Aum Namah Sivaya

Last summer, work began on the installation of the red granite tile which surrounds Iraivan Temple's main structure. Today, much of the work has been completed around the back and the two sides of the temple. The team is now focusing on the front area around the Nandi Mandapam. Projections are that after another month this tile project will be near completion. Aum.

Today was the official placement of the first new stone for Kadavul Temple's Kodimaram! This is a momentous moment marking the official start of the work and providing blessings to ensure the rest of the project goes smoothly. Enjoy our early morning photos as well as this video of the Silpi's work chant-   Aum Namah Sivaya

No, this isn't Stonehenge in the UK. In this first photo are the final batch of cladding stones forklifted over by the Siddhidata Kulam for placement around the Dhwaja Stambha base.

Aum Aum, As you know the Silpis have been hard at work preparing the Nandi Mandapam for the installation of the new stone bases. Well, yesterday, the Silipis along with support from the Siddhidhata kulam moved the stones into place along the Mandapam where they will soon be installed in their final resting place! Look forward to the updates! Jai Ganesha!

A team has been pushing hard to establish a perimeter of grass 8-12 feet wide next to Iraivan, right up to the lava rock plinth. Much preparation has happened, starting with a bulldozer sloping the land, installing a substrate support grid, filling with compost, seeding and more. After a couple of months, we are seeing the results, bright green grassy area on which future pilgrims will walk barefooted to read the 35 bronze plates on the perimeter wall. Just this morning Tandu Sivanathan covered the entire area with a special fertilizer designed to encourage root growth (high in potassium). See the slideshow for progress.

The ancient Silpashastras describe the archway that is one of the ornaments of the Deity in a temple or shrine. It is called Tiruvasi, and it represents the Cosmic Sphere in which Siva dances or another deity abides. The flames are consciousness and the fierce face at the top is Mahakala, Lord of Time who ultimately devours all.

The two tiruvasis in Kadavul were made many years back under the supervision of Jiva Rajasankara. Since he is on pilgrimage here, he undertook the refurbishing of the hammered metal arches, which had become a bit worn and weary, as this do over time. It took several days and they were reinstalled last night. See the slideshow for the short story.

When Jiva Rajasankara and the three silpis arrived from Bengaluru a few days back, they had many boxes of items for the monastery. One held these amazing silver puja items, given by Swami Jeyendrapuriswami, shown below with Jiva holding an alankara lamp. Swami knew Iraivan would need these when the temple opens and commissioned them made by one of South India's finest silver smiths. Such a precious gift to Siva. Nandri, Swami. They will serve us for many years into the future.

This rare photo from 1980 shows Gurudeva seated on the Kadavul threshold watching the young monks guide a giant crane that is lifting and putting into place the 32,000-pound granite Nandi. It was so heavy, it bent the crane! That night on the evening news from Honolulu (remember TV news before the Internet?) the opening story from Kauai was captioned "16 Tons of Bull!"

When Nandi was in place, Gurudeva lamented that the black granite murti was magnificent, but the base on which he kneeled "is a pile of rocks." He was not happy with the roughness of the stones. So here we are, 42 years later, bringing the base up to Gurudeva's hoped-for standard.

This morning the three silpis and Jiva, newly arrived from India, are uncrating sculpted granite cladding that has been in the Bengaluru workshop for some three years. In the days ahead they will be assembling these stones in front of Kadavul and we will visualize Gurudeva seated on the threshold smiling that his words were still ringing in our ears and his Nandi will have a proper throne as he kneels before Siva Nataraja.

Today was a day off for the busy tile setting team, so we took the opportunity to sneak inside the workspace to see what they've been up to.

You well know that there are five forms of Siva, also known as Sadasiva, that will one day be installed in niches on the Iraivan Vimanam. They are deeply mystical aspects of Iraivan temple that were cast in bronze many years ago. They are 36 inches tall. Finally, they are being prepared to be gilded with 23-karat gold leaf. The work is going to be done in Honolulu, by Hawaii's finest gilders, so our team made some sturdy crates for the 104-mile sea voyage ahead. When they return, you will be amazed by the transformation (in a January or February TAKA post). Meantime, enjoy the crate building.