speaking of sacred space, Shankar Nathan who is creating the new “Iraivan” video, and his wife Vidya and two children came for a visit today, having come home from Tamil Nadu, where they narrowly escaped the Tsunami as they were staying only meters from the high water level at Fisherman’s Cove where we all stayed on Innersearch.

During his stay in Tamil Nadu, Shankar Nathan continued work on the Iraivan video and promotional materials in Chennai. We expect to have a final version in a month or so if not sooner. In the meantime, if you have not already seen it, please go to the film’s web site and enjoy the professional graphics and trailer. Be sure to click the “Buy” button to send an email for pre-booking your copy or to be informed of availability.

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

With Mahasamadhi the day before, then name-giving ceremonies and a wedding today, TAKA’s theme seems to be samskaras this week.

Tandu Sivanathan and Uma were married today in a sunrise ceremony on a Kauai beach, with a homa performed by Janahan who was flown in from California just for this occasion. After the wedding, they came to the Aadheenam for blessings.

In a joyful moment, Bodhinatha wraps the newlyweds together in a magical shawl that will rotect them during their married life and bring them harmony in every situation.

And they also received blessings in the Kadavul Temple….

The garlanded couple stands in celebratory bliss with priest Janahan outside of Kadavul, with Siva’s Bull, Nandi, watching from behind.

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

Today was very auspicious as two new born souls have entered our Saivite Hindu faith. Twins, a boy and girl: Bodhisiva Sankara Param and Bela Sundari Param….

“The namakarana occurs in the temple or home, eleven to forty-one days after birth. The baby’s name, astrologically chosen, is whispered in the right ear by the father, marking the formal entry into Hinduism.”

Bodhinatha signs the official Namakarana Certificates at the end of the ceremony.

The ceremony was held this morning in the temple with a homa. Chandra and Sahanadevi Param are the proud mother and father who were joined by grandpa Kulapati Easvan Param and the twins’ older brother Bhajana who had all flown from California for the ceremony.

The home proceeds and the two little ones were well behaved, alternately mesmerized by the fire and then retreating into the inner worlds….

The father declares three times aloud to the entire group satsanga…

“Oh Divine Ones, we beseech your blessings, In the sacramental name-giving of this Saivite Hindu soul. We vow to raise this child according To the principles of the Sanatana Dharma.

“Please bless this child, whose family name is Param
and whose given name is Bodhisiva Sankara.”

and the congregation responds aloud:

Tad Astu! Let it be so!

Then he whispers the name into the right ear of the child.

This photo taken through flames…

then again for the little baby girl:

“Oh Divine Ones, we beseech your blessings, In the sacramental name-giving of this Saivite Hindu soul. We vow to raise this child according To the principles of the Sanatana Dharma.

“Please bless this child, whose family name is Param
and whose given name is Bela Sundari.”

The names of the babies are written on a large tray of rice.

Then Bodhinatha offers it to the fire….

The certificate provides an official record of the name giving:

“Having been born into the Hindu religion to devout Hindu parents, who hereby declare they will raise this child according to the principles of the Sanatana Dharma, now bring forth this child to formally receive a Hindu name and to sanctify this irrevocable entrance into Saivite Hinduism.

“It is Hereby Certified that this devotee [birth date and place here] was duly given a Hindu name in accordance with the traditions of Hinduism before the Deity, the Mahadevas and the devas. Bodhisiva Sankara Param (and on the other one) Bela Sundara Param, is thus bound eternally and immutably to the Hindu religion as a member of this most ancient faith with full rights of access to all public Hindu temples, shrines and institutions throughout the world from this day onward.”

— Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
— Saiva Siddhanta Church

Witnesses from the group also sign…

This afternoon we took the family out to the temple site…

And the young family, now of four children, met Sthapati…

We are also really happy to have Kulapati Iraja and Kulamata Nilani Sivadas here from California. They faithfully fulled their Gurudeva instructions to take personal care of Iraja’s mother through the final years of her life.

She recently moved on to inner worlds and Nilani and Iraja have made this pilgrimage to Kauai. Nilani has been away a loooong time and is only now seeing things like the giant Dakshinmurthi….

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

Bodhinatha at Palani Hills India. We take you to India today in remembrance of the great soul, Sri Sri Sri Sivaratna Puri Swami known as Trichyswami…

Here is the saintly Trichyswami whom we were honored to have darshan with during the last Innersearch

He is presented with the edition of Hinduism Today in which he has been chosen for the Hindu Renaissance Award for 2003.

These photos of the Maha Samadhi proceeds arrived yesterday. His Holiness was wrapped in the traditional manner for this tradition…

In some lineages the Satgurus choose not to be cremated. Trichyswami’s body was placed in a special 4 X 4 crypt, which was dug underground inside the sanctum of a Sri Chakra Pitham at the Ashram. The body was embedded in vibhuti and sandalwood powder, and the crypt was filled with sand in accordance with the ancient tradition. After the crypt was sealed, a Sri Chakra Meru was installed above.

After the puja, the swamis all came back and Jeyendrapuri Swami came to Trichy Swami’s room and sat at his chair for the first time in the presence of all the monks.

This was followed by food at the hall. Special puja was done to Trichyswami’s photo and the formalities usually carried out for Trichy Swami like garlanding and placing flowers on the head was done to Jeyendrapuri Swami.

Back Home on Kauai

A beautiful day at the Aadheenam. Saravananathaswami gave his report for the Ekadanta Kulam activities… He’s been working on some tithing reports, reviewing the levels of initiation of various members, communicating with some young men about monastic life, getting ready for samskaras in the temple and is generally very busy indeed.

Sadhaka Dandapani, who does most of the hosting of guests finally got some relief as the traffic has dropped now that the holidays are over. He has been working hard on a new brochure for our branch center in Mauritius, which will be going into print production in a few weeks.

Paramacharya Ceyonswami has “reading” duties as we approach the end of the editorial cycle for the next edition of Hinduism Today. All the Acharyas read all pages of the magazine each issue.

Recently the Sendan family on Kauai took a helicopter ride over Iraivan Temple.

You can view their one minute video here.

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

Bodhinatha gave a superb talk this morning after our Sun One Homa… another in his series to be published in the Vanakkam newspaper in Mauritius.

A wonderful morning at Iraivan…

Showers in the near distance pick up the rays from the east and the light show begins…

The rainbow became a full 180 degree halo directly over Iraivan….

Saravananathaswami performs the homa today.

Saiva Siddhanta Church Wailua Mission

Kulapati Deva Seyon writes:

The Wailua Mission family home evening pictures. “Rudraksha night.”

The ladies work on stringing finished beads.

The men string up new beads to be cleaned with a pressure washer. It is a tedious job but the results are fabulous

This very successful karma yoga program brought in $1,632.00 for Iraivan in November! Rudraksha sales are brisk both at the Mini-Mela shop at the Aadheenam and on the internet.

Our guests this month were Aran & Valli Sendan from California.

Aadheenam Gifts Presented in India

When Bodhinatha pilgrimaged through South India in February of 2004 with 89 Innersearchers, he was deeply moved several two special pujas held for the group. At two temple, while the pujas were lush and profound, going for hours, he noticed that the curtains which were drawn in front of the Deity were a bit worn. He asked the monks when they reached Kauai to design new curtains and have them made as his gift to these special places.

Last week our Liaison Officer in India, Tiru Nellaiappan, who arranged for the production of these special artifacts, personally presented the temple curtains. Each temple got two, so one could be cleaned and kept in readiness for special events.

The first two curtains went to the Pillaiyarpatti Ganesha Temple, perhaps Bodhinatha’s favorite. We placed Ganesha’s goad on one, with which he prods us along the spiritual path.

His ever-present mount, called Mushika, is on the second curtain.

The second set of curtains were gifted to the Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple near Madurai. On this one we designed Lord Murugan’s mount, the peacock.

And on this His Shakti Vel. We thank Mark and Lindsey Boyer (at right) for the photos. They were at the presentations (are are there in this one). In fact, the temple managers thought they had flown all the way from NY to help make the presentation. Well, in a sense they did!

Pongal in Penang



Sivaram and Devika Eswaran send these lovely photos of Thai Pongal in Penang….



The pongal pot contains the first rice harvest of the year.



It comes to a boil and auspiciously begins to overflow the pot, portending a bountiful year.

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What Happened Today at the Monastery?

Our thoughts go out to the new head of Kailasa Ashrama in Bangalore, Sri Jayendra Puri Swamigal, successor of His Holiness Trichy Mahaswamigal, the mantle of leadership responsibilities and all the karma of those connected with the Parampara now are on his shoulders and we send all our love and support at this time of transition in the wake the Maha Samadhi of Trichyswami.

Here he is with Bodhinatha on the last Innersearch.

Batticaloa Update

Relief work on the ground in Sri Lanka:

Living Heritage Disaster Relief Director Patrick Harrigan presents Rs. 50,000 (ca. US$500) which he raised among local donors to Rajendra Swamigal of Sundara Velayudha Swami Kovil, Gopalapuram, Trincomalee District for immediate distribution to families affected by the disaster.

Patrick is now delivering new veshtis (white cotton sarongs) for the boys of the Thirunavukkarasu Nayanar Gurukulam, which were gifted by generous souls in Chennai, India, and carried to Lanka.

Another view of our orphanage in Sri Lanka, showing the building mostly intact, including the well that provides fresh water to the boys.

Note the water damage on the red tiles, along the edge of the roofline at the top of the walls showing dramatically the height of the tsunami wave that swept over the region.

Director Kanan Rajaratnan tell us that the orphanage does have land away from the sea, and he will begin building a new facility starting with a dormitory and kitchen.

In all directions from the sturdy main building, all homes and orphanage facilities were turned to rubble.
The small white shrine in the upper middle of the photo is within the orphanage compound, and is of a Hindu saint.

This is a shot of the upstairs shrine room, barely touched by the waters. If you look closely, you can see Gurudeva’s photo at the center of the lower line of gurus.

Government regulations may restrict usage of this new building to day time classes and activities only.

We want to thank everyone who has sent in funds already for the orphanage. We will be updating the web site for the orphanage in the days to come to keep you posted.

See instructions at the end of that page for sending your donations for the reconstruction.

Back here at home at the Aadheenam, a bright clear last day of the phase brought over 85 guests! We thought after the holiday season was over that things might slow down, but this is another record tour day count.



Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.

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