Our Visit to Kailash Ashram

[Seeking forgiveness for the typing here, as the post was composed on an Indian road in sometimes wild traffic]

The family gathers at dawn in the shrine room for a short tutorial by Yoginathaswami, who gives them detailed insights into the Atmarta Puja which they perform each day as part of their diksha sadhanas. The puja follows and a true South Indian breakfast.

Off for a day and night at Kailash Ashram and our dear brother Shree Jayendrapuri Swami, successor to the great guru and Maha Swami, Trichyswami, whom Gurudeva loved so deeply. We are greeted with such love and taken on a long tour, shown the new Rajagopuram work, the Trichyswami Temple of Health (an amazing pyramidal healing center they are building), and more. Swami is erecting a pyramid shaped building which will serve his medical center. It is exactly 1/5 the size of Egyptian pyramid, 151 feet on a side and 90 feet tall. Inside the ashram he is building and has almost completed another smaller (45 feet on a side) pyramid for meditation within the monastery. 

We are then taken to the head of the ashram, Jayendrapuri Swami, whose love of his Guru is legendary and who is masterfully evolving every aspect of the ashram. We are a bit stunned by the scope of the work they have undertaken and the commitment to perfection in every detail.

Swami has responded to our call for help, with the design and fabrication of a golden crown for the Swayambhu Spatika Lingam, and introduces us to Alagapa Raja and his father. Raja has been a devotee and jeweler for the Ashram for 30 years. Swami directs us to adjourn to our cottage and work out the details for the crown, which we do.

The moment I present the vision, Raja pulls a pair of scissors from nowhere and cuts a shape which becomes the crown, proceeding immediately to draw the designs. We tell him which gems are Agamically associated with which of Siva's faces, and he masterfully incorporates it. Amazing to see such a gifted artist at work. I give him the title of Gold Sthapati and he smiles appreciatively.

We are called back to Swami. He wants to see and approve the drawing, and then he himself hands over the first offering of gold for the project. He approves, and Raja is thrilled that within an hour we have accomplished such a complex task together.

Swami suggests we rest a bit (translation, we take time for catching up with email). Around 5 pm we meet Swami again, then attend his daily evening puja to Shree Rajarajeswari. Afterwards we are entertained by padashala boy performing a tabla and flute concert! (they were actually practicing). Swami joined us to enjoy the concert. At the end, Swami and boys chanted Siva Mahima Stotra beautifully!

We had dinner with Swami and retired. In the morning we again are invited to his private nitya puja, performed with such grace and detail. Two boys, ages 7 and 10, perform a virtual dance as they assist Swami with the many details of this two-hour puja to Sri Chakra. After breakfast, Swami take us up to the top of the buildings, to show his solar field and his steam-producing system (four giant mirrors) that provide all the steam for cooking. He is setting high standards here. With arms filled with gifts and hearts filled with shared purpose and Swami's blessings, we set off, with Senthil and Thurai, for the four-hour drive to Vellore, where the famed Golden Temple awaits us.

Jai Gurudeva! Jai Trichyswami!

Down to business, we go over our many projects in detail: Iraivan, the base for Hanuman, the Satguru bases, upgrades to Kadavul Temple and more.

We are paraded to the Sri Rajarajeshwari Temple for arati.

The garbagriha has been completely gold plated.

The priest who has visited Kauai with Jayendrapuri Swami greets us with garlands.

Jnanaskanda Sivacharya fondly recalls his days at Kauai Aadheenam and his meetings with Bodhinatha.

Brahmachari Venkatesh Chaitanya, who looks after our every need, parades us around the sanctum

Brahmachari is a gifted monk and that has gotten him into a lot of problems, if you can call service to Devi and Guru a problem.

Bodhinatha was here in the last days of the kumbhabhishekam in July

Swami is examining some creatively designed hinges that hold the 24-foot-high teak doors.

Pillars that will later hold up a new mandapam

Brahmachari explains how this mandapam was moved intact, one millimeter at a time, to make room for the Rajagopuram.

We are off to meet Jayendrapuriswami again

He has so many meaningful stories to tell, and tells them with such glee.

At his side and ever in his heart is his guru, Trichyswami. It was in this chair that Gurudeva and the monks met Mahaswami all these years.

We have brought nuts from Hawaii.

Swami tell us that just that morning an ayurvedic doctor asked him to eat more nuts!

The mold of the top of the crystal lingam that I have brought for the goldsmith

Raja, left, drawing the crown as his appa looks on

Close up of detail. The gems will be at the center of this floral motif, six gems, one for each side of the lingam.

He adds a hamsa, but we think better to have Nandi there. In a few seconds, Nandi appeared.

Raja will take this sketch and render it into a finish drawing for approval.

This is the scale of the crown.

Jayendrapuri Swami blessed the work, and then gives gold coins for it to begin.

The meal hall where young monks chant slokas throughout the meal.

Students are gathered in the evening to practice their music. Swami invites us to sit and enjoy the sacred sounds.

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