Mesmerising moments in the mystical DEVbhoomi - RISHIKESH

It was 1st March, the day of Holi, we were driving from Delhi to Rishikesh.

The waters of Ganga on either sides of the highway, sounds of manjiras (cymbals), fading sound of one arti getting drowned into another, chants of Om Namaha Shivaya, Har Har Mahadeo, Jai Mata Di, gentle traces of incense, hoardings and photos of various saints, munis, gurus, people wrapped in saffron, white, yellow; faces decorated with chandan, kumkum, ad hearts adorned with devotion; the piousness of Har-ki-Paudhi, Haridwar endearingly welcomes you to begin with and then absorbs you in itself. One cant but feel the purity and sacredness of this place.

We had the news that Guruji had arrived in the Art of Living Kumbh Mela Camp and the Rudrapuja had already begun. With hurried steps we walked towards the enclosure and as we entered this was our first glimpse of the Master:

Very content with having clicked the above snap I closed my eyes to meditate. The pandal was resonating with the rudrapuja chants by a few north indian pandits. I must admit, that since so used to our ashram puja, it took me a while to glide into meditation.

Even as the bhajans were being sung and Guruji was performing the last few rituals, Ramdevji entered and went straight up on stage with great zeal with gulal and other colors not only in his hand but all over him! What happened on stage is an exciting rocking story in itself. More about that in the next post ;-)

In the evening Guruji performed the Ganga arti at Har-ki-Paudhi

There were easily more than 5000 people. Lots of people who were there sat wherever they found place to take a glimpse of compassion incarnate Sri Sri.

Dudham Samarpayami...

After this all of us left for Rishikesh. Rishikesh has, not only the piousness of Hardiwar, but is pregnant with a distilled silence which beckons you to dive into that vast ocean of stillness within yourself, where the hills seem like gods and goddesses waiting to shower blessings upon you and the waters of the ganges appear to be carrying the nectar from Lord Shiva himself, where the winds bring sattva and the gentle breeze on the river banks overwhelms you with its soothing touch which reminds one of the love one feels when the divine glances of Guruji glide onto you with a twinkle of mischief in the eyes that seem to saying in a subtle but affirmatively reassuring tone, "I am in you as you, you are in me as me; I belong to you and you to me, so just be and know that you are loved, thats BEloved."