Each year Bodhinatha has been traveling to Maryland in August to join the Murugan Nallur Festival held there. He often uses this east coast journey to connect with other Hindu communities in the east.

Murugan is the teacher. He taught everyone a lesson during this year's Festival. Last year the weather was hot, so some volunteers sprayed water on devotees when Murugan was being carried to the Temple from the Ratham. Soon after the Festival, many ladies complained that their beautiful sarees were wet and spoiled; so the organizers of the Festival decided not to spray water this time. You know what happened after placing the Murugan, Valli and Devasana murthis in the Ratham this time? Well, when devotees started puling the Ratham, it began to rain heavily and everyone got soaked. Shanmuganathaswami said, 'Murugan says let go of things.' There were ten Tables arranged along the Ratham's route around the Temple to welcome Murugan. Six of them for the six Murugan Temples in India (aarupadaiveedu), one for Iraivan Temple (Kauai), one for all Temples in Mullaitheevu (Sri Lanka), one for Kurunji Kumaran Kovil in Peradeniya (Sri Lanka), and the last one for Bathu Cave (Malaysia). The rain stopped at the Iraivan Table (Table #7)!