KHM

Our Hawaiian waters only rose a few feet

Every island in the Hawaiian chain could have been impacted by Tsunami

Jai Ganesha!

On July 29, 2025, Hawaii issued a tsunami warning following a massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula; evacuations were ordered statewide.
The first wave reached the islands around 7:17 p.m. HST, with coastal flooding (4-6ft) reported in places like Hilo Bay and Haleiwa which are Big Islands. But right now,
the warning was downgraded. Officials canceled the tsunami advisory and lifted evacuation orders once the threat diminished. For us, we are safe since we are up on the mountain, far away from the shore. And some of the residents who were evacuated from their hotels came to our monastery parking for a place to stay the night in their cars.

Jai Ganesha!

During the last retreat, it was the final day for our taskforcers Rajendra and Naavalan. To mark the occasion, Sannyasin Siddhanathaswami and Sadhaka Shankaranatha planned an outing for them. This time, they brought them to the majestic Waimea Canyon. We asked ChatGPT what it thinks about the canyon, and here’s what it said:

“Waimea Canyon, often called the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” is one of Kauai’s most breathtaking natural wonders. Stretching about 10 miles long, 1 mile wide, and over 3,600 feet deep, the canyon showcases layers of vivid red, brown, and green rock, shaped over millennia by volcanic activity and erosion from the Waimea River.”

Both of them and other task force had a wonderful time. Below is a video of the scenery. Aum!

Jai Ganesha!

On the last retreat, Sannyasin Siddhanathaswami and Sadhaka Shankaranatha took our taskforcers on an outing. They went to Poipu Beach, a very popular spot for everyone on the island. The taskforcers had a great time swimming and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Aum

Jai Ganesha!

On Guru Purnima, Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami had planned a special event—to plant a new bilva tree right in front of Iraivan Temple. During this auspicious occasion, Satguru joined in planting the tree along with our priest, Pravin Kumar. It was a meaningful and sacred moment for all of us, as the bilva tree is especially revered in worship of Lord Siva. Planting it directly in front of the temple made the event even more special. Now, Pravin Kumar will be able to offer fresh bilva leaves to Mahalingeshwara every day.

Jai Ganesha!

Many moons ago, our Ganapati Kulam monks hired a talented Oduvar, Vivek Raja, to sing all the sacred songs of Tayumanavar in Tamil. Tayumanāvar was a revered Tamil poet-saint and spiritual philosopher from Tamil Nadu, India, who played a vital role in spreading the profound teachings of Saiva Siddhanta philosophy to the world. A few months ago, we joyfully completed the entire collection of his songs and have now created a dedicated category on our website. You can listen to them online and immerse yourself in the deep spiritual wisdom of his verses. Aum.

Happy Sadhaka, Happy Monastery

This is where the button size wood decor will be placed. It will look better when it’s oiled and dried

One of the finished sides of the fish tank stand

Sadhaka shows us how to use one of the tools in the wood shop

Sadhaka is focused on cutting the right size

Some of the finished pieces

That’s our boy Yali cat. Always loves attention.

Jai Ganesha!

Today, July 1st, we took a walk around the Aadheenam and found Sadhaka Shankaranatha working in the wood shop. Acharya Kumaranathaswami manages the equipment in the wood shop, and since Swami is an expert in woodworking, he has gradually upgraded the shop with many useful machines and pieces of equipment. We asked Shankaranatha about the new fish aquarium stand update which he has been working on. He told us that it’s almost done and showed us the piece he’s currently working on. Right now, he’s cutting small, button-sized wooden pieces to use as decorations. He also showed us the finished sides of the stand. Aum!