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Each day there is a special sadhana to be performed. It's all outlined in that great book "Loving Ganesha."

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End of Phase Notice
This was a short, four-day phase
And this edition of TAKA will posted until
Sun One, Thursday, December 24th.

Meanwhile devotees celebrating Pancha Ganapati can send us photos of your Pancha Ganapati shrine for posting on TAKA next phase. That will be a joyous visual inspiration for everyone.

Meet Bodhinatha in Malaysia and India, Jan-Feb 2004

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami will be traveling through Malaysia and South India this January/February on his 2004 Indian Odyssey travel-study program. You are welcome to meet him at the below places:

• Mon, Jan 19, 2004 - Sri Kandaswamy Temple, Kuala Lumpur
• Fri, Jan 23, 2004 � Sri Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
• Sun, Jan 25th, 2004 � Sri Karpaka Vinayagar Temple, Pillaiyarpatti
• Mon, Feb 2nd, 2004 - Siva Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
• Wed, Feb 4th, 2004- Binny Hall, Taj Connemara Hotel, Chennai
• Thur, Feb 5th, 2004 - Thaipusam celebrations at Arupadai Veedu Temple, Chennai

Click here to go to his Travel Page for details.

More from Loving Ganesha:
"The winter solstice has always been a festive time of year in all countries and religions, among Hindus especially, for it is a traditional season for the worship of Lord Ganesha. In Hindu Vedic Astrology this time of year marks the end of the sun's southward movement and the beginning of its movement north, the change from dakshinayana to uttarayana. Since Hindus do not celebrate Christmas, they often find it difficult to relate in a meaningful way to those who do. Their children are often embarrassed when asked why they do not receive gifts on December 25. Adults feel the need to give gifts and mail greeting cards as well as receive them from their relatives, neighbors, friends and business associates. Pancha Ganapati is a Hindu expression of this natural season of worship, gift-giving and celebration."

Click here to go to the on-line chapter on festival and scroll down to find out all about how to enjoy this time of year in a Hindu fashion.

Bodhinatha's Sun One Video. Most Recent update: September 12, 2003. Bodhinatha speaks on Ahimsa, noninjury, yama #1, which is noninjury in thought, word and deed. The law of karma decrees that it is wise not to harm or hurt others, for we will then receive harm and hurt in exchange in the future. 12 minutes, 29 seconds.

Yogi Mahadevan with the help of Thambynathan Girish Samugam set up a shrine with our lovely bronze Pancha Mukha (Five-Faced) Ganapati in the court yard. We came to lunch early today to enjoy a Ganesha arati, two kulam reports and short speech by Girish, as this is his last day before returning to Singapore to school tomorrow early in the morning. Girish is our pujari today.

Jai Ganesha!

"The family sadhana for the first day of Pancha Ganapati is to create a vibration of love and harmony among immediate family members. The day begins early, and the entire family works together to design and decorate the shrine with traditional symbols, rangoli, lamps and more." (excerpted from Loving Ganesha)

Giving the flame to Bodhinatha....

"The sadhana of the day now begins. The family sits together for the purpose of easing any strained relationships that have arisen during the year. They make amends one with another for misdeeds performed, insults given, mental pain and injuries caused and suffered. When forgiveness is offered to all by one and all, they speak of each other's good qualities and resolve that in the days ahead they will remember the futility of trying to change others and the practicality of changing oneself to be the silent example for all to witness. Gifts are then exchanged and placed unopened before Pancha Ganapati. As family harmony is important to all Hindus, this sadhana must be taken very seriously." (excerpted from Loving Ganesha)

Happy Pancha Ganapati!

We want to express what a wonderful spirit and attitude Thambynathan Girish Samugam displayed while he was here for six weeks on school break. Always in a great mood, ever ready to serve. Just one example is how he took over the milking of our cow Chaturthi, all on his own. He's a strong soul with a loving and pure heart and we will miss him until he comes again next year. Thanks Girish for your service and thanks to his mother and father in Singapore for sending him to help us for over a month!

After the regular rice and curry lunch the monks then enjoyed ice-cream yogurt pies and chocolate fudge cake, sponsored by Gobi and Nirmala Padmanabhan of Sunnyvale, California, who sent a donation for Iraivan and requested that a portion be used to feed the monks. Girish helped make sure there was nothing wasted. That's the spirit!

In a phenomenon we expect will grow over the years, the Aadheenam and the island of Kauai is becoming a holiday destination for Hindus living in the US who want to spend these wintery days when they are usually deluged with western commercialism, in a different, religious atmosphere. Since the kids from school and university get a Christmas, New Year break, its a great time for the whole family to make a pilgrimage to Kauai's Hindu Monastery for quality time together. Worship in the morning at the temple and sun, fun and reflection by the beautiful Kauai ocean in the afternoon and evening.

This family also had other great reasons to celebrate:
Shashi and Deepa Mehra visited today from Austin, Texas, with their 3 daughters and niece. They arrived yesterday afternoon on the island and made the aadheenam their first place of visit on Kauai. It also happened to be Shashi and Deepa's wedding anniversary today and the birthday of their daughter, Pooja. They had a special arati in Kadavul Temple before going out on a tour of the Iraivan Temple site.

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Current Overview

Today's kulam report was from the Siddhidata and Ganapati Kulams. The "SK" and "GK" as we say here...

The SK Talaivar, Sannyasin Yoginathaswami shared with us the progress on the temple. 2/3'rds of the stones for the 22 course are up and being worked on. This silpis didn't have enough room at the top for all the stones for the whole course. The next lift will be around the 1st of January.

Our special contractor for the more difficult wooden construction, Jeff Griffin, also came to re-do the pulley system the silpis use to lift things up to the top of the temple. Now they can raise up materials from the foundation all the way up to the level of the capstone.

The garden team reported success with a special variety of green taro leaves that we were eating today that do not have any of the crystal in them which must normally be boiled off before eating. And they joyously reported the completion of the double digging of the last of the beds in Anna Purna Garden.

Above you see a relief carving from one of the pillars. A representative of the medicinal plant category, these are the flowers of the bitter tonic and immune boosting echinacea plant.

A Mambashum mural on the pillars of Iraivan. This one has three portraits outlining in very concise terms the path we are all on.

Aum -- the cosmic sound
Aooseseoom -- the kundalini
Emkaef -- Nirvakalpa samadhi

Innersearch is Only 24 Days Away!

You can still squeeze in with the remaining time. This is going to be a great trip....

The skies over Madurai temple in Tamil Nadu.

One of the highlights of the cultural performances will be a rare opportunity to listen to one of the world's greatest flute players, the child prodigy Shashank, who will be playing for Bodhinatha one of the evenings.

Check out his credentials!

http://www.rasika.org/Portland/flute_shashank.htm
http://www.indiaartist.com/shashank/

Set behind a village, in the small town of Dharasuram, the Airatesvara Temple is a superb example of 12th-century Chola architecture. It was built by Raja Raja II (1146�63). At the main shrine, a huge decorated lingam is illuminated by natural light from sunrise to sunset.

On many of our daily excursions we will venture into the outbacks of South India with the opportunity to see farms and paddy fields. The ladies in the picture above are sowing paddy seedlings. We will be in Tamil Nadu during the harvest months of January and February.

Click here to sign go read more and sign up! Seats are still available.

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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS		2004 Indian Odyssey Join Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami on an 18 day Innersearch to South India, from Jan 19 to Feb 5, as we pilgrimage to ancient monasteries, magnificent 1,000 plus year old sacred temples and meet with India's holy men in a life-transforming adventure. Click on the above link for more details.
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