The Story of Iraivan's Avudaiyar

Our monks heard this miraculous story during their travels in India in November, and thought to share it on this day, as we approach Maha Ardra

You all know about the 11,000-pound Avudaiyar that was made for Iraivan, the five-metal base that will ultimately hold the crystal Sivalingam in the sanctum, the one that arrived on Kauai two months back. It seems to have some magical and mystical powers.

The masterpiece was made in Swamimalai, South India, by the great artisan Kubera Sthapati. He and his wife had remained childless, to their great dismay. But as soon as he began to work on the massive peedam, his wife, who was 48 years old at the time, became pregnant.

The avudaiyar took nine months to design, cast, carve and finish. On the day it left his workshop for Kauai, his wife delivered a baby boy. Sthapati regards this as his blessing for working on one of the most sacred parts of Siva's Citadel in Hawaii. He said his life was forever changed in that moment.

Click here to see a video of the Avudaiyar's creation

Kuberasthapati with Selvanathan Sthapati with the mold in the ground

He supervises the first cauldron of molten metals ready for the mold

A large team of workers were needed for this historic (almost made the Guiness Book of World Records!) project

Finished masterpiece

Aum Namah Sivaya

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