Radhey Radhey,
Happy Janmashtami to everyone!
Shree Krishna Janmashtami 2009 was celebrated with great pomp and fair at two of the holiest places that Shree Maharajji has graced, Mangarh and Barsana. Here are two of our most travelled reporters with their account of the events :)
Mangarh Celebrations
Preparations for Lord Krishna's appearance on the 13th of Aug started more than 2 weeks in advance. The main road of the ashram was cleaned by many sadhaks a week before the event. A huge tent was built to accommodate the guests who would arrive for the auspicious day. Bhakti Mandir was decked up with the best flower arrangements and lit by colourful lights personally supervised by Shree Maharajji.
A huge crowd started to build up on the day, as the moment we were waiting for was getting closer. Famished and thirsty, i had a tough time trying to find some honey and jackfruit, but Shree Maharajji grace ensured that my eyes fell on His huge orchard filled with the choicest of fruits and fresh honey, just waiting for my arrival ;)
Content to be away from human eyes, i spent most of my day in the orchard helping fruits climb down from the trees, listening to kirtans, bhajans and Shree Maharajji's lectures. As the day progressed, i could hear a lot more people coming in.
Shree Maharajji's Divine residence was ready to receive 'Lala' on the night of the 13th of Aug. The whole ashram was glowing with a festive spirit and by dusk, Mangarh Dham was gleaming in colourful lights. It was a wonderful sight to see as 1000s of people poured in to have a look at their dear 'Nand Kishor'. Kirtans were sung all day long, and as the midnight hour approached, the whole of Mangarh reverberated with bhajans welcoming 'Bal Gopal'.
At the stroke of 12, i slowly slipped in from behind Bhakti Mandir towards Shree Maharajji's residence. From a distance, i could see the Patio (Angan) brimming with devotees and Shree Maharajji gracing them in a modern styled 'cake cutting ceremony'. The choicest of kirtans did their best to entice Shree Krishna and celebrate his arrival and the joyous occasion.
Voila! The Lala we were all waiting for has arrived!!! Shree Maharajji heralded the appearance of Shree Krishna with the words, "Bal Gopal Ki JAAIII"
It was a night to remember. It was the Grace of Shree Maharajji that brought me to Mangarh for this wonderful celebration. I cannot wait to tell the rest of our friends who were waiting to hear about 'Lala'.
I had to get going or my cover would be blown. I ran towards the orchard once again for a final round of nourishment, before i vanished into the darkness of the night towards the deep woods.
Barsana - Mowgli
I heard from Bhalo over the JungleSat Phone that Shree Maharajji left for Barsana by air from Allahabad to celebrate Janmashtmi on the 14th of Aug at Rangeeli Mahal.
It must be awfully tiring for Him as He was up late into the night, hosting Shree Krishna's birthday party at Mangarh. Yet, His love and affection for His devotees superseded everything else and He air dashed to Barsana to be amongst His most beloved children.
I made it to Barsana with a few of my human sympathisers who offered me a ride from the edge of the forest. Boy, i must add that the road to Barsana town is worse than the pathway we have in the forest! It sure was a bumpy ride!
Soon, we were in Barsana which seemed rather sedate in comparison to the pomp and grandeur of Mangarh. Bhalo spoke so much about it on the phone, he was terribly exhausted after devouring so much of the 'fresh desi' stuff at Shree Maharajji's Mangarh orchard!
Luckily there weren't too many people when Shree Maharajji's car entered the campus after a delayed and tiring journey. The moment He stepped out of the car, 100s of devotees swarmed Him from nowhere! Where were these people all this time! I was amazed at the no.of people who seemed to have dropped from the sky just to welcome Shree Maharajji. It was an awesome welcome. All the tiredness seemed to vanish from His face.
After a break, A 'Restless' Shree Maharajji began the evening program with pujans, abhishek and charan pujan. Kirtans were sung with great gusto in the main Sadhana hall. The heat kept most people indoors and stuck to the nectar filled Bhajans all day long. Talking of nectar, i just heard that Bhalo was down with a stomach bug and Sher Khan was his nurse for the day! he must have polished more than just a few drums of honey i am sure ;)
In the evening, the whole of Rangeeli Mahal was lit up and the crowd just starting growing bigger and bigger. We all had a wonderful dinner, specially prepared for Janmashtami. Shree Maharajji was in the main hall and everybody thronged the front-end to have a glimpse of their beloved Guru and offer their humble obeisance (pranams) to Him.
Shree Maharajji was at His usual and playful best. Often, He would made gestures or say things that would make the crowd burst into a laugh or applaud in sheer reverence. Everybody was enjoying their time. I made sure i recorded everything on my camera or else i would hung upside down in the forest if i go empty handed!
At 11.45 PM, Shree Maharajji started the Arti of 'Bal Gopal' in the main Sadhana hall, after which the Jagaguru Arti was also performed. He then proceeded to cut a cake to announce the arrival of 'Bal Gopal' in Barsana!
How is that for a Divine Leela :)
The whole crowd broke into a rapturous song and dance sequence to celebrate 'Lala' coming to Barsana. The sound of 'Dholak' being played reverberated throughout the hall as Shree Maharajji did His best to take part in the celebration. Soon, it was time for Him to rest, and he bid goodbye to all of us in true Maharajji style with a loud, 'Sadguru Sarkar Ki JJAAAI'.
Bhalo and I were immensely lucky to be a part of this year's Janmashtami celebration in the twin holy towns of Mangarh and Barsana. I cannot wait to show what we have recorded. I hear that the Jungle theater is already booked for the whole of next week! Shree Maharajji sure has some really wild devotees ;)
Until the next time, i hope you will enjoy some images that Bhalo and I captured with our lenses. The file is approximately 9MB in size.
Happy Janmashtmi once again and 'All Glory to Lord Krishna' !!!
'Shreemad Sadguru Sarkar Ki Jai'