Construction Updates and Outing
February 17, 2023A group of us were on Kauai's south side and visited with tortoises in a nature reserve in Koloa. They are raised to be like a replacement for an ancient animal that used to graze in the area and is now extinct. For a long time the entrance walkway just...
A Sacred Journey to Kaua‘i Aadheenam
February 16, 2023Hawaii Magazine recently published a glowing review of Kauai's Hindu Monastery, highlighting the breathtaking beauty of the temple and the peaceful atmosphere that envelops visitors. The reviewer, who visited the monastery on a sunny afternoon, was struck by the stunning architecture and the sense of serenity that pervaded the entire...
Facing Life's Tests - Part 2
February 15, 2023https://youtu.be/1mIMI7QSWQA
Alaveddy's Subramuniya Temple
February 15, 2023Today we received six photos from Sri Lanka, and the good news that the temple is finished. Installation of the Sivalingam is scheduled for March 27 and will be presided over by none other than Sri Prasanna Kurukkal from Nallur Temple, who will conduct the Kumbhabhishekam rites. Thondunatha tell us...
A Shrine for Gurudeva
February 12, 2023During the 2022 Maha Samadhi Celebrations for Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, Kumar Gurukkal performed the official installation of a black granite statue of Gurudeva. The statue had been shipped to the Aadheenam from India with the final batch of stones for Iraivan Temple. During the Mahasamadhi events, monks and pilgrims paraded...
Guru Day
February 11, 2023In an interesting conjunction of seemingly unrelated events, today was the 292nd Pada Puja held each Chittra nakshatra for Gurudeva's Grand Departure, 7,997 days ago. And the Insight for this next issue of Hinduism Today magazine is being printed in the Midwest, the April/May/June 2023 issue, which explores in depth...
Yesterday's Youthful Yurts
February 10, 2023Sun Salutations Śivabhaktars! Are you perpetually pulled by a passion to promote prolifically about pavilions? No? Well today we caved, crafting coverage of the contemporary canvas coverings above the Swayambhu Lingam Mandapam. Two tepees were also tented up over Ganesha and Murugan towering over the temple's threshold. These big topped...
Bala Alaya Pujas, Day 2 Afternoon
February 9, 2023Not shown on our blog until now, Day Two Afternoon involved preparing for and blessing the shilpis to place ashtabandhanam around the base of Nandi, Balipeetam and Dhvajasthambha. Ashtabandhanam is a clay-like paste made of eight specific herbs mixed with wood lac, limestone powder, resin, red ochre, beeswax and butter....