After Minneapolis, Bodhinatha flew to Detroit, Michigan and then drove into Canada and across the river into the city of Windsor. Saiva Siddhanta Church sishya Tina Desai and her family live in Windsor and arranged the visit to the Hindu Mandir of Windsor whose full time head priest is Dr. Paresh Pandya. The Mandir is in a small old building and the community is raising funds to build a larger traditional building on land they've purchased.

"Recognizing that all experience is but a fading dream, you are closer to the permanence within you that never changes. You can sense it. It is God. It is Siva. It has never changed. It will never change." -Gurudeva

This morning the monks gathered to celebrate this month's Chitra puja, invoking Gurudeva's blessings, love and guidance.
Jai Gurudeva! Aum Namah Sivaya!

Today was the second day of Laksha Siva Panchakshara Japam at Hindu Temple of Minnesota. After chanting Sri Rudram in front of the Siva shrine, we went outside the main entrance to a tent for performing Rudram Homa. We chanted Rudram again but in the Rudra Yagna style where you chant "Svahaa" after each verse. Then we all chanted Aum Namah Shivaya Svaha 1008 times. Everyone was given two cups, one filled with homa herbs. For each time chanting, we placed a little bit of the herbs in the empty cup and then at the end all these cups were collected and offered into the fire. It was happy, organized chaos.

This is the Laksha Shiva Panchakshara Homam at the Hindu Temple of Minnesota which Satguru Bodhinatha attended. This video was taken by a temple devotee and is short clip (considering it took an hour) of the group Chanting Aum Namah Shivaya Svaha 1008 times.

On this second day we had Mahaganapati and Navagraha Homam in the morning and Laksha Siva Panchakshara Japam in the evening at the Hindu Temple of Minnesota. All the devotees chanted Aum Namah Shivaya mantra 1008 times. It was a powerful experience and everyone didn't even realize that it took about one hour to finish the japa.

Here are some photos of the first few days of visiting Minneapolis, Minnesota. Satguru Bodhinatha was invited by Drs. Shashikanth and Kumud Sane to be their guest for a weekend of special pujas at the Hindu Temple of Minnesota in the suburb of Maple Grove. This temple had most of its murtis vandalized around 2006 and the Sane couple visited Kauai for solace and to get advice from Bodhinatha. Subsequently the temple made a remarkable recovery which included forgiving and rehabilitating the miscreants.

This afternoon two giant crates arrived from Pakistan. Inside are six Chola-style artifact niches (our name), destined for the new Media Studio. Designed by the monks, they were crafted by a team that works with a Singapore shishya, who also teamed up with another member to cover all the costs.

There are three sets of two in the shipment. In pairs they will adorn the walls of the Media Studio, used to display sacred artifacts. So, for instance, a marble Nandi might be on display for a month, then changed out with a bronze trisula or a wooden Ganesha. the studio will have four of these displays, making it, in part, a Saivite spiritual museum.

Also in the crate is a 14-foot-long case which will span the Eastern wall of the Cedar Room. In it are 1008 rosewood cubes. Each will hold a small black river lingam.

Summer will bring many guests to Kauai Aadheenam. When Bodhinatha travels Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami comes forward and helps sign books and answers questions for our guests. It is a rare opportunity that our guests express deep appreciation for.

Today Nigel Sivam and his family are in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, pilgrimaging to the holy source of our Guru Paramparai. It was in a thatched hut in May of 1949 that Yogaswami touched Gurudeva's soul and changed our lives forever, so we asked Nigel to take some offerings, including the traditional lime given to saints and sages (we think because in the old days they could squeeze the juice into their kamandalu, the water pot sadhus carry on their peripetatic treks). Nigel made the offering on all of our behalf.

A note and some photos today from him:

"Jai Ganesha. My dearest Swami,

It is a wonderful day. The lady who takes care of Yogaswami's Colombuthurai hut asked us to visit today---on Yogaswami's Aayliam guru puja day, which happens once a month and a priests comes over to do abishekam to His thiruvadi (holy feet) once a month. 

You can see the lime that I took on behalf of all the monks, and the crystal sivalingam there too; the rudraksha japa mala is hidden behind the flowers (You can see a bead in one of the photos).  After the abishekam and puja to Yogaswami's thiruvadi, the priest gave the line, the crystal sivalingam and the rudraksha japa mala to Ragavan (our son).  The lady does not like to keep anything with Yogaswami's thiruvadi in the shrine (only His thiruvady, that is the way it has been ever since His samadhi, she said), that is why the priest returned everything; but, the crystal sivalingam and the rudraksha japa mala were kept with Yogaswami's thiruvady during abishekam and the whole puja after words (the lime was kept with the thiruvadi during the puja), and we have got all three with us, which makes us very blessed.

The two young boys helping there said that the lady is very strict and will not like anyone taking photos.  Well, while I was sitting in front of Yogaswami [His huge photo], I asked Him first; then I asked the lady permission to take photos so that I can send them to the Kauai's Hindu Monastery.  She said yes!  I know that this will not surprise You; it didn't surprise me either.

In front of Yogaswami's photo, You see a small raised marble platform.  At this place there was a wooden plank, and Yogaswami usually sat on this plank and did meditation (we are standing in front of this marble platform)-

We were asked to put everything on the place where Yogaswami did meditation everyday; the priest then took them inside Yogaswami's thiruvadi shrine.

There is a Ganesha temple and a school right across the street.  Within the school compound, there is a small shrine of Chellappaswami's holy feet.  Everyday, Yogaswami crossed the street and went to this shrine and did puja to His guru's thiruvadi.


With love,
Siva (Nigel)