Bronze Memorial Blessing: Installation Day Has Finally Come!

Today was a bit of history-making at the monastery. After more than seven years of sculpting and molding and casting and welding work by artists and artisans, and blessed by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami's presence, we installed the life-size bronze statues of Gurudeva and V. Ganapati Sthapati in their final places just 150 feet north of Iraivan Temple.

At 12:38 the arati commenced and at 12:42 the stainless steel bolts were lowered into the granite stone, a time we are told when Jupiter was just rising on the Eastern horizon.

This is the fulfillment of one of Gurudeva's sweetest visions, to give pride of place to the creators of the temple, those who envisioned it, designed it and those who patiently chipped away at the hard rock for almost thirty years now. The main statues are now complete and in the days and weeks ahead will be added to the oval platform, with a goal to have them all positioned for another special ceremony to be held during this year's Mahasamadhi celebrations.

Standing on this center stone, Gurudeva is sharing his vision of Siva's Temple in Hawaii with his architect, India's finest. The architect is bowing before the satguru, his hands held in the traditional mudra of humility which South Indians assume before kings and holy gurus. Under his left arm, he holds the architectural plans for Iraivan.

With the monks and members present and Dennis Wong lifting with the back-hoe, these two took their positions for the next thousand years, so that future pilgrims might have a glimpse of how the temple was manifest on a tiny island in the far Pacific Ocean. AUM NAMA SIVAYA! SIVAYANAMA AUM!

A final group photo of all those present. Dennis Wong stepped off his machine and joined the group, standing next to Sadasivanathaswami.

Paramacharya gives a talk to the crowd about the impression of this historical project on him and the bronze community

We had a number of devotees from off-island arrive just in time to see Gurudeva in place

Acharyas Kumarnathaswami and Arumuganathaswami hold Gurudeva in a stable position during the puja

As the puja commences, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami honors his guru with anjali mudra

Yoginathaswami performs the puja to Ganesha. The Ganapati murti sits right at Gurudeva\

s feet.'

As the fast-drying cement is being mixed, monks and members form a line to place precious gems inside the granite holes--a Hindu tradition. Satguru goes first.

Step right up!

Dennis Wong, our friend and hired help for decades, readies the machine and begins to lift Gurudeva up. Dennis has many Gurudeva stories that take time itself away as he tells them.

Gurudeva is placed in the stone and the final offering is presented

The final arati of the puja

Ganapati Sthapati, our Iraivan master architect, is placed next

Our three Paramacharyas, Gurudeva\

s three noble successors, stand for a rare photo'

A duplicate but I couldn\

t delete it!'

This final group photo has some duplicates as well, couldn\

t get rid of them, take which one you like'

}
];

transitionSpeed:150});