False Fruit Tree, a truly rare plant that few have ever seen
Namasivaya Aum
Enter Siva’s Garden
The garden changes day to day, hour to hour, it is never the same. Walk along the paths today and it won’t be like it was last month. This is the garden now, October 12, 2024. Did you know that plants can communicate with each other and with insects through chemical signals. When under attack by pests, some plants release volatile organic compounds into the air. These signals can warn neighboring plants to preemptively strengthen their own defenses and can also attract the predators of the pests attacking them, effectively calling for backup. And there is this: Some plants exhibit incredible adaptability to extreme environments. For instance, Welwitschia mirabilis, found in the Namib Desert, survives with only the moisture from fog and dew; it can live for over a thousand years in one of the harshest environments on Earth.
This is the awesome infructesence of the Sugar Palm tree by rishi from the Himalayas. It is almost 6 feet tall and actually is touching the ground.
The Sugar Palm seeds are about 3/4″ long and a most delightful purple/green gradient
Each one a palm tree of the future.
Birds are drawn to the dark purple “seeds” and in the process brush up against the orange flower structure and pollinate the flowers.
False Fruit Tree, such architectural structure.
Grammataphyllum scriptum “Citronum” on the way to Iraivan Temple on a palm tree
This hydechium is blooming for the first time in 7 years! Over by Gurudeva’s murti on the Path of the Saiva Satgurus.
Queen’s Wreath or Sandpaper Vine in lush bloom
The flowers are so dense. No wonder it is named Petrea volubus.
One of the stories being assembled for the next issue of Hinduism Today, January 2025, is the traveling outdoor art exhibition called the Great Elephant Migration. It is created by Elephant Family USA, a charity that works to protect Asian wildlife. One hundred life-size elephant sculptures are traveling across the USA over a one year, one month period to raise awareness and funds for conservation projects. The elephants are made of Lantana camara, the second most invasive species in the world which is toxic to humans and elephants. This fast-growing shrub has taken over 40% of forests in India, thus diminishing food sources for animals and forcing them to seek sustenance in urban areas. Stay tuned for the full story.
Once we create, edit, design, print and post the 86-page magazine, we move on to other monk chores. But not everyone is content with that. One young man recently decided to put the new Notebook LM AI service to the test. He fed a PDF of the entire issue into the beast, and asked it to create a podcast. What came out is nothing short of astonishing. He sent it to us and we were floored. The resulting podcast, created in minutes, was better than most professional (think National Public Radio) audio casts.
So good in fact, we want to share it, and we are thinking we should do this for all future editions of Hinduism Today. It is 17 minutes long and covers several of the major articles in such a spontaneous and informative way. You will think two professional journalists are in a studio conversing about it. Click the small arrow below to start the podcast and prepare to be a bit gobsmacked as they say in London.
Cover of the October/November/December Issue
This is the Table of Contents of the issue they are discussing in the podcast
The Mahasivaratri pilgrimage story is on their list too.
They talk about the aadheenams and as you will see they have a little trouble with this and other Tamil and Sanskrit terms.
Sadhaka Shankaranatha putting the soil around the new papya tree
Ta-da!! New Papaya trees
The new papaya trees standing tall along with the old papaya trees where its days are being numbered
Sadhaka is happy about the new papaya trees
As everyone knows, the monks here loves papayas, but did you know that we grow them by ourselves? The trees are taken care of by our monks of the Siddhidatta Kulam, who have been wonderfully managing them for many years. But just like all things, these trees must eventually conclude their time on this beautiful Earth. So recently, the SK team decided to plant some new papaya trees, replacing the older ones that have been producing delicious fruits for many years.
As you can see in these pictures, Sadhaka Shankaranatha is working hard to plant the new trees. First they have to dig a hole around the old trees, going deep for their roots. Once the old tree has been removed, they plant the new papaya tree. Once placed in the ground, new soil and mulch is added. As you can see, it requires quite a lot of work to upkeep our many papaya trees and ensure that our monks have an everlasting supply of these healthy, tasty fruits!
Embark on a cultural and spiritual odyssey with the latest issue of Hinduism Today, where every page is infused with the rich heritage and profound teachings of Hinduism. This edition brings to light the grandeur of the little-known Mahasivaratri Festival in Mandi, a unique gathering where 200 deities converge from as many villages, attended by hundreds of thousands of devotees celebrating Siva’s Night with great reverence and joy.
Our 14-page Insight Educational centerpiece (“Visiting a Hindu Temple”) explores the deep significance and proper etiquette of temple worship through a detailed guide designed to enhance your spiritual encounters and understanding of these sacred spaces. Each part of a temple visit is illustrated and explained. A great resource to share with first-time visitors to our temples around the globe.
In a series of thought-provoking articles, Hindu leaders share their insights on integrating spirituality with modern living, offering perspectives that bridge ancient wisdom and contemporary challenges. Our publisher, Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, writes of willpower and concentration, clarifying that our inner life and outer life are more intertwined than we often think.
Discover the unusual history of Siamese Brahmins who perform religious rites for the king of Thailand. There’s an article on the monastic centers in Tamil Nadu that serve as guardians of South Indian Saivism, with stories of how they are modernizing. A US lawyer calls for Dharmic bylaws in the diaspora temples, assuring the welfare of temple priests who are not always treated well, it seems.
The popular Quotes & Quips section is rich with humor, cartoons, and sagely sayings; Global Dharma explores mini-stories from around the world. It’s a rich issue, with something for everyone.
We have created three wonderful applications for everyone around the globe to enjoy. The idea was to develop apps where people can access some of our teachings and educational materials, allowing them to explore and learn more about these topics.
The first application is the Hinduism Today app. Through this app, you can read all of our latest and archived magazine articles. You will receive updates and new issues instantly, without any delays. Additionally, all the access you have on the website will be available in the app as well.
The second application is the Spiritual Workoutapp, one of our most popular apps. It is currently only available on iOS, but will be made available on the Play Store for Android users later this year. The Spiritual Workout app was created for those seeking a tool to enhance their meditation and prayer practices. You can set timers for your meditation sessions and daily sadhanas. This app was designed with the intention of providing users access to various methods of meditation, enabling them to carry their spiritual practice with them wherever they go, without the need to carry multiple books.
The third application is the recently rebuilt Gurudeva app, which is a wonderful app those who have followed Gurudeva and his teachings for many years. This app provides random quotes from Gurudeva, many of which have had a profound impact on people’s lives. The app also lets users share and save quotes to read later, especially when they need inspiration.
The images below show the options available in these applications:
Gurudeva Application
Hinduism Today Application
Spiritual Workout Application
So without wasting any time, visit this link https://www.himalayanacademy.com/our-apps/ and download these applications for use it for your daily life and spiritual enhancement.
