The Invitation Card for the 13th Anniversary Celebration of
Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram, Hubli, Karnataka
On 9th November 2012 the President of Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram,
Shri Swami Balakrishnananda Saraswati ( known before as Shri
Vallabha Chaitanya), came to Omkarananda-Shanta-Durga Mandir,
Muni-ki-Reti, Rishikesh, and personally invited Shri Swami
Vishveshwarananda Saraswati, President Omkarananda Math, to
grace the Celebrations of the 13th Annual Function of Gayatri
Tapobhoomi Ashram, Karnataka, in February 2013.
Shri Balakrishnanandaji also invited Kumari Somashekhari,
General Secretary Omkarananda Math, to come to Gayatri
Tapobhoomi and render Indian Classical Dance-performances.
Swami Vishveshwarananda and Somashekhari joyously accepted the
invitation since Swami Balakrishnananda is an extraordinary
Saint and the functions of his Ashram are always unforgettable
beautiful and divine.
The 13th Anniversary Celebrations of Shri Gayatri Tapobhoomi
Ashram started on 21st February 2013, in Gayatri Nagar, Tadas,
Hubli, Karnataka.
This Ashram is situated in a calm area, surrounded by nature,
near the Mumbai-Bangalore Highway.
A big tent, along with a beautifully decorated huge stage, had
been installed right next to the Shri Gayatri Temple.
Most of the invited Saints and Devotees had arrived already on
the day before and they were ready to take part in the
celebrations.
Shri Swami Balakrishnananda Saraswati with Saints from the
Himalayas and Priests at the Gayatri Temple.
Kumari Somashekhari addresses the public and explains the
meaning of her dances.
|
|
A typical Bharatanatyam dance-pose by Somashekhari. |
Kumari Somashekhari performs a
spiritual North-Indian Kathak dance. |
Lakshmi Mata, a selfless Ashram Devotee, offering a Temple Sari
and Prasadam to Somashekhari after her performance.
After various Pujas and Speeches of different great Scholars in
the afternoon, everyone could take the Blessings of Gayatri Mata
in Her Temple during the Evening-Arati.
The night time was reserved for Sangeet Seva and for this
special occasion Kumari Somashekhari had been requested to give
a dance-performance.
She was introduced to the audience in English and Kannada, the
language of Karnataka, by the Master of Ceremony, Shri Raju, who
is one of the important Members of Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram.
Then the Chief Priest of Shri Gayatri Temple called Soma and
guided her to the stage among powerful chanting of "Jay
Jay Mata, Gayatri Mata…!"
Before starting her dance as an offering to the Divine, Kumari
Somashekhari addressed the audience with a few words in Kannada,
expressing her Joy and Gratitude for getting the opportunity to
dance during such a wonderful occasion.
Addressing the Devotees in their own language won a rousing
applause for Soma.
She then began her Nrtya Seva - her divine offering through
dance - with different devotional items dedicated to Lord
Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Shri Radha-Krishna and the Divine Mother,
praised in the Vedas.
After her dance-performance Kumari Somashekhari was honoured by
an Ashram Devotee, Lakshmi Mataji, with a very nice flower-mala,
a Temple-Sari and Temple Prasadam.
The audience was touched by the graceful and skilled performance
of Soma.
Somashekhari, while still on the stage, expressed her deepest
Thanks to all and especially to Lakshmi Mataji, a great Devotee
of Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram, who worked day and night to serve
all special guests with wonderful Prasadam, having always a
smile on her face. Somashekhari said, that Devotees like Lakshmi
Mata and many other volunteers like her, who silently work hard
behind the scenes for a smooth running of this function, deserve
special praise and thanks.
Different Pujas in the Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram.
On 22nd February morning, at 4 am, Mahapuja was started in the
Gayatri Temple and afterwards Ganapati Homa, Gayatri Homa,
Subrahmanya Homa and Annapoorna Homa were performed by Expert
Priests in different Yajna-Shalas around the Temple. Between 12
Noon and 1 pm Abhisheka for all Deities was done along with
Mahanaivedya and Mahamangala-Arati.
Thereafter all Saints and Devotees took Prasadam and a short
rest.
At 2 pm a beautiful Bharatanatyam dance-performance took place
on the stage by Shrimati Lakshmi, a Bharatanatyam Dance-Guru
from Hubli, and 20 of her young students. It was very nice to
see so many lovely girls performing different devotional
dance-items.
When their performance was completed, Kumari Somashekhari was
given the honour to present Prasadam and gifts to the Dance-Guru
and her students for their wonderful presentation.
After 4 pm the very much awaited Satsang of different great
Saints, having come mostly from the far away Himalayas, took
place.
|
|
Shrimati
Lakshmi, a Bharatanatyam Dance-Guru from Hubli,
receives Prasadam and gifts from Kumari Somashekhari
for her excellent performance. |
|
They were all seated on the stage along with Shri Swami
Balakrishnananda Saraswati.
Among them were: Paramapujya Jagadguru Shri Fakeera Siddharama
Mahaswamij, Samsthan Math, Shirahatti, Karnataka; Paramapujya
Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati, President Omkarananda
Math, Rishikesh, Himalayas; Paramapujya Shri Swami Premananda
Saraswati, Shivananda Ashram, Ganeshpur, Uttarkashi, Himalayas;
Paramapujya Shri Swami Ramaswaroopananda Maharaj, Himavan Caves,
Ganeshpur, Uttarkashi, Himalayas; Paramapujya Shri Swami
Gambheerananda Saraswati, Shivananda Ashram, Ujali, Uttarkashi,
Himalayas; Paramapujya Shri Pranavananda Teertha Maharaj,
Sholapur; Paramapujya Shri Dharanidasji Maharaj, Badridham,
Himalayas; Paramapujya Shri Narayananand Swamiji, Rishikesh,
Himalayas.
Shri Swami Balakrishnananda Saraswati, sitting along with all
the Mahatmas on the dais, is addressing the devotees.
Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati inspires all with his
lecture.
Devotees of Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram listening to the lectures
of the Saints.
Shri Raju, Manager Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram, and others,
worship the holy feet of the Saints with flowers.
The Mahatmas on the stage after the Pada-Puja Ceremony.
First all the Mahatmas were welcomed with flower-malas, while
Vedic Scholars chanted different Vedic Mantras.
Then Shri Swami Balakrishnanandaji welcomed everybody and
thanked them for joining this function.
Each Mahatma on the dais got the opportunity to give a speech.
The Mahatmas, with their inspiring and divine words and blessed
attitude, made all people feeling richer in knowledge and they
responded accordingly.
When Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati, President
Omkarananda Math, addressed the audience, the whole environment
got charged with a lively and divine energy. He spoke with such
a brilliance and in such an inspiring way, that each and
everybody was deeply impressed.
One of the Mahatmas, sitting on the dais and giving his speech
afterwards, said, while addressing the audience, that he was
deeply touched by Swami Vishveshwarananda's divine speech, and
he felt, that each and every word of Swamiji carried the Power
of Truth and therefore was like a priceless Treasure.
Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati is praising Shri Swami
Balakrishnananda Saraswati
and highlights the perfect and divine proceedings of the great
spiritual event.
When all the Mahatmas had concluded their speeches, the night
time had begun and everybody was called to a nearby field for
the Deepotsava.
25,000 Deepas, arranged in different forms or shapes, in
circles, waves, etc., were shining brightly under the dark night
sky.
It was an amazing sight! Even the heavenly beings enjoyed it …
When all devotees, who could witness the grand Deepotsava, had
returned from the nearby field back to the Gayatri Temple, they
could experience another wonderful divine event, the procession
of the Utsava Murti of Divine Mother Gayatri Devi in a nicely
decorated Palaquin. She was carried around the whole Temple and
Ashram Complex, while devotees were following Her and singing
beautiful Bhajans for Her.
Throughout the whole night till next morning 2 am the Gayatri
Tapobhoomi Ashram was resounding with life-performances of
professional Indian Classical Musicians, who rendered devotional
songs along with instrumental music.
On 23rd February 2013 morning, after the morning Pooja and
Arati, an extraordinary Abhisheka was performed by Shri
Balakrishnananda Saraswatiji and his Temple-Priests for Shri
Gayatri Mata in her Garbha-Griha (Sanctum Sanctorum).
The Abhisheka lasted for more than one hour and such a type of
Abhisheka may be hardly seen anywhere in any Temple in India.
33 ingredients were used for the Abhisheka for the Divine
Mother, like 108 litres cow-milk, honey, curd, sugar, many
different fruits (Grapes, Oranges, Pomegranates etc.), fresh
leaves (Tulsi, etc.), and several huge flower-baskets with many
varieties of fresh colourful flowers and flower-petals,
different kinds of dry fruits and nuts (Kismis, Cashewnuts,
Almonds, etc.) and other precious things, like fragrant Kesar,
Cardamom, Chandan, Kumkum, Haldi, fresh Coconut-Water, etc. etc.
Each ingredient, which was used for the Abhisheka, revealed a
very special and distinct appearance of the Gayatri Murti, for
example, when the tiny red-coloured fruit pieces of pomegranates
were showered over Gayatri Mata, it looked as if many shining
precious red gemstones - real rubies - were adorning the Devi.
One by one, softly and carefully, these ingredients were poured
and showered lovingly over the Pranapratishtha Murti of Gayatri
Mata.
The Priests constantly chanted Veda Mantras and hundreds of
Devotees watched in awe.
In the end of the Abhisheka a shower of many coins was made
flowing over the Devi, which looked and sounded like a
water-fall.
Afterwards the curtains of the Temple were drawn for a short
time, since the Divine Mother Gayatri Devi was given fresh
clothes and ornaments and decorated with many fragrant flower-malas,
before She again gave Darshan to all.
Agnidevata in all the different Yajna-Shalas around the Temple
was simultaneously present, and after the grand Abhisheka of
Gayatri Devi was completed, all the Priests performed Purnahuti.
Prasadam was distributed to all.
In the afternoon again all Mahatmas were requested to sit on the
dais, on the beautiful stage, since a special ceremony was to
unfold for them in the presence of hundreds of Devotees.
A special Pada-Puja was made for each of them, and a lot of
flower-petals were showered over their holy feet.
Then Shri Swami Balakrishnanandaji personally honoured all of
them, including Swami Vishveshwarananda, with nice shining
shawls, beautiful flower malas and a very special Prasadam.
Swami Balakrishnananda, President Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram,
affectionately honours
Swami Vishveshwarananda, President Omkarananda Math, with a
shawl.
During this Ceremony Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati
spontaneously went to the mike-stand and expressed in a lively
and joyous way his deep admiration for Shri Swami
Balakrishnanandaji, his beautiful Ashram, his great Devotees and
the marvellous way Puja and Abhisheka are conducted in Gayatri
Tapobhoomi Ashram.
Everyone immensely liked Swami Vishveshwarananda's spontaneous
speech. All were clapping loudly in appreciation and Swami
Balakrishnanandaji smiled happily…
In the night again another grand Deepotsava took place on the
nearby field, with 25,000 Deepas lighting up the whole
environment.
Afterwards, till almost midnight, a continuous stream of many
many Devotees, mostly from Karnataka or Goa, came to the Kutir,
in which Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati was staying, to take
his Blessings and hear his words of Wisdom.
Throughout the whole function a resident Ayurvedic Doctor of
Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram looked after the wellbeing of Devotees
and whenever necessary rendered help to them with free medical
check-up and free medicines.
Surely there was not a single Soul, who did not feel deeply
blessed by the Grace of Gayatri Mata. All, who had the great
privilege to take part in the 13th Anniversary Celebration of
Shri Gayatri Tapobhoomi Ashram, will definitely forever cherish
this rare and divine event.
|