Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr. and his wife Gina and ten of the mayor’s county administration team visited the Aadheenam today. First they met with Bodhinatha.

Paramacharya Palaniswami gives the mayor a shawl.

Bodhinatha says the reason for their visit, which has been planned for months, was that the mayor and his team were going around Kauai with the intent of finding out what is going on, on our small island in various places. This helps put everyone in touch with the community and to understand the needs of Kauai’s people. The mayor had heard of the monastery’s sustainability skills, and wanted to show these to his leaders who could then translate what was learned to the island residents.

Bodhinatha shared with the group our monastery’s various sustainability initiatives ranging from our growing much of our own food and stock six month supply of anything we need in case of disasters all the way to the constant training the monks do to gain the skills to manage the property vehicles etc. and to monitor our energy consumption.

He also explained the monastery’s policy of staying in touch with the community and not being “isolated like we are some mountain top….”

The mayor and his team are thinking very seriously about the sustainability issues for our small island. Over 85% of the food consumed in Hawaii is imported. This puts everyone in a vulnerable position if a disaster strikes or world problems interrupt shipping.

It has been years since many of these people have visited, and some have never been here before. Palaniswami and Shanmuganathaswami then spoke on the specific projects, principles and energy goals of the monastery that make it function, answering the group’s questions. Palaniswami passed offered gifts to the visitors, including a home-grown rudraksha on a string and home-made yogurt.

Attending today were:

1. Mayor Carvalho and wife Gina
2. Gary Heu, Managing Director
3. Beth Tokioka, Director of Communications
4. Tommy Contrades, CIP Program Manager
5. Wally Rezentes, Jr., Finance Director
6. Sally Motta, Deputy Finance Director
7. Larry Dill, County Engineer
8. Mike Dahilig, Director of Planning
9. Lenny Rapozo, Director of Parks and Recreation
10. Glenn Sato, Energy Coordinator
11. Ken Stokes, Sustainability Consultant

The group also visited Iraivan temple and our gardens and then we served them lunch. Fresh breadfruit curry. Pakwan leaves (sooo good) with paneer, tamarind rice, garbanzos, yogurt and papadams.

Our Kauai members served the in the traditional Indian style, seated in front of banana leaves. Wholesome food, fresh from the garden.