The water front landing in Mauritius is taking shape…

This will be an idyllic spot for visitors to meditate where the river meets the sea.

A front entry wall has been made…

It has a small opening that visitors can see thru to the inside.

The second story of the Mauritius Minimela is making good progress also.

Here we will store more books and religious items for sale to the public.

We are pleased post a last series of photos of the special religious ceremony performed for students at the Spiritual Park of Mauritius. Here is a copybook printed for the occasion and freely distributed students present at the ceremony.

The Sivacharya concludes the agamic ritual at the homa pit, and it would be then time to burn the thousands of written prayers brought by devotees…

Inside as well as in the exterior of the Mandapam, the atmosphere is vibrating with deep devotion.

Kulapati Manon send the first prayers into the fire…

The sacred fire pit is immediately filled up while baskets of prayers are waiting to be burnt …..

Students have mostly written prayers to the inner worlds seeking blessings and help for the coming end of year school exams. The level of literacy is quite high in the island and school exams both at primary and secondary are fiercely competitive.

Exercise books piled up for Blessings from Lord Ganapati….

Aum Gam Ganapataye Namah!

Kulapati SK Moorghen, the main coordinator for this special ceremony thanking all those who have been helping in organizing that event.

Two cute little girls in the crowd….

Kulapati Manon Mardemootoo reading the message of Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. Here is a quote: "Because Lord Ganesha governs the higher intellectual mind, this is why it is both important and effective to worship Him before all major exams. Specifically, attend a temple and have an archana to Lord Ganesha a day or so before the exam. Also visualize Ganesha at the beginning of and during the exam. In this way His blessings help us do our best in the exam. It is also important to stay relaxed during the exam. A simple way to do this is to breathe deeply from the diaphragm and on each outbreath consciously relax. Practice this at home for a few days before the exam and then do it regularly during the exam for approximately thirty seconds at a time."

The father of Swami Umapathi is on his first visit to the Park. He was so impressed that he could not help but to kindly request to say a few words, in which he stressed on the importance of Lord Ganesha and the role of Ganesha's Mushika.

The final arati…. Back to Bodhinatha's message: "Gurudeva teaches us that "Lord Ganesha is the Deity who governs the higher intellectual mind, of science and profound knowledge. This is why they call Him Lord of Categories. As Lord of Categories, He organizes and clears the intellectual mind so that individual awareness can flow unhindered in the many areas of developing thought."

The distribution of exercise books at the exit, by a few helpers. A little rush here at this spot as the youth are making sure they do not miss their blessed gift home… On the whole it was a wonderful event, and next year the organizers should still expect a larger crowd.

Every year the Spiritual Park organises a special elaborate religious ceremony for all the students of Mauritius who are preparing to take their end of year exams at primary, secondary and university levels during that period. This year the attendance of youth to this ceremony was beyond expectation. The traffic was said to be seriously held up at the main road leading to the Park. 8,000 to 10,000 devotees were at the Spiritual Park this Sunday, 3rd October. This is an incredible turnout in the small nation. Even major kumbhashikams don’t draw such numbers. We are proud of our Saiva Siddhanta Church members and students for this accomplishment, and this inspiring service to the community.

Sivacharyas were hired to conduct a very traditional saivite puja and homa to invoke Lord Ganesha's Blessings to help all those sitting for their school examinations.

Youth elegantly dressed in Hindu attires were happy to have a rare chance to sit inside the Mandapam which was specially reserved for them on that occasion.

Some new ones shy and others famniliar faces at the Park are all together happy to be so close to Lord Pancha Muikha Ganapati!

A view of the compact crowd outside before the homa ceremony.

Lord Pancha Mukha Ganapati looking so radiant for this special ceremony…

Every inch of the entrance steps of the Mandapam is occupied.

Parents coming with with their offerings, requesting Lord Ganapati to bless their children in their studies and exams.

Umapathi Sivacharya (middle in red) was the main officiating priest for the day. He was assisted by another Sivacharya and his father, who just came from Tamil Nadu.

Special copybooks with a photo of Lord Pancha Mukha Ganapati were printed for the occasion. These blessed items were distributed to all students after the ceremony.

Several grains and fruits to be offered into the traditional homa to beings of the inner worlds.

The first rituals to Lord Ganapati before the grand homa starts.

This fire ceremony is the main spiritual focus attracting so many devotees to the Park.

At the end of the ceremony the officiating priest pours ghee into the sacred fire. We are posting a second series of photos of this event in coming TAKA…kindly stay tuned. Aum.

Our Mauritius Saiva Dharmasala is perched on the northern edge of the beautiful island nation of the Republic of Mauritius. Our property borders the auspicious place where the Riviere du Rempart meets the sea and faces almost due east. Here one can watch the sun rise overthe amazingly clear multi-blue-hued waters off Mauritius shores and think of the holy Motherland of India that lies beyond the rising sun.

The main facility is some 60 feet or so above sea-level and now has a stairway going down to the shore with a new platform at the river’s edge.

All these extensions were envisioned by Gurudeva years ago and now are coming into manifestation. We want to thank the generous benefactors who are contributing to the project. In this case this huge excavator is helping by working on the area in the river below.

We complete the Ganesha Chaturthi series of photos from Mauritius with a few photos of the Visarjana or immersion ceremony of clay Ganesha murthis at the Spiritual Park. Here is a nice youth team getting ready for the visarjana procession.

We were delighted to see hand made clay Ganesha murthis of all sizes on that day.

Participants line up and preparing to carry their Ganeshas for the procession…

Here we go… Kulapati Parmesh Pallanee and Soundiren Arnasalon lead the procession.

Devotees leaving the premises of the Spiritual Park for the village of La Pointe.

The procession coming down the main public road led by the traditional musicians.

A very large crowd but not everyone can come down the wharf due to the limited space down the water edge. Those devotees carrying the Ganeshas are kindly asked to come forward…

They lined up to leave their loving Ganesha murthis which they have worshipped for several days…

Mangai, the daughter of Mrs Vani at the Mini Mela had a Ganesha too..

One boat is already full and ready to leave…

The boats leave the waterfront for the immersion ceremony further off the ocean. A few kulapaties are on board to help conduct this last ritual.

Everyone watches the boats as they glided over the estuary which merges in the ocean reminding all present of the soul merging into its Creator, Lord Siva. The ceremony ends in fervour with bajans leaving joys and happiness in the hearts of everyone present.

A second series of photos from our Ganesha Chaturthi festival at the Spiritual Park. Lord Ganapati is beautifully dressed on this auspicious occasion. Usually on such occasions all family members join hands to lovingly weave a large garland for the Lord. All garlands brought on that day were home made.

Our two hired sivachariyas did a very elaborate saiva agamic homa and puja, inspiring deep devotion in the hearts of all those present. It's the end of the homa ceremony and pure ghee is being poured into the sacred fire to now conclude this ritual.

Flowers and bouquets for Lord Pancha Mukha Ganapati

Music of the nadeswaram and bajans merged to enhance the devotional vibration inside the Mandapam

The tent in front the Mandapam steps is always filled up with intense bhakti as usual.

Another busy spot too is at the small Ganesha Shrine where all offerings of fruits and flowers are being offered by families to the Lord.

Here are devotees queuing up around this shrine preparing their trays of offerings….

Himalayan Academy publications were on sale at the Mini Mela and the Himalayan Academy Booth outside

Kulapati Manon Mardemootoo reading the message of Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami.

The final arati to Lord Ganapati….Blessings from the innerworld flow to all…

Devotees down the step…

Rogini Shunmugum a long time sishya of the Church from Montreal just popped up from the crowd. Originally from Mauritius, Rogini is now settled in Canada. She is happy to be at the Spiritual Park today…

Ganesha Chaturthi is the main grand public religious festival at the Spiritual Park of Mauritius. Sishyas were at the Park on two days before to complete final preparations for the grand Ganesha Chaturthi celebration. karma yogis attended to several works like cleaning rock walls and pathways with water pressure, decorating with tombai and tornums hangings, polishing puja brass items and decorating the large granite Pancha Mukha Ganapati murti. Here is the murti just newly dressed.

One new development inside the Mandapam was the fixing of new stainless steel railings. Two of these run at the back of the murti.

The railings will help control the huge flow of devotees coming inside the Mandapam for darshan when the final arati is over during our monthly Ganesha Homa.

Another shot of Lord Pancha Mukha Ganapati with freshly applied chandanam and kumkum.

A last shot of the murti in the quiet late evening when karma yogis are going back home. All decorations have been completed by now. Everyone would be having a busy time the following day.

Here we are in the early morning of Sunday 12, Ganesha Chaturthi public holiday in Mauritius. Lord Ganesha shining in the rays of the rising sun over the ocean greets and blesses all those coming to the Park.

Most of our Church members and MC students are already at the Park early morning. The ceremony conducted by two hired sivacharyas starts with an arati at the Siva Dakshina murti shrine.

Traditional music from the Tavil and Nadeswaran pervades the whole atmosphere….inspiring devotion and happiness in everyone's heart. We estimate that 5,000 people came for the main event and a total of 7,000-8,000 came throughout the day.

Back to the Ganesha Mandapam, where the first rituals starts…

A devotee made some beautiful coconut hangings for the Park reminding us of the festive olden days in temples of India.

One of the Ganesha murtis brought for visarjana, the immersion ceremony later… We are posting more photos of the festival on next TAKA.

Preparations are going full swing at the Spiritual Park of Mauritius in view of this coming's Sunday grand celebration of Ganesha Chaturthi at the Park. Today we had our September Ganesha Homa, a large crowd of devotees as usual …… and Lord Ganapati looking splendidly striking with all the garlands and flowers.

A few days ago the gravel path from the main gate leading to the Mandapam was covered with lava rocks…

Another major project being studied is the extension of the Ganesha Mandapam to allow more shelter for the increasing number of devotees coming during Ganesha Homa and major festivals. Here is Akshay, one of our selected architects giving a graphic demonstration of a new proposed extension to our kulapaties.

Back to our September Homa… A few devotees worshipping at the Muruga Mandapam early morning.

Lord Siva Dakshina Blessing devotees on this special occasion…

You can see the huge flow of devotees going down the property from the main entrance leading to the Ganesha Mandapam.

Here they are now all infront of the Ganesha Mandapam.

Worship is always intense while the ceremony is going on…

Kulapati SK Moorghen announcing about the special religious ceremony for students on October 3, 2010 at the Park which he is coordinating.

The monthly talk borrowed from Dancing With Siva, Mandala 16 stressing on Marriage and raising a family.

Ganesha Chaturthi this weekend! All TAKA viewers are invited to attend Ganesha Chaturthi at the Spiritual Park on Sunday. Aum.