The Aadheenam is running “full throttle” again after Sadhu Paksha…

Today Earth Day was celebrated at Lydgate Park. The Friends of Kamalani (with Yellow shirts) worked all morning cleaning the beaches of Lydgate, create giant burn piles of wood that recently washed in from sea during a huge storm.

At noon after lunch they joined Sivakatirswami and Sadhaka Rajanatha and Jasmine Schaeffer, Chairperson for the Interfaith Roundtable of Kauai to hold a dedication of the recently installed Peace Pole.

The monks opened with a chant. Kulapati Vel Alahan and Kulapati Deva Seyon were with us.

Jasmine Schaeffer explained the purpose of the Interfaith Round Table of Kauai and its work on Kauai, one of which was to arrange to install these peace poles

Prominent community member John Lydgate whose ancestors were responsible for the establishment of this beautiful park gave a short touching speech saying that the genius of India was its ability to harmonize and synthesize so many spiritual paths and this peace pole was an expression of that synthesis.

Sivakatirswami explained how he felt he should use a tree from Kauai and how he crafted the pole. It then took a year of patient waiting and the help Thomas Noyes and Annaleah Atkinson, who handled the communications with the county departments for approvals to install it on public property.

He then explained that the importance of the peace pole was not those who installed it by the message it carried

“May Peace Prevail on Earth” and he told the story of the modern day Japanese sage who inspired this Universal Message and Prayer: “May Peace Prevail on Earth”

Today, there are over 200,000 peace poles planted all over the world.

We encourage you to go to “http://www.worldpeace.org/”

and be inspired yourself! Plant a Peace Pole and help bring and end to violence in our world!

Swami then led everyone to sing “May Peace Prevail on Earth” while some rang bells and Sadhaka Rajanatha performed arati to the pole.

We were backed up by a marvelous group of drummers the “African Love Tribe”

Before we knew it everyone was singing and dancing around the pole.

We followed with silence.. sending the joy in our hearts up to our heads and out to the world putting a prayer for peace on to the winds to waft from Kauai to places far and wide.

The African Love Tribe then treated everyone to a very inspiring performance, including African chants.

[yesterday’s posted was actually from a tour day severa month;s ago… here is the actual tour day of April 16th, 2010.]

A beautiful group of souls came for this weeks “public tour day”. With Sadhu Paksha now over the reservations were very strong.

Among our guests this week were the Kauai Pacific Island School children. They are currently studying India and they had many delightful questions! They all had their hands up through most of the tour!

This little Soul had a beautiful little bindu already appropriately fixed upon arrival!

The children’s presence brought the whole group into a state of childhood wonder as they were so excited about absolutely everything!

A special treat arranged by Paramacharya Palaniswami this week was to allow each guest to enter the “Cathedral of the Emperor of Prussia”. A flowering vine of such exquisite beauty that no photo can capture. The experience left everyone in stunned silence.

The children were mesmerized by the silpis and could not wait to get started!