We began a new phase today with a wonderful Chitra Padapuja for Gurudeva this morning. We just passed through a very productive and uplifting 3-day retreat.

We have had many visitors from Canada lately, most very happy to leave the frozen North and enjoy the less frigid Hawaiian climate.

Our visitors today are from Ontario, Canada and are accompanied by friends from Detroit, Michigan. Here they pose in front of the handcarved stone chain displayed temporarily on the western side of the Iraivan Temple. Rajendran and Hasu Patel from Michigan, and Pankuj and Mini Patel, Kirti and Bhavna Shah all from Canada.

In front of the Iraivan Temple sanctum.

Three more Hindu families enjoyed the beautiful morning puja in Kadavul Temple. All remarked on the peacefulness and spiritual beauty of this sacred place.

They later posed for a group photo after returning from a wonderful tour of the Iraivan Temple. (L/R) Mohan and Sudha Narayanan from Arcadia, FL; The Kamaraj family -- Mahiranan (12), Aranand (3), Kanmani and Jawahar all from Tracy, CA.; and Sohena and Chirag Patel from Allentown, PA.

Kanmani and her two sons Mathiranan and Aranand happily harvest some curry leaves before they leave the Aadheenam. Although three year old Aranand is not too sure he wants to be photographed.

The Siddhidata Kulam scheduled work on Star 3 (yesterday) of our retreat and the second layer of the Iraivan’s roof was done. It was another concrete layer added on top of the first one.

Arumugaswami was on the job with the camera that morning.

The pump truck and long boom are very impressive.

While the masons and our monks work on aloft, the silpis are continuing below with their work on the floor.

This is very, very hard work, but this is all these men do, day after day and they really know how to get the job done!

Our team had previously installed a middle “beam” which is center ridge.

The concrete was delivered very “thick” which means it was made a dry as possible with large gravel. this allowed the masons to put a slope from the center downwards to the edge of the roof.

It was a very successful day and Iraivan is now dry inside!

We bring you another series from the first cement pour by Jo Evans. She is the wife of Mark Evans the owner of Smallline Concrete pumping company that pumped concrete yesterday. Nice photos of the pour, silpis and Iraivan temple. Here she captures the silpies at work. You can view all her photos here:

http://www.smallline.com/hindutemple

Our silpis, hard at work on the floor stones.