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Siddhidata Kulam New Maintenance Shop Updates

Following are some of the specific progress steps taken over the last weeks.
During their final days here, the silpis crafted a beautiful granite sign for the new maintenance shop, storage and office building, called Hale Hana.

The concrete "apron" around the building cured and is ready to use

Mobile tool storage units with work counters were assembled.

A simple bathroom indoors was completed

The storage rooms are all painted and lit, with trip along the base of walls.

Trim was installed around all the doors, and some windows placed.

San Marga Path Deity Moving

Today we moved the Ganesha and Muruga murtis that were just before the svayambhulingam square, to new locations. The Ganesha moved to the other side of our property to giving blessings outside our new maintenance building, while Muruga moved up to the side of Muruga Hill.
We started in the early morning by transferring the Deity shakti into kumbhas, which then sat in a small yagasala with smaller kalashas in front of the svayambhulingam to receive a full homa. While the homa continued, the murtis were moved to their new locations. Then the large kumbhas and small kalashas were paraded to the new locations and poured over the murtis to re-energize them.
We might post additional photos of these events on another day.

Electrifying the New Machine Shop Building and Office

Five electricians from California have begun the process of installing wiring, fans and power outlets throughout the new Siddhidata Kulam metal building, courtesy of our SSC sishya Easvan Param, a longtime electrican.

Three scissor lifts are rented for the project, which will last around a couple weeks.

Through the Lens of Shankara

Aum Namah Sivaya

Today we present a series of artistic imagery taken by our very own Brahmachari Shankara. With camera in hand, he marched out upon our majestic garden lands and took a cornucopia of photos detailing our many plants and waterways. Here are a select few of his images, displaying the many small wonders that stood out to his eye.

Outside the New Siddhidata Kulam Building

Now that the new metal building is finished on the outside, including gutters and drain pipes to move rainwater away from the building, the Siddhidata Kulam is adjusting the surroundings. The ground is now sloped away on three sides, with a slightly lower pathway cut to channel water further away. Narrow concrete pipes already in our possession were laid next to each other to form a wide culvert for diverting a large amount of water out into the nearby orchard. The road over this culvert is the main route for coming to and from the new building. A round catchment tank is being installed as another source of rainwater storage for emergency use, and we also just purchased a used, large, stainless steel tanker as another source of backup water. A mound of dirt and mulch is established around the south side of the building to grow plants for a visual barrier.

Beginning the 2023 Jivana Ritau

Today is the first full day of our new season, the Jivana Ritau. Early this morning, Satguru, monastics and members gathered in Kadavul Temple for a homa. Following an upadesha from Satguru, they then proceeded out the the aadheenam's flagpole to fly the dvaja for the new season. Excerpts from Saiva Dharma Shastras about the this time of year: "Beginning with Hindu New Year in mid-April, three seasons of the year divide our activities into three great needs of humankind the learning of scripture in the first season, Nartana Ritau; the living of culture in the second season, Jivana Ritau; and the meditating on Siva in the third season, Moksha Ritau. Thus we are constantly reminded that our life is Siva's life and our path to Him is through study, sadhana and realization. In ritau one, we teach the philosophy; in ritau two, we teach the culture; and in ritau three, we teach meditation. During Jivana Ritau, the rainy season, from mid-August to mid-December, Living with Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Culture is the primary text. The key word of this season is work. The colors are rust, copper-maroon and all shades of red rust for earthy preservation, copper-maroon for fulfillment and red for physical energy. The Aadheenam's flag pole flies the rust-colored dhvaja, symbolizing environmental care. Copper-maroon and all shades of red adorn our smaller flags. This is the season of honoring and showing appreciation for those in the vanaprastha ashrama, life's elder advisor stage. The focus is on preserving what has been created, manifesting goals and fulfilling plans made in the past. Inwardly the emphasis is on direct cognition and caring for the practical details of the external world. Practicality is a word much used this season."

The Sawdust Chronicles

Namaskaram Everyone!

Recently, we have upgraded the monitor and sound system that Satguru uses for his presentations in the Guru Pitam. Upon unboxing the new equipment we realized the existing stand was slightly too small to house the new monitor. Fortunately, Mayuresh is here for several weeks on taskforce, working in the woodshop. He has been working on the screen's stand by adding a larger top as well as a small drawer to hold the microphone and sound equipment. He was happy to work on this project because it serves as a opportunity to improve his carpentry skills. Mayuresh remarks "The monastery wood shop has every tool you could ever need for a project!"

August Krittika Homa

Aum Namah Sivaya

Each month during the auspicious timing of the Krittika nakshatra, Pravinkumar performs a homa in Iraivan Temple. Satguru attends each time and he notes that the temple has become noticeably more powerful each time. Following the event devotees enjoyed the reverberations of the temple's not-so-subtle vibration (and also enjoyed the coconut rice!). Aum.

Swami from Karnataka

Kauai Aadheenam was honored by a rare visit from one of the leading Lingayat Saiva Gurus in the world. Jagadguru Dr. Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji from Sirigere in Karnataka State, India, was accompanied by devotees from Chicago. He has been the head of the Taralabalu Monastery since 1979. He is also the President of the Taralabalu Education Society which has over 170 educational institutions in Karnataka, and teached 50,000 students. Swami is also a Sanskrit expert and translator into English of 22,000 of the vacanas of the main progenitors of the tradition, including Basavana, the founder of Lingayat Saivism, whose poems to Siva have and continue to inspire millions.

Swami met Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami in the Guru Pitham, took a tour of Iraivan Temple, met with the Ganapati Kulam and went out on a garden tour.

July 2023 Chitra Puja

Jai Gurdeva!

Recently our monks celebrated the monthly Chitra nakshatra with the usual padapuja to Gurudeva's shrine in Kadavul Temple. This month, Sannyasin Tillainathaswami and Nirvani Tejadevanatha performed the ceremony.

"Peace is the natural state of the mind. It is there, inside, to be discovered in meditation, maintained through self-control, and then radiated out to others." - Gurudeva

Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.

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