Aum Namah Sivaya
Over the retreat, our monks spent a morning working on projects related to Iraivan Temple fundraising. Everyone started by stuffing newsletter envelopes for all members, subscribers and donors that receive them. That’s right, each is personally prepared by one of your monks! Also on this day, Nirvani Tejadevanatha and Yogi Dayanatha worked on cleaning Iraivan Temple’s calcite deposits from the stone. While out there they took this amazing photo of some high-up and high-speed cloud movement.

Aum Namah Sivaya,

With the kodimaram placed, work continues on the Nandi Mandapam's stairs and on the area at the base of the kodimaram. In the sanctum, carving is being done around the walls and the sanctum doors are also resting quietly, awaiting their eventual installation when the temple gets closer to completion.

Aum Namah Sivaya!

Today we witnessed the blessing for Iraivan Temple's flagpole. Satguru, the monks, the silpis and several devotees arrived at the Temple's Nandi Mandapam to observe a short puja and then carefully position the teak wood pole prefectly upright. With that, we were then able to fill the base around it with compacted sand. In a delightful twist, the Inner Sanctum's teak wood doors from India arrived at the monastery just hours before this event. Photos coming soon. Another historic day at Kauai Aadheenam!

On day nine of the 2019 Sri Lanka Innersearch, we visited the Sri Durga Devi Temple near Maviddapuram in Jaffna. This is a well-known Temple involved in numerous community oriented activities and charitable work. Temples in Jaffna are the hub, not only for spiritual unfoldment, but for the preservation of culture, education and the for the welfare of devotees. The large and colorful four-sided gopurams are a recent development and make this temple the second largest in Jaffna.

With yesterday and this morning being the annual celebration of Chellappaswami's Mahasamadhi, it's a good time to share our 2019 Innersearch visit to Chellapaswami's Shrine in Nallur. Here are some photos taken with Satguru and pilgrims during the worship at Chellappaswami's hut. Siddhanathaswami did the abhishekam assisted by Rishi Thondunatha.

We have been keeping this secret for a week, while we waited until Satguru returned from his travels and got a chance to see it first. The scaffolding around the Nandi Mandapam was removed on Wednesday, March 27th, a Sun One. And Wow! What an exquisite, intricate structure of carved white granite, now available for everyone to see!

The last shipment of stones was huge. They were off loaded around the temple. Now comes the difficult, painstaking job of removing the crates, without damaging the stone. More perimeter stones along with the final course of the perimeter wall, and other wonders.

Our Innersearch photographer reports: Yogi Jayanatha and Yogi Dayanatha shouldered lots of responsibilities on a daily basis. Before and during Innersearch they worked tirelessly to make sure Innersearch pilgrims stay, transportation, food and all coordination with Rishi Thondunatha's team work seamlessly. But this is what they do as part of their duty and responsibility apart from their intense daily sadhanas. Shown here are photos at Kadaitswami's Samadhi Temple in Jaffna, Both Yogis got on a different role during the visit to Jaffna at Kadaitswami's shrine carrying the Palanquin of Lord Siva with Uma Maheswari and Rajeswary. Kadaitswami's bronze murthy was placed in the front of the palanquin as the procession was taken around the temple perimeters

Another video produced by Sivan TV during the innersearch.

Yesterday was a marvelous day at Iraivan. The Kodi Maram was lifted by crane and four top roof stones of the Nandi Mandapam roof where placed around it. It was magical. It is really tall! Congratulations to the Siddhidata Kulam and especially the silpis and Sannyasin Yoginathaswami. The logistics of the operation was a "smooth as glass!"