We end our six-day phase today.

This morning Holly Young came to visit with Paramacharya Palaniswami and the Ganapati Kulam. She is working on a very special sculpture of Gurudeva, Ganapati Sthapati and the silpis. It will be an incredible, life-sized bronze piece commemorating the builders of Iraivan.

It is called “The Silpi Memorial Statue” … more about this not-so-top-secret project in the years ahead.

Those who have been here may have seen the bronze statue of Iraivan that Holly did that is scheduled to be placed in the hand of Hanuman. Currently it sits in the Minimela visitor center. Today she took many pictures of Yoginathaswami who stood for nearly 30 minutes in the posture that Gurudeva will have in the sculpture. She wanted to capture the exact look and feel of our monastic robes, which will comprise 90% of the figure.

Holly had a small testimony about the power of our web site and the reach of Gurudeva and Kauai’s Hindu Monastery.

Holly, who works on the Big Island (Hawaii), is a well-known artist. Her pieces may take as many as 27 people who do various parts of the process in finishing her sculptures. She does the modeling in Hawaii, the pieces are cast in Colorado and welded in Texas. Of all the artisans she says her welder Bobby, in Texas, has the most impact on the piece in terms of its artist creation. Holly had told Bobby (who had done the welding on the Iraivan temple piece) about the monastery. Later Bobby got curious, found our web site and started reading TAKA daily.

Holly was surprised and delighted on her next trip to Texas to see Gurudeva’s picture in Bobby’s shop. He told her he found in the teachings things he had believed all his life on his own and he has become a regular reader of the daily Master Course lessons.

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END OF PHASE
Today is the last day of our phase.
This edition of TAKA will remain posted
over our coming two-day retreat,
until Dasami Tithi, Sun One, Thursday, January 13th.

On January 5th, a small group of devotees observed Gurudeva’s Jayanthi in Klang. Arvindraj conducts the padapuja

Kaladevi Ambalawan in Penang took some marvelous photos of her shrine during Pancha Ganapati and sends this short testimonial…

“I’m 21 and my family has been observing Pancha Ganapati Puja each year for the past four years.”

We have seen many improvements in our lives. Our family is close and we can discuss things more openly.

My father subscribes to Hinduism Today and he is also an Iraivan Temple Builder.

He has, also many books written by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in his collection. Loving Ganesha, Merging with Shiva, Dancing with Shiva, Living with Siva and many more.

We have also attended talks by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami and Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami.