2023 Vaikasi Visakam Live Stream
Kauai Aadheenam’s 2023 observance of Vaikasi Visakam—an important annual festival to Murugan, Lord of Yoga.
2023 Iraivan Mandala Puja Events – Final Day
Jai Ganesha!
Jai Kailasa Parampara!
Jai Gurudeva!
Jai Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami!
Om Namah Shivaya!
Today our Mandala puja events concluded. This morning began at 6am with the sankalpam and a Ganesha Puja. Again the homas were kindled and the Deities invoked at the yagasala. This included a Panchakshara and Pancha Brahma Homa. As the final event, the mathavasis passed 1008 kumbhas into the shrine to be poured over Mahalingeshwara. More images and video of the events to come over the next week.
"We never outgrow temple worship. It simply becomes more profound and meaningful as we progress through four spiritual levels." - Gurudeva
May 9th Afternoon Through 10th Morning Events
Here are photos of the next set of pujas. Yesterday afternoon was the first kala homas in the yagasala. Five different shapes of homa kundas were operating simultaneously, each representing one of Sadasiva's faces-- Isana, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vamadeva and Sadjyotata.
Surrounding the large middle kumbha are 108 little conches in preparation for Sangu abhishekam.
Silpis were honored at the end of the evening with shawls commemorating the event.
This morning we began at 8am in Kadavul Temple with the priests performing the Bhutashuddhi ritual-- self-purification and "becoming Siva", as it were. This was the first time for many of the priests to visit Kadavul Temple, an important moment.
After that we paraded out to Iraivan Temple, and began blessing the 1008 small kumbhas placed in clusters around the sides. During this time, Satguru was honored with another shawl, and then he honored chief priest Kumar Gurukal with a shawl and rudraksha mala. The priests thanked Satguru for his support of the United States Sivacharyars Association since they launched in 2016.
After that we experienced a marathon of chanting Sri Rudram eleven times. The priests chanted very fast, and anyone else who chants Rudram tried to join and keep up! We then proceeded back to the yagasala for the second kala homas.
Iraivan Temple Final Mandala Pujas Underway
Led by Kumar Gurukal, nine Sivacharya priests arrived yesterday and today, bringing the total to eleven who are now performing the last of the 45-day Mandala Pujas post installation of the sphatika Mahalingeswara. Of the priests is Anand Sivacharya who officiates at the Concord, California Murugan Temple that we used to own and run. He has wanted to come here for so long, never having visited before.
They began yesterday afternoon, May 8th, with a beautiful Ganesha puja and homa, replete with vigorous chanting.
This morning, May 9th, consisted of the Vastu Shanti pujas to purify all the spaces. It included Panchakavya puja which honors all the substances produced by the cow, and a Bhumi puja which was performed in front of Dakshinamurti and honors Mother Earth.
While all this was happening, many of the devotees were helping with a huge task of preparing 1008 kumbhas to be offered in abhishekam on the final morning, May 11th. We couldn't husk that many coconuts, so we are using oranges instead.
This group of priests have formed the "United States Sivachariyars Association" and created a printed shawl to honor their coming here to perform Mandalabhishekam.
Preparing for Final Mandala Pujas
In Photos: Iraivan Crystal Installation
Aum Namah Sivaya
We hope you enjoy these belated photos from the March Iraivan Event! As you can imagine we have a large amount of photos from the crystal installation. This collection is from Rajkumar Manickam. The live stream videos of the event can be seen on our youtube channel, but this is the first large batch of still photos we've released.
We're thankful to have had such a successful and historical event take place with the aid of the Shivacharya community and with help from many volunteers.
"Through temple worship, the three worlds become open to one another, and the beings within them are able to communicate. By means of the mystical arts of puja, the worlds act in concert, and prayers are received." - Gurudeva
Jai Gurudeva!
Jai Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami!
Jai Kailasa Parampara!
Coconut Husking Extravaganza and Recent Sunrise
Preparations for Iraivan Temple Final Mandala Pujas
April 2023 Gurudeva Chitra Padapuja
"All things in life must be centered around religion. Only the spiritual matters of life live on. Everything else in life is destined to perish. This body will perish. This personality will perish. But our religion will live on and grow inside of us as we evolve from life to life. It is the duty of each Hindu, young or old, to help the religion progress from generation to generation. We help Hinduism live on by serving and guiding others. For true and lasting happiness, religion must be the basis of everything in life, around which all other interests and desires revolve. So many people are against religion these days. It is up to religious people to make it popular again."
Mandala Puja for Kadavul Nandi, Balipeetam and Dhvajastambha
Following the Kadavul Temple kumbhabhishekam to mark the stone upgrades to Nandi, Balipeetam and dhvajastambha, another homa and abhishekam must be performed 48 days later as a vibrational completion to the intensity of a kumbhabhishekam. March 12th was the 48th day, which also just happened to be the 50th anniversary of Kadavul Nataraja Deity installation.
The ceremonies began with a homa at 8am, including five kumbhas to represent Siva, Varuna, Nandi, Balipeetam and Dhvajastambha. After the homa we paraded the kumbhas outside, broke a coconut and returned inside for abhishekam of Nataraja and Sivalingam. After Nataraja's kumbha was poured we returned outside to pour the kumbhas over Nandi, balipeetam and dhvajastambha. Thereafter we closed the curtain to decorate Nataraja. Some temple visitors led vigorous bhajans during this time. Then we completed our normal routine for morning Siva puja, albeit with extra monks present as happens at monthly Ardra puja.
Enjoy the photo collection.
From Our Gurus' Teachings
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