Kadaitswamis Guru Puja at Mandaitheevu
Rishi Thondunathan writes to us from Sri Lanka:
"When Kadaitswami arrived in Sri Lanka from India, he lived in a little hut on a small island called Mandaitheevu, off the coast of the Jaffna peninsula. He would regularly travel back and forth from Mandaitheevu to Jaffna.
After Kadaitswami's Mahasamadhi, devotees of Mandaitheevu maintained the small hut and performed pujas there. In 1982, I visited the hut.
because of the war the entire population of Mandaitheevu was forced off the island and for two decades is had been all but abandoned. However, a few years ago people started returning to the island to rebuild their lives.
In 2010, I travelled to Mandaitheevu in search of Swami's hut and saw that the land was completely overgrown and the hut destroyed. A few devotees who had returned to the island constructed a small shelter at the site with a coconut leaf thatched roof and had resumed worship.
Each time I return to Sri Lanka, I now visit Mandaithee. I encouraged the local devotees to rebuild the hut and in 2012 we gave a small donation to initiate the project. Though the devotees living in the vicinity are not well off financially, they are rich at heart. They contributed by whatever means they could to successfully rebuild the hut and install the statue of Kadaitswami in the shrine.
On the 30th of September, 2020, we celebrated Swami's 129th Guru Puja (Mahasamadhi anniversary) in the re-established hut at Mandaitheevu. The devotees cooked under the trees and the puja was performed in Swami's shrine. Annadhanam was then offered to all who were present.
It was a soul-satisfying event for us because when Kadaiswami was alive, one of his favorite events was the mass feedings conducted at this very Mandaitheevu hut.
7 Responses to “Kadaitswamis Guru Puja at Mandaitheevu”
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October 6th, 2020 at 12:30 pm
Very beautiful story! … It is my heartfelt wish to attend Kadaitswami’s Mahasamadhi celebration one year in the near future.
October 6th, 2020 at 9:16 pm
“AUM”!.
October 7th, 2020 at 5:14 am
Thanks for sharing this.
I fell in love with Mandaithivu when I visited Kadaitswami’s hut. Beautiful memories. Hope to make another pilgrimage when borders open.
October 7th, 2020 at 5:51 am
Mahalo for sharing this beautiful, so very special celebration!
October 7th, 2020 at 6:32 pm
Aum Namasivaya!
Thank you Swamis for this heart-melting post. And Rishi for conducting and celebrating the 129th Guru Puja and bringing us joy at a time of world crisis. I am truly touched by the devotion of Kadaitswami’s devotees in Mandaitheevu. From East to West Gurudeva’s vision fulfilled by all the Monks and devotees around the world. Long live Kailasa Paramparai! I look forward to visiting this Shrine of Kadaitswami in Mandaitheevu during my next visit to Sri Lanka.
Sivayanama Aum!
October 8th, 2020 at 10:51 am
Soul satisfying, peaceful to the mind, bringing forth a happy smile, to see the pictures of devotees in the midst of these very difficult times, spearheaded by Rishi in one of the most remote island in Jaffna.
Nandri, vanakkam.
October 11th, 2020 at 10:54 pm
Aum Namah Sivaya! What a wonderful story for the chronicles of our Guru Paramapara to come. So blessed to read this account and the photos are vibrant. Nandri for sharing.