For quite some time there's been a blank space on the four, flat, bottom faces of the wooden dhvajastambha ("flagpole") in the Nandi Mandapam at Iraivan Temple. Blank no more! The gold-plated copper plates arrived in the recent (and final) container shipment, along with the gold-plated Tiruvasi (brass arch) Which will rise behind the Sphatika Sivalinga.

All the items were installed just days ago and are exquisite, as you'll see in this photo collection. Beautiful miniature yallis (guardian figures) mount on the four corners of the dhvajastambha panels.

In the photos the tiruvasi is still wrapped in plastic, which will be removed a bit later.

Today was the long awaited arrival of the final shipment of stones and other items for Iraivan Temple. After a long journey from Bengaluru, these final containers landed on Kauai several weeks ago. They've been going through detailed import inspections and today, at long last, their contents have made it to the Aadheenam grounds. The delivery contained, among other things, the remaining rose granite flower pots which will grace the walls of Iraivan Temple's perimeter wall, the stone carved cladding for Kadavul Temple's Nandi Mandapam and Kodimaram, Iraivan Temple's new Nandi, and the golden Tiruvasi which will stand behind Iraivan Temple's Crystal Lingam once installed. Om Namah Sivaya!

Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami's sister, Devi Marks, recently visited for about a week after a couple years break. Besides spending time with the monks, there were a number of new things to see, such as the stately lava rock San Marga bell arch. And she got to witness the concrete foundation pour for the Iraivan Temple stone bell tower.

Aloha One and All,

Continuing with our progress on Iraivan Temple, a crane was recently brought into the monastery to lift tens of thousands of pounds of heavy granite tiles up from the ground onto the foundation in readiness for the August-October installation. The foundation is currently bare concrete, but when the lengthy and much more complex than you think process of fitting the stones is complete, there will be an elegant red granite floor where pilgrims will walk. We look forward to showing you (and seeing for ourselves) its completed form!

Aum Namah Sivaya

Greetings fellow Siva Bhaktars! Over the retreat we had an impromptu visit from a kolam artist named Divya. For those of you who don't know. Kolam is a traditional art form of South India in which multi-colored rice flower is used to draw elaborate, ephemeral arrangements in fronts of homes and temples. Divya created multiple kolams in and around Kadavul each increasing in complexity as she approached Nataraja. The design lasts for a day or so and can easily be cleaned as it is only made from rice flower. Aum!

Aloha all! Today the first 28 of some 50 pallets of floor stones from China arrived today at Iraivan Temple. These are one-inch thick, red granite slabs up to two feet by two feet square. They will go on the second prakaram, the floor area between the temple building and the outer perimeter wall. They're first being set on the ground in front and beside the temple, where they will wait patiently to be raised up to the floor near the Nandi mandapam. We'll soon be meeting with the tile setter, Brian Oliver, to figure out how best to organize the 1800 individual tiles which are in about 70 different sizes. A real-life, very expansive puzzle! Precutting all the pieces allows for more uniformity in the final floor, and also makes the tile setters' job easier—if they can keep track of which tiles go where! Aum Namah Sivaya

Every weekend our SSC sishyas conduct online satsang, which Satguru joins partway through to give a presentation. Recently one of the attendees shared a nice testimony, which sishya Jiva Rajasankara in Bangalore heard. He got inspired to connect with the man to find out more about him. His name is Madan Ganesh, with wife Sumathi and two children. It turns out they also live in Bangalore, just a half hour drive away.
Jiva learned that Madan's family found Gurudeva's teachings online a couple of years ago and are now formal students of the Master Course and supporters of Kauai Aadheenam activities. Jiva invited the family to visit the carving worksite to meet in person and see the last two container's worth of temple items being shipped to Kauai. They were inspired to the point of deciding to sponsor the gold earring for Iraivan Temple's new Nandi, and also expressed their wish to become formal sishyas of our parampara some day. Here are a few photos of the family.

Today was Ashram Sadhana Day for the Mathavasis. That's our day every month when we spend extra time cleaning in around the monastery. The monks started their day as a group cleaning up around Iraivan Temple mainly moving unused stone in preparation for future landscaping around the base of Iraivan. Following that they continued with their various assigned cleaning areas. It must be a good time for cleaning! The monks are doing so, after all. Maybe something in your life needs some cleaning too? As Gurudeva would say, cleaning allows the energies in a space for flow freely again. If it feels like an area of life isn't moving forward, one of the first fixes to try is to do a major cleaning of your work and living spaces. Give it a try! Aum Namah Sivaya.

Today is the final day of the phase and after a three moon circumgyration shortage of sky-water, it has begun to spill again. Luckily the rain stopped for a few hours during the day and we were able to finish our gold leafing protection project. The Kodimarams at Kadavul and Iraivan Temple are covered in a gold leafing and therefore very susceptible to Kauai's climate. Thus, to prevent having to re-gild them again, they are sprayed with a special solution that prevents the growth of mold and other microorganisms. Also there is a new photographer today so if you have any tips on how to take better pictures please comment below. Have a great week! Om Sivaya Om Sivaya Om Sivaya.

The team in Bengaluru has been working hard to bring all the pieces together for the last shipment to Kauai. A few days back you saw them making the solid crates that will protect the sculptured stones during their 8,000-mile voyage. This slideshow is historic, since there will be no further containers coming from India for Iraivan. We thank the Rajasankara family for documenting this, not easy when you are in the middle of complex packing and moving. Enjoy the slideshow, and this short movie.