Gurudeva's 194th Chitra Pada Puja

Wednesday marked the 194th pada puja that we've performed for Our Gurudeva since his Great Departure on November 12, 2001, which was 5,301 days ago. Nirvanis Tejadevanatha and Nilakanthanatha officiated the worship as monks, resident guests, and local shishya attended.

Gurudeva\

s shakti is always palpable within Kadavul Temple. Chitra nakshatra is an amplified expression of that shakti.'

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After a rigorous recitation of Sri Rudram concludes, the temple is filled with a lofty, zinging silence as the puja continues.

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Tejadevanatha offers deepam (light) in between each of the abhishekam offerings, along with fresh flowers.

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The each arati nears completion, the pujari\

s bell crescendos and the lamp rises along with the pressed hands and open hearts of all present.'

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The ever-generous and toiling Wailua Misson provides most of the flowers offered each Chitra pada puja. Many forms of hibiscus, plumeria, gardenia, madagascar jasmine, are given to Gurudeva.

Small silver kalasham contain such offerings as milk, honey, ghee, lime juice, and sweet fruits mixed with jaggery.

Gurudeva\

s ashtottara or 108 names are then incanted.'

Including all those present.

With each name, a handful of flowers is tendering laid atop Our Gurudeva\

s granite sandals.'

Mantra Pushpam or the flower mantra is then chanted. It is a Vedic mantra where the focus is on the correlation between flowers and the elements, specifically water, and offered just before the puja\

s end.'

Monks come forth to offer their flowers after the chant is completed.

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The grand finale commences in the form of offering the five-wicked silver arati while boldly reciting the Guru Mantra communally.

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Jai Gurudeva! Thank you, thank you, thank you...

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