KHM

Jai Gurudeva!

Jai Gurudeva!

Today marks Gurudeva’s 98th jayanthi, meaning he would’ve been 98 years old today. To celebrate this auspicious event, in Alaveddy, Sri Lanka, devotees of our parampara performed a special puja for Gurudeva at the recently completed Paramparai Mandapam. They also recited the Thiruvasagam—one of the most sacred hymns for God Siva. This work was beautifully written by the Tamil Saint, Manickavasagar, as is full of spirituality and devotion. It contains 51 compositions and constitutes the eighth volume of the Tirumurai. It explains the connection of the soul to God Siva and how we should surrender ourselves to the feet of Lord Nataraja with purity and devotion, thus attaining moksha through His grace and divine power. Tiruvasagam holds within it core understandings of Saivism which few-other devotional songs provides. Below are words from our beloved Rishi Thondunathan about the event:

Today, we celebrated Gurudeva’s Jayanthi with the recitation of the entire Thiruvasagam hymns. The event began at 5:30 AM and concluded with a special puja at noon, followed by lunch for all attendees. Thanks to the Alaveddy Saivite Youth Organization for coordinating this meaningful event.

Love, Thondunathan 

Aum!

Dancers on a garden tour with Sadasivanathaswami

Jai Ganesha!

On the last Amavasya, dancers from the talented Shri Krupa dance school (based out of San Jose, CA) visited Iraivan Temple to perform a special offering. The group of six dancers came together to express their devotion to Lord Mahalingeshvara through the classical art form of Bharatanatyam. Each dancer performed with expressiveness and great dedication to their art, showing their love and respect for the divine.

As many know, Bharatanatyam is a dance form that combines rhythm, expression and emotion, enabling dancers to tell stories and connect with their audience. On the same day, a large tour group visited the temple. Each pilgrim entered the temple, not only to receive Mahalingeshvara’s blessings but also to witness the unexpected and marvelous performance. The dancers’ devotion to their art captivated everyone present, making it a memorable and spiritual experience for all.

Quote of the day

Vishvanathaswami sanding the wood

the planks before applying the finish

Shankaranatha preparing all the woods to bring back to Hale Hana

Jai Ganesha!

The monks of Siddhidata Kulam are currently undergoing the final stages of the construction of their new shop and office building. Recently Sannyasin Vishvanathaswami and Sadhaka Shankaranatha have been working on making the blue gum window sills and trim for the second floor office. Over the past few weeks they milled the lumber, cut it roughly to size, and assigned each sill to a window. There are 13 windows in total for the second floor office, and they are now working to sand them and prepare the wood for the final installation. Once they have completed on this, the second floor will undergo the second stage which is finish the walls of the office space. Aum!

Quotes of the Day

Meditation is a long journey, a pilgrimage into the mind itself.

Bhairava on the way to help other monks in the monastery

Drama King

The “good boy” look

A naughty dog

The playful form of Bhairava

Yes he also attends the morning meeting along with other monks

Having good time in the beach when he was a pup

Bhairava when he was 8 weeks old

Jai Ganesha!

We are not sure how many of you are aware that for a while now we have had another monk (and protector) in a non-human form. Yes! A year ago our Siddhidata Kulam talaivar, Yoginathaswami, bought a male German Shepherd dog and named him Bhairava. He is one of use now. Before we deep dive into Bhairava’s story, we want to share this ai response describing this particular breed of dog:

“German Shepherds are highly intelligent, loyal, and confident dogs, known for their protective and courageous nature. They form strong bonds with their families and are affectionate, especially with children, but can be reserved around strangers. Energetic and eager to please, they excel in tasks requiring focus and are highly trainable, making them ideal working dogs as well as loving companions. Their playful yet disciplined demeanor thrives in active households where they receive consistent training, mental stimulation, and exercise to keep them happy and well-behaved.”

So from that you can guess that he is loyal to us, with many of the practical qualities of a guard dog. This means he will go to great lengths to protect his family. Swami has been training him along with an instructor who has been teaching Swami how to train Bhairava and teach him commands. Bhairava is a wonderful addition to the monastery and always cheers us up. Other monks also get a chance to take care of him by feeding him and taking him for walks. One time, Swami and Bhairava were going for an evening walk, and suddenly a crazed, wild boar appeared. It took a charge at Swami, but Bhairava scared it off, saving the day! He reminds us of Kala Bhairava the destroyer of darkness. Of course, like all dogs, he has a bit of an
overly-playful side to him as well. He will excitedly run up to anyone new. He will bark at you until you give your attention and pet him, and with certain people who try to give him a command he will simply ignore you. He reminds us that even dogs are individuals and must be treated with respect. We all are very happy to have him with us. Aum!

Mayilnathaswami and Nirvani Tejadevanatha installing the shades properly

Nirvani is drilling the shades to the pole

Vel is arranging the shades on the other side

This is our cat Bandit taking a nap after working so hard

Jai Ganesha!

Several days ago, we captured a moment of the monks of the Siddhidata Kulam working on the greenhouse. Mayilnathaswami and Nirvani Tejadevanatha were installing the shades that drape down the sides of the building .They are an important part of the greenhouse because they actively control the temperature depending on the level of sunshine, maintaining a regulated environment for the tomatoes and peppers. Our team is working tirelessly to get the shades installed properly before the tomatoes start to grow. Aum!

Photos from the day’s first event, the Krittika Homa

Preparation has began

The main Kumbha

Vel concentrating on the homa

Jai Ganesha!

Today is a special day for us because we observe Maha Krittika in the morning, Pradosha Puja in the afternoon and then Śivalaya Dipam in the evening. This morning in Iraivan Temple we held our monthly Krittika Homa with extra blessings on this annual event. Our priest Pravin Kumar performed the homa while Mayilnathaswami was assisting. Satguru attended the puja along with devotees. The abhishekam was done with kumbhas passed into the sanctum by the monks. It was a four-hour long event and everyone who attended felt the divine vibration. Later this evening will enjoy Pradosha and Śivalaya Dipam. Aum!