A Religious Visit to Midland

Following Trinidad, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and Sannyasin Senthilnathaswami flew back to Texas, this time to Midland, far out west. Arriving in the evening, the first stop was a dinner at the home of Drs. Nalin and Kamal Tolia, some of the monastery's strongest supporters in West Texas.

The next morning, Drs. Mrunal and Padmaja Patel invited Bodhinatha to their home for pada puja satsang. Mrunal performed an excellent puja, Bodhinatha gave a marvelous upadesha and all present were blessed with vibhuti.

One of the days we were in Midland happened to be chitra nakshatra, so the Patel family invited Senthilnathaswami to perform pada puja to Gurudeva's tiruvadi in their shrine room. He did so in the same style it is performed at Kauai Aadheenam. In fact, at the very same time the puja was being performed at Gurudeva's shrine in Kadavul Temple on Kauai. The energy was very high.

Arriving a bit late in Midland after a long day of flights

Dr. Nalin Tolia greets the visiting satguru in the traditional style

Many folks have gathered

Aum was the theme of the evening, with decorations adorning the entire home

Nalin, Bodhinatha and Kamal

Dr. Mrunal Patel performs pada puja to Bodhinatha

Sheela Visswanathan came from California

Ashish Chitnis came from the Carolinas, and the Param family drove in as well, continuing their tour of Texas with Bodhinatha

Chanting Bodhinatha\

s 108 names'

The satguru\

s feet are an ocean of grace'

Everyone listens so attentively when Bodhinatha speaks

Kamal Tolia receives blessings

Jeyendra Param receives blessings

Hansaben Patel, Mrunal\

s mother, receives blessings'

Sheela Visswanathan presents offerings

Aran Malhotra, who came from Chicago with his parents Gaurav and Ripla, asks Senthilnathaswami a philosophical question while everyone is receiving vibhuti blessings from Bodhinatha

Bodhi and Bela Param, 9-year-old twins, offer their devotions

Sahanadevi Param receives Bodhinatha\

s blessings'

Mrunal, Padmaja and Pooja Patel present offerings

Our hostess, Dr. Padmaja Patel, receives Bodhinatha\

s blessings'

Gurudeva pada puja on chitra nakshatra

Pada puja for Gurudeva on chitra nakshatra at the Patel home in Midland

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