IraIvan Temple Fund-raising appeal 2013-2014

the unfolding story of hawaii’s san marga iraivan temple, america’s only all-granite hindu sanctuary

the unfolding story of hawaii’s san marga iraivan temple, america’s only all-granite hindu sanctuary

Bodhinatha and all residents of Kau-ai Aadheenam were delighted this year in July when four containers

arrived from India. The long-awaited statue of Lord Hanuman, the granite like-nesses of our line of gurus, the elephant family for the front steps, various parts of the Nandi Mandapam and last—and per-haps least—our red granite relief map of Kauai. The even longer-awaited avudai-yar bronze base of the crystal Sivalingam remains in India awaiting extradition.

We know you’ve been reading about the avudaiyar, the Hanuman, the line of gu-rus and the elephants for years in these newsletters and probably wonder why they have taken so long to get here after they were completed. Turns out, there is an explanation. There are two types of de-lays that can impact any of the larger ar-tistic creations. The first is that the artisan holds on to the finished piece for months,

placing it on display in his worksite as an advertisement of his skills. In the case of the avudaiyar, the artisan held it for years. Even the promise of additional payment would not purchase its release. He could not, after all, afford to create anything like

it without a patron, so took advantage of what we paid for as long as he could. The same happened with Hanuman.

The second delay can come once the piece arrives at the Bangalore worksite and is closely inspected by our site man-ager and sthapati. Work that isn’t up to their standard for Iraivan is improved upon, or even rejected altogether (as was the case with one of the line of guru statues in which cracks were discovered). Each of the other line of gurus statues and the Hanuman underwent many months of detailed refinement after ini-tial inspection. Thankfully so; the im-mense improvement was obvious when they were uncrated at the monastery in

July. This grandest of all shipments has been especially popular with guests, who enjoy prostrating to the gurus, petting the elephants and touching Hanuman’s feet for blessings.

A silpi does fine detail carving on a lotus that adorns the ceiling of the Nandi Mandapam.

A second big advancement on Kauai was the beginning of a complex landscaping project under Martin Mosko, a renowned architect based in Colorado. This project is possible because one generous sponsor came forward to fund it—meaning it doesn’t draw upon Iraivan’s other donations. Martin’s background is in Zen garden design, and this influences his plans for Iraivan Temple. Most prominent is his use of massive stones, five to ten feet high (weighing together over 2,000 tons), intended to re-flect the mass of Mount Waialeale in the background. His de-sign covers the area around the temple, Rishi Valley to the east and the system of seven ponds to the north. You can see a few of the smaller rocks temporarily stockpiled next to the tem-ple). Necessary permits for work in the waterways are being acquired, and the project should break ground within the next several months. Meanwhile, we are busily acquiring thousands of tropical plants for the project, buying them as “keikis” (Ha-waiian for children), and growing them over several years in our nursery. It’s an exercise in frugality: a 55-cent tissue culture plug turns into a $20 plant ready for the sacred garden.

The third project is the Temple Builders’ Memorial, a set of eight beautiful bronze masterpieces destined for the gardens near Iraivan to immortalize the skilled artisans who have made this temple possible. At its center, a bronze Gurudeva blesses Ganapati Sthapati. Both are finished and on display at the Aad-heenam. The first of the silpis, entitled “The Chisel Sharpener,” is nearly done, and the forge work piece is underway. Several more statues will depict the various carving and design skills employed in the work. As with the landscaping, this project is being funded separately from Iraivan by a single (and different) donor.

In India, work proceeds on two fronts: finishing the Nandi

Mandapam and beginning the perimeter wall. Most of the mandapam is already on Kauai, with just the roof stones and a few others pieces yet to be completed. The large quarry stones needed for the wall are being delivered on a regular basis, then sawn into slabs with our 3-foot diamond saw. This year we have also procured the rose-colored granite blocks for the 48 Chola-style stone pots which will sit at intervals along the pe-rimeter wall.

Our worksite management team discovered an effective pro-ductivity enhancer for the wall project: they put two teams of silpis to work on identical stones next to each other. Each piece takes months to complete. The friendly competition between the two teams working side-by-side speeds up the work and keeps morale high.

The final accomplishment to mention for 2013, while not di-rectly connected to Iraivan Temple, is one of our most import-ant advancements in decades: acquisition of a 19-acre parcel bordering the north side of the aadheenam. Gurudeva had spo-ken for years about this strategic purchase, and so the stewards set aside a fund to acquire adjacent lands as they became avail-able. Ultimately, the owner’s circumstances changed, and last year he offered the parcel to the Church. With the funds the stewards had set aside, along with a commitment from a Hin-du couple to help meet mortgage payments and some creative financing, the once-in-a-lifetime sale was closed in April. The parcel came with a finely crafted three-bedroom house, now used for the monastics, and extensive lands with 600 mature palm trees and space suitable for future agricultural develop-ment. Perhaps most importantly, the acquisition, extending all the way to the main road, buffers the monastery from worldly incursions far into the future.

HigHligHts of 2013

In 2001, Gurudeva said: “When you begin the pilgrimage to Iraivan Temple, you drop off and dissolve the karmas of the past. Then, because of the direction the temple is facing, the temple gives a new start, a new impetus for a wonderful future. It is a boon-giving temple, a gift-giving temple, a life-giving temple, a wish-fulfilling temple.”

Receiving masterpieces on Kauai: Above, the magnificent 12-foot-tall Hanuman, just delivered to the temple site. Inset, Hanuman standing in Bengaluru. Below, unloading dozens of crates packed with precious creations; Satguru Yogaswami in granite; Martin Mosko’s landscaping model; stone elephants that will flank the entry steps by which pilgrims will approach the temple from the Wailua River.

Forging ahead in Bengaluru: (top to bottom) Workers unload a massive granite block that will become the base for Lord Hanuman; milled stone sections of the perimeter wall, ready for carving; silpi Raman roughs out one of the mandapam’s handrail stones; an ornate roof detail on the Nandi Mandapam.

lEt’s WoRK togEtHER to CoMPlEtE iRAiVAN

follow our daily activities at: www.gurudeva.org/taka

guRudEVA’s sACREd VisioN

Located in the heart of a traditional Hindu monastery complex reminiscent of ancient mathas and

aadheenams of India, Iraivan is more than a temple; it is a pilgrimage destination, a place of sadhana and spiritual rejuvenation. Iraivan Temple is a living edifice that brings ancient tradition into the 21st century, a stable anchor sustaining and strengthening Hindu Dharma for our children, their children and generations to come.

Times remain uncertain for many, and it is just during such times that projects wane. Iraivan Temple needs your support

now more than ever. Be generous and send your special year-end contribution today.

Iraivan Temple Fund107 Kaholalele Road Kapaa, Hawaii 96746–9304 USA808–822–3012, ext. 237 www.himalayanacademy.com/iraivan iraivan@hindu.org

Early in 2014 our Bangalore team of sculptors will ship more stones for the Nandi Mandapam, the five-metal

base for the crystal Sivalingam and the five bronzes of Siva that adorn the outside of the towering main sanctum. With the Nandi Mandapam carving nearing completion—expected in early 2015—the majority of silpis at the Bangalore worksite will be focused on carving the 480-foot-long perimeter wall, striving to produce it as efficiently as possible, while keeping to the high standard that has become the hallmark of our project. They will also complete the massive granite base for Lord Hanuman and some refinements on the remaining three major gurus of our lineage, yet to be delivered to Kauai and installed on the Path of the Saiva Saints.

On Kauai, we are poised to move ahead with the landscaping around the temple under the guidance of master garden architect Martin Mosko. The project is still in its engineering and permitting stage, but with funds assured it should move rapidly once begun. Holly Young has just finished the fourth of the eight life-sized bronze statues for the Temple Builders’ Memorial, and hopes to complete three more in 2014.

PlANs foR 20141'-11 11/16" namasTe and aloha!

We will reach an important landmark in the coming twelve months. Our goal of $16 million will be fulfilled. Let me tell you the story of how this goal was set. In 1989 Gurudeva had the weight of the future temple calculated, which was 3.2 million pounds. He multiplied that amount by $5. This was two times the estimated cost to acquire, carve, ship to Kauai and fit in place one pound of carved stone, allowing for $2.50 for the stone and a matching amount to be placed in the endowment. Multiplying 3.2 million times $5, the number $16 million was attained, and that has been our fund-raising goal for the last 24 years. Despite inflation and rising costs over two decades—but aided by the falling rupee—that farsighted calcu-lation was correct. It neatly covers the needed funds to build the temple as designed in 1989.

Yet, as we know, the design evolved significantly. Here are some of the ways. Before a shovel touched soil on Kauai, Gurudeva in consultation with Ganapati Sthapati moved the temple’s location toward the center of the San Marga section of our property. To insure enduring stability on Kauai’s clay soil, Sthapati required a four-foot cement plinth poured for the granite temple to rest upon. Following the requirements of Agamic texts, the master builders also called for a substantial stone wall around the

temple perimeter. Gurudeva saw the need for three additional gopurams around the main sanctum, and these added significantly to the work. Other developments included flooring for the second prakaram, elaborate entrance steps and lava rock facing to cover the walls of the plinth. None of these items was included in the original goal setting. Of the tasks that now lay ahead of us, only the jointing of the Nandi Mandapam is part of the

original plan. All the add-ons—which tremendously enhanced that original design—require contributions above and beyond the goal of $16 million that we will soon reach.

Because the cost to complete everything is unknown, we will not be setting a new total target amount. We will simply strive to meet a monthly goal (shown in the panel below) until the temple is completed and the consecration is held. Such long and worthwhile projects invariably require an additional push in the final phases. Please continue to donate generously so we can together accomplish the remaining tasks in a timely way.

With blessings for a bountiful family life and spiritual progress,

ouR fuNd-RAisiNg goAl foR sEPtEMbER 2013 to August 2014

The amount needed to keep this sacred project funded in both India and Hawaii is $65,000 per month, or $780,000 for the year.