Rudrakshas Arrive from Nepal
Nepal is the major supplier of Rudraksha beads to the world, and we did a feature story about that in Hinduism Today last fall. The story was told by journalist and photographer Nikki Tapar, who flew to the valley where most of the trees are grown to discover the amazing details for the feature article. For instance, did you know that the sale of the beads represents fully 6% of the nation's Gross National Product? Or that a single bead sold at auction for $84,000?
Since we have the West's only Rudraksha Forest here at the monastery, we have a special interest in the trees and their fruits. Nikki sent us some Nepalese beads, and we discovered they are different than ours, lighter in color and somewhat more detailed in texture.
So, we commissioned Nikki to acquire seedlings. She flew back to the valley and bought 16 saplings, about 3 feet tall, carrying them back to her home in Kathmandu. She and Sadasivanathaswami went through some months of permitting, planning, and preparing the trees for the flight to Kauai.
They arrived at the monastery yesterday, and the box was unpacked. The tall saplings had been pruned short for the shipping, but we are assured they will recover soon and in about 4 years, we will have our first harvest of these special botanical gems. And make them available in the MiniMela.
At the end of the slideshow, there is a QR Code leading to the full magazine article.
Thank you, Nikki, for your amazing help (and tenacity) with this international exchange of DNA.
5 Responses to “Rudrakshas Arrive from Nepal”
From Our Gurus' Teachings
Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.
February 12th, 2024 at 4:24 pm
“AUM”!.
February 13th, 2024 at 12:03 am
What fun!
February 13th, 2024 at 3:50 am
Thank you so much for all that you do to make the world a better place.
February 14th, 2024 at 7:41 am
The dance with Rudraksha started early at Kauai Aadheenam . . . Siva’s Tears . . . who would have guessed! How quickly Gurudeva and Sadasivanathaswami went to work establishing an orchard on the monastery property. The seeds spread, the trees expanded and now all along the San Marga path and on the way to Iriavan is carpet blue twice a year. Interesting that one season embraces Mahasivaratri and the other Satguru Purnima.
It seems Rudraksha trees are very fussy about where they like to grow. The recent article in HT indicates this fact in the very first line: “A mere thirty-three miles from Mount Everest in the world’s deepest valley—Khandbari in Nepal—grow some of the finest rudraksha trees on earth.” It struck me that the parallel is quite remarkable if you think of “high places”(smile) and now with the arrival of these trees the two are forever bound.
What will a Kauai Aadheenam Rudraksha bring on the World Market 1,000 years from now? We don’t know but it seems obvious that for the endowments of Kauai Aadheenam “EVERYTHING has been sent in advance.”
February 19th, 2024 at 11:12 am
I am over-joyed by these dedicated Sevaks, and their enthusiasm. Sri Hanuman carried Iraivan temple to Kauaii, and now the different type of Rudraksha plants, by the dedicated ones. No wonder, this isle is known as “Heaven on Earth”!