Blog Archives

At the Aadheenam today, the Lambodhara Kulam gave their report. Some interesting news about the future base of the Maha Spatika Lingam for the Iraivan Temple. Drawings have been done and contracts are being drawn up for casting a 1-ton Pancha Loka (five metal) base with gold plating... Now that will be one very powerful murthi!

It is a very high time here at the Aadheenam, a string of Sivaloka days, clear skies, Chitra Puja tomorrow and Vaikasi Vishakam at the end of the phase. Several new premonastics well on their way and some major growth for the order is on the horizon. In a word: all systems GO for the mission of the Kailasa Paramapara. Gurudeva is working hard on the inside!

Many guests are continuing to flow. Thanks to Shama Kumaran for hosting, taking photos and so meticulously writing captions on visitors and Isani Alahan for manning the Mini-mela!

Swati and Shekhar Kapoor and their adorable baby, Shaantanu whose beautiful smile makes everyone smile, arrived from Milpitas, California. Swati is a designer of Indian fashions and owns her own business in Milpitas, California.

Swati and Shekhar were accompanied by their parents Rama and Lalit Khanna from Fremont, California. The family originally came from Jaipur and Amritsar near New Delhi.

After enjoying the morning Siva abhishekam, they toured the gardens and the Iraivan Temple site and talked with the shilpis. They were in awe of the craftsmanship of these great artisans who carve the stones and build this great Siva temple.They were amazed to find an all hand-carved granite Chola-style Agamic Hindu temple being built on a small Hawaiian island in the middle of the Pacific ocean.

Josephine Ascuncion from Kilauea and her sister Mo and husband Frances were also visiting from Huntington Beach. So she brought them here to experience the "most beautiful and sacred place on earth."

Paramacharya Palaniswami meets our guests.

Shaantanu is always smiling. Lucky boy to have the good karma to come to Siva's Feet so early in life.

Yoginathaswami and Palaniswami go to discuss issues, answer questions and share the week's progress and projects with the silpis.

It's a process that many would find tedious and most would have difficulty staying with for more than a few hours.

But these men have remarkable persistence and patience to test a saint.

A carver in every corner, patiently bringing Gurudeva's vision of Iraivan to life.

Hour after hour they chip, chip, chip.

Today one of them is working on these small motifs which appear on the base of the pillars.

There he is on the right, examining the pillar.

Meanwhile, Yoginathaswami answers a question from Vellaisamy.

Chisels in the bottom of a bucket, waiting for their turn.

A pilgrim, John Locke, (Jiva Shanmuga) from UK arrives, full of light. He was struck with such a sense of awe that he actually grew speechless. John has been studying Gurudeva's teachings for decades. Welcome, John.

Working on the base stones below the pillars.

And above on a lion-pillar detail.

Chip, chip, chip.

Chip, chip, chip.

Stones in their crates waiting their turn.

We are told one of the next steps will be to place the roof stones in this square, so this view looking up through the roof will be disappearing forever soon.

Another recent visitor who came, Leslie Keough, is a professional photographer and sent some of her work by email.

Muruga Hill.

Lion of the Lion pillar

Somewhere on Kauai: A sign with an important message. What do you grow?