Blog Archives
January 14, 2003 
Happy Thai Pongal! And what a special day it was at the Aadheenam with progress everywhere around us. Gurudeva is certainly watching with a smile on his face. It was also Ashram Sadhana day for this month, three days before the full moon... so you will be seeing the monks dressed in their "greens."
Our Beloved and Revered Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Attained Maha Samadhi on November 12th, 2001
Click to read for Details.
Mystic Mouse Coloring Book Now available
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Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami sends his love out to all the devotees around the world and is looking forward to being with all the sishya in Singapore and Malaysia in a few days. See his travel schedule for details.
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Thai Pongal is a special day in Tamil Nadu and the silpis were prepared in the traditional manner.
The placing of the pongal pot has to be done at precisely the right moment. Here is the hearth at the patrai -- blacksmith forge decorated for the event.
A puja tray in readiness.
The traditional abstract symbol of Lord Ganesha is a small mound of sandal paste, durva grass and a flower. placed on top of the patrai, receives the first arati.
Chinnu the cook brings forth the new pot and gives it to Sundaram Achari who is the priest for the event.
The new pot is carefully decorated.
Charcoal is placed into the patrai.
The fire is lit.
At the auspicious moment the pot is placed over the fire.
The hand-rotated bellows gets a few spins.
The fire is getting hot now.
This small ancient design for a blacksmith hearth is amazingly effective, bringing high temperatures into the small area.
Chinnu stirs the milk in the pot.
Everyone watches in anticipation for the event that signals the whole direction for the coming year. The milk should foam up and overflow the pot indicating an auspicious year to come. If the milk should simply boil and burn without foaming, which can happen even at high temperatures... that is a bad omen.
Ahhh! All is well for the year to come! Now Chinnu will add rice, brown sugar, raisins, ghee and cashews to make the delicious sweet pongal rice prasadam.
Offerings for the puja.
The silpis and monks wish everyone around the world a Happy Thai Pongal!
Now for some fun... our silpis who are master of the stone, take a ride out to Muruga Hill to meet another team of masters of stone.
A tribe of Tongans is here to build a lava rock enclosure at the top of Muruga Hill.
Up we go....
Stone workers from one land meeting stone workers from another.
A six-sided trench has been dug for the six sides.
Using their Bobcat, the Tongans have brought tons of lava rocks.
Palaniswami describes the construction, which is a low wall of six sides with a 36-inch opening on the front and back.
The tall granite Vel will be coming soon from India so we need to get this ready.
Stone delivery...
Using string and level the team is amazingly adept at handling stones of completely different shapes.
The first stone laying here is a different kind of event...
One lava rock, propped in space begins it all.
These men are very, very strong!
The wall will be vertical on the inside and sloped on the outside.
The top of Muruga Hill has a wonderful view of the surrounding area.
Meanwhile at the Aadheenam the monks are busy cleaning all day long. Here is Sadhaka Jothinatha washing the floor of our courtyard.
The temple tank of Kadavul temple is being renovated . The Ganapati Kulam is working preparing the walls. Sannyasin Natarajnathaswami on the pressure washer, Sivakatirswami rigs a pump to pump out the water, Kumarswami sees to making sure the surface is properly scrapped and sanded. Thambynathan Shailesh helps him with the surface preparation. Its a fun day away from the computers. The statue of Sambandar that usually sits in the center of the pool has been moved. The Tongans will be coming here too and facing the pedestal for the murthi with lava racks.
Every square inch must be clean and free of old, loose paint.
Sambandar watches from the side as his new home is renovated.
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Innersearch 2004 in India!
Bodhinatha will lead the next Innersearch to India, January, 2004. We will visit Bangalore and the Iraivan Carving Village, and settle in the South in Tamil Nadu, Click on the above for details on what will be an inspiring journey to our holy land of Bharat! |
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