Saleel Pulekar

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...

Om Keshavaya Namaha Om Madhavaya Namaha Om Narayanaya Namaha Om Govindaya Swaha A highly pious. serene and sacred experience which left @ 30 of us in total gratitude for the Master. 27 Aug 2009 was that auspicious day. The beautiful Radha Kunj Yagya place in the ashram in Bangalore witnessed 30 of us being initiated into Brahminhood. We now have official rights for chanting the Gayatri Mantra Japa Vandana, wearing the sacred thread and reading the Vedas (or Knowledge sheets as Rashmin puts it ) Well, the above pic may leave you completely confused about what must have been happenning when this pic was taken, bcoz no two expressions are alike! Looks like all of them are wondering, what was the purpose of this 3 hour long process? Traditonally, when a child had to start his education, the Upanayan ceremony would be performed. This ceremony used to be of paramount importance, next only to marriage, as it was his marriage with knowledge. His parents would initiate him and only then he coul...