Poojya Swamiji’s 92nd Jayanti

Preparing for the Sacred Day

All devotees eagerly await to celebrate two occasions every year in the Ashram in Thrissur – Poojya Swamiji’s Jayanti in May and Gurupoornima in July. We started intensely preparing for Poojya Swamiji’s Jayanti celebrations around two weeks before the special day.

Whenever Swamiji’s Jayanti day arrives, there is a lingering thought in the mind that how blessed we are to get the direct association of a Sadguru like Poojya Swamiji, and also to be a part of this great spiritual lineage.

For the past two years, we have a new team managing the event activities broadly divided into Annakshetra team led by Suresh Ji and event co-ordination team led by Vijay Ji. The gradual transition from older devotees who have taken charge of these programmes for so many years, to the newer devotees is now getting better and more systematic. It was also nice to see many youngsters participate in this service with love towards our Gurudev.

We had daily meetings to discuss the flow of events and other intricate details. New feature this year was a tent at the entrance of the Ashram for people to sit, instead of standing in long queues in the sweltering heat and humidity of May.

The relentless heat, sweating and humidity didn’t hinder any bit of our enthusiasm. Love towards our Gurudev and the energy of austerity in the Ashram enabled us to do all the tasks with more attention than we do in our regular lives.

Discussions were held on how much drinking water would be needed and where the vessels should be placed. Pedestal fans were to be put up in every nook and corner so that devotees could sit comfortably. TV screens and speakers were to be placed at crucial points so that everyone would get the benefit of listening to Poojya Swamiji’s message, wherever they were engaged in any activity.

Two days before Jayanti, all of us enthusiastically formed a human chain and started moving 250+ chairs towards the Vijnana Bhavan terrace from downstairs. Dry runs were conducted to ensure smooth flow of people from Ashram entrance to Vijnana Bhavan to Annakshetra. Strategic points were allocated to each volunteer and a walkthrough was given on the program schedule to new volunteers.

The day before Jayanti, final dry runs were conducted, flower co-ordinators were arranged to clean the flowers to be used for the celebration. While cleaning flowers, we were thinking how fortunate we were to clean flowers to be offered at Poojya Swamiji’s lotus feet the next day.

We formed a team to clean all the chairs to be used for the function. Walkie talkies were arranged to co-ordinate between strategic points of reception and Vijnana Bhavan during the event.

Sound and Livestream engineers arrived to set up the TV, wiring, sound systems and streaming activities, and the whole Ashram was brimming with activity in all fronts. All actions were dedicated to the Guru and His vision bringing to mind the shloka sarva karmānyapi sadā kurvāṇo madvyapāśrayaḥ (Bhagavad Gita 18.56).

Aravindan started preparing for flower decorations in Vijnana Bhavan behind Poojya Swamiji’s Asan and in Baba’s Mandapam. It seemed as though Baba in the picture was directly witnessing all the activities.

Dawning of the Days

Early morning on Jayanti day, flower co-ordinators came as early as 5:45 AM to prepare the flowers to be offered to our Poojya Swamiji’s Lotus Feet for Guru Archana. Devotees started trickling in as early as 7 AM.

Among them were many familiar faces – Madhu Uncle who used to be in Annakshetra team, Sridhar Ji who would organize all details of the entire celebration activities, Natarajan Ji, Sangameswaran ji and many others who had managed all these activities earlier. We were reminded how these ‘Uncles’, along with late Lakshmi Narayanan ji, used to be in Annakshetra from 5 AM till 5 PM on such days, how Sreedhar Ji used to run around the whole Ashram co-ordinating various aspects of the programme. Now with a new generation taking charge, we hope to do better with each event, dedicating all our actions to the Holy lotus feet of Poojya Swamiji.

Bhajans started at 8:15 AM with “Janmānekaśataih”, reminding us how Guru alone can remove the affliction of worldliness from us. How fortunate we were to be a part of this function for the 92nd Jayanti of our beloved Gurudev!

Shri Ajay and Smt Vandana washing Poojya Swamiji’s Holy
Lotus feet during the Pāda-pooja.

Grace of the Guru

Poojya Swamiji, accompanied by Nutan Swamiji and Ma arrived at Vijnana Bhavan to the chorus chanting of “Svaagatam Guro”. All of them walked out to the terrace to greet the devotees assembled. Compassionate glance of the Guru graced all the devotees gathered for the holy event.

Sri Ajay Tiwari Ji and his wife Vandana (from Jamshedpur) were selected to do Guru Archana. Ajayji’s father RS Tiwari was one of the earliest members of CIRD Jamshedpur. Along with the couple, all devotees mentally offered flowers to Swamiji during each chant of the 108-Guru-Namavali.

Everyone listened with rapt attention to Poojya Swamiji’s Jayanti message in English, Malayalam and Bengali. Swamiji reiterated the importance of Sadhana and introspection, and enthused the audience to think who we actually are, the ‘infinite, everlasting soul’. (Summary of Swamiji’s Jayanti message on page 7)

When Swamiji started speaking in Bengali, each of us mentally resolved to learn the language of His Beloved Baba, at least a little. Somehow Kerala and West Bengal are wedded in spiritual connectivity. One felt that learning the language would make us feel even more connected to Baba, Poojya Swamiji, Nutan Swamiji, Ma, and the fellow devotees in Poornashram (Dakshinkhanda)

Divine Conclusion

As devotees started lining up to offer Pranaams and receive prasada from Poojya Swamiji, and the bhajan singers began their devotional renditions, Bhakti Bhojan was served downstairs in all the three designated areas at full capacity. The entire Ashram was reverberating with Bhakti.

At the end, all the volunteers offered pranaams at the Lotus feet of Poojya Swamiji and eagerly waited for Sreenivasan ji to start “Barsatu barsatu Sadguru Kṛpā”. All of us got a chance to assemble and witness this holy function only due to Sadguru Kṛpā.

Swamiji started dancing to this tune of the Bhajan along with devotees lined in a circle around Swamiji. Emotions were running high, dancing to the tunes of ‘Sadguru Kripa’ and Poojya Swamiji encouraging everyone to join the circle, the beats going faster and faster. Eyes welled with tears of fulfillment and surrender, feeling like Gopikas dancing with Krishna.

Final Review

During the evening Satsang, Sreenivasan ji started singing “Rama Rama Rama, Rama nāma pāhi mām”. When all devotees started repeating “Rama, Rama”, the whole Vijnana Bhavan hall was drenched with the feeling of Tapas and Gurubhakti.

During the Jayanti review meeting, we dissected every part of the event, starting with Annakshetra, flowing through event co-ordination and later ending with livestream and electronic systems. The meeting concluded at 11:00 PM, with all present taking note of the review comments and aiming to do better next time.

Being in the company of our Spiritual Masters, talking to fellow devotees and hearing their stories of how our Guru has influenced their lives, soaking in the notes of austerity, devotion and surrender – all make us want to reinforce our Sadhana, Bhakti and introspection.

Poojya Swamiji, Nutan Swamiji and Ma repeatedly remind us about the importance of Sadhana, even if an iota of which can pierce our minds, will help us realize that ‘I’ and the Sadguru are one, and He is in one and all. We hope we remain resolute on this path, moving towards seeing our Sadguru in one and all, and getting dissolved in that Oneness.

Jai Guru!

Reflect upon Sat, the Oneness. That alone will lead to lasting happiness. – Swamiji