The lovely new outdoor information and display area that we call “Siva Darshanam Vanam” is progressing. The three kiosks are finished, art work depicting Gurudeva’s visions that established San Marga and Iraivan are installed and the landscaping is nearly done. Several large Foxtail palms gifted by a neighbor have been planted in the back and a cactus and rock garden is under construction in the center.

Here visitors can enjoy the peace and learn all about how the temple was founded and enjoy the masterful art that our Kerala artist is creating, art which depicts the visions that Gurudeva had of Lord Siva, and more.

We raised about 800+ Areca palms from seedlings and these are now moving into five gallons bags. Here is the team working under Arumuganathswami’s direction.
After these palms fill out the five gallon bags, they will be transplanted into the ground on Himalayan Acres.

Some regard it as the most beautiful vine in the world. Thunbergia mysorensis, a native of Mysore, South India.

Today it is blooming lavishly in our garden. We have 4 or 5 of the vines planted here and there. They grow to be massive, covering half an acre or more, with thousands of inflorensences, which grow down on ever-lengthening tendrils and are about 20 inches long, in bright purple and yellow.

In fact, there is a flower on the vine every day of the year.

The birds love to sit on the yellow lip and drink the nectar it holds.

As you may be aware, we have been providing financial assistance to 34 war-affected students from Vanni in the College of Education of Jaffna.

The College of Education is a teachers training college with eight campuses in Sri Lanka. Students enroll in this college for three years of study. During the first two years, they live on the campuses and attend lectures and during the last year they are sent to schools to undergo an internship. Four of the students who received this financial assistance have completed their studies and two of them have already been appointed to positions as teachers in a school. The remainder are performing their internships in public schools.

Our sincere thanks go to Manitha Neyam Trust and their donors for supporting 19 students. We also extend our gratitude to a small group of kindhearted souls from Canada who came forward to help nine students. Their act of kindness is giving hope to these students who --by the end of this year -- will be graduating and becoming teachers.

Last month, I met with all of them in Kopay. These students went through a lot of suffering, but they are determined to pursue a higher education so that they can contribute to their communities by taking up one of the noblest professions on earth - TEACHING.

In Peace,
Rishi Thondunathan
PS: I am enclosing some photos I took with the students.