Honoring the Sivacharyars

The recent consecration events at the monastery in March and May have reminded us of the remarkable Adi Saiva community of priests who performed our Mahalingesvara installation with such discipline and purity and who are responsible for most of the Siva temples in nations around the world. Iraivan's opening brought sweet memories of Gurudeva's closeness with this community. From day one he cultivated the relationship with them. One day, in 1995, there was a massive gathering of Sivacharyars in Mumbai, and he was invited to be among them (see the historic photo above.) For many years we have been collaborating with this noble community to protect, preserve and promote the Saiva dharma, as Gurudeva would say.

We asked ChatGPT to tell us a little about this lineage of priests, and here is his answer:

The term "Adi Saiva Sivacharyars" refers to a specific group of priests and scholars who belong to the Saiva Siddhanta tradition of Hinduism. Saiva Siddhanta is a Saivite sect that follows the teachings of Saint Tirumular and the Nayanars, the ancient Tamil poet-saints who composed devotional hymns in praise of Lord Siva.

The Sivacharyars are considered the traditional custodians and interpreters of the holy Agamas and the Saiva Siddhanta philosophy and rituals. They are responsible for preserving and propagating the religious and cultural heritage of the Saiva Siddhanta tradition. These Sivacharyars are highly respected within the Tamil Nadu region of South India, where the Saiva Siddhanta tradition has its roots.

The Adi Saiva Sivacharyars perform various duties and rituals in Siva temples, including conducting pujas (ritual worship), administering sacraments, and providing spiritual guidance to the devotees. They are well-versed in the scriptures and hold deep knowledge of the Saiva Siddhanta philosophy, theology, and rituals.

Gurudeva stands with the amazing gathering of Adi Saiva priests in Mumbai in 1995.

Seated with the head priest...

The Sivacharyars gather with Satguru and the acharyas of Kauai Aadheenam right after the May 11th final abhishekam.

The four primary Sivacharyars empowering the kumbhas in March.

The head priest, Shanmukha Sivacharyar receives a copy of Hinduism Today.

Sabharatnam Sivacharyar has been working with us for decades. Lately he is translating the entire Tirumantiram into English for us, 100 verses at a time. Here in India Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gifts him a a copy of the hard drive holding the digitized Agamas, a project overseen for years by Acharya Arumuganathaswami (right).

They visit the Media Studio during a rare free time.

}

];