Drops of Amrit in Kumbha Mela

1

Drops of Amrita in

Kumbha Mela

By Mora Abilahoud Singh

2

Published by: Shri Vidya Trust, Rishikesh

To get the printed version of this book in English and Spanish languages with coloured pictures, please contact Shri Vidya Trust, 186/39, Virbhadra Road (opposite L.I.C. office), Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) 249201 or email to [email protected]

3

Table of Contents KUMBHA MELA: GATHERING IN A VESSEL ... 5 What is Kumbha Mela? .................................. 13 Introduction ................................................... 17 Journey to Haridwar ....................................... 20 Visit to Kumbha Mela Camps in Haridwar ...... 31 Kalyani Devi ................................................... 35 The Jhuna Akhara .......................................... 45 Swami Karnapuri ........................................... 47 Haridwar, April 12, 1998 ................................ 57 Braj Wali Mataji.............................................. 60 Rishikesh, April 13, 1998 ............................... 64 Swami Naradananda ...................................... 66 Rishikesh April14, 1998 ................................. 73 Dr. Devaki Kutty............................................. 75 Penny Mataji .................................................. 83 Swami X ......................................................... 96 Rishikesh April 15, 1998 ................................ 100 Mata Pardeshwari ........................................... 105 Saint Subhadra Mata ..................................... 108 Shivaratri, 21 February 2001.......................... 111 Glossary ......................................................... 121

4

People bathing in the holy water of river Ganges

5

KUMBHA MELA: GATHERING IN A VESSEL Kumbha is a water vessel of a particularly rounded shape very commonly seen in India. A potter is called a kumbha-kara, maker of kumbhas. The people of the kumbhakara crafts-guild (caste group, if you prefer) trace their ancestry to prajapati, the Progenitor who has shaped all the round clay vessels like the earth. Another word for kumbha is ghata which refers both to the clay vessel and to the vessel called the body. A clay pot, a kumbha or a ghata has space inside and space outside. So it is with the cosmic round objects, and also with the human body. Just as the body is seventy per cent water, so the common household object called the kumbha is most often used for fetching water from the village well or a stream, and for storing the same water. The kumbhas are not only made of clay; they may be brass, copper or bronze. The largest silver objects in the world are two huge kumbhas in the Jaipur palace which were used to bring the holy water from Ganga for drinking as some devout kings would drink no other water. The kumbhas can be of many sizes; the smaller hand carried ones are called kalasha but they serve the same purpose. What purpose is it? Fetching and storing water? No, the purpose is fullness. Kumbha or

6 kalasha in the Sanskrit aesthetic imagery is also associated with the breast, filled with mother’s love and our first nutrient. The culture of India is mother-centred because it is Mother-centred. Every Hindu has five mothers: God as Mother of the Universe, so we sing in the hymns, “Thou art Mother; Thou art Father”; Earth as mountain-breasted overflowing with milk of rivers;

mother

Waters as mother; one even floats in the mother waters as fetus in the womb and longs to return to that mother throughout one’s life; Ma Ganga, Mother Ganges is sacred, holy, loving, allembracing, sin-washing (does not mother wash her baby of all its dirt?), ever-flowing, living, divine entity, filled with the milk of love, coming down as the very incarnation of the river of heaven; Cow as mother (nobody in India uses the phrase “holy cow”), go-mata, for, my physical mother gave me her milk only for a few months and from the time she stopped, the cow (and other milky beings) have nourished me on theirs; in gratitude do I honor this mother; The physical mother who kept me wrapped inside her mother waters; who gave me birth; nourished me with milk and love; was my first guru – as the scriptures say. So enriched is the Hindu by this relationship with the Mother that the follower of this faith is emotionally one of the most secure people on earth. All of this motherliness is contained in the kumbha,

7 the vessel of mother waters, of nourishing, fulfilling, security-granting milk of love, of sanctity and holiness of heavens, the star-studded blue ones and the mind-lake-bejeweled ones within the cephalic dome. On this last point, the cephalic dome, the human head is also compared with a kumbha or kalasha. It contains the amrita-bindu, the drop of the drink of immortality that ever drips down the sushumna channel to nourish the constituents and components of the human person. It is for this reason that in the oft-sung Hymn of the Thousand Names of Ganga, one of Ganga’s names is Brahmarandhra-samudbhava, She Who flows down from the Fontanella. What a kumbha we have been given to carry on our shoulders, at the bottom of which there is an infinitesimally tiny hole, through which the Amrita drips, and drips, and drips on to the jyotirlinga, the mass of light, in the vessel of the heart. This can be seen in any Shiva temple where there is a kumbha hung over the Linga, with a tiny hole in the bottom from which water drips onto the linga, so that the meditator may remember what is transpiring within his/her person, and not forget that the kumbha of amrta is ever bountiful and constantly dripping within. No wonder, then, that kumbha or kalasha is one of the eight basic sacred symbols of Hinduism. No wonder, also, that millions of pilgrims flock to Mother Ganga, carrying well festooned kumbhas or kalashas to fetch the holy water to make an offering at the home shrine or a village shrine, and in the unpolluted eons, drank only the Ganga-jala, the water from the Ganges which is known for its

8 mysterious incorruptibility. Even now, trace the Ganga flow from the most polluted areas like the city of Kanpur, and twelve miles downstream it is free of the pollution. Mother not only washes us; she keeps herself streaming pure. No. We do not bathe in her waters; we snuggle unto her and, babies that we are, wrap ourselves into the folds of the corners of her colourful and flowing sari (alas, one of the most poetic words in the Indian languages, anchal, the free flowing part of a sari, cannot be translated into English because the western dress does not have its counterpart). We come back from Her presence, filled, satiated, as when, after a long exile one might come back to the mother’s hearth and be fed a meal with her own hands. All this thought is contained in the word kumbha. It is not with the earthly waters that we fill our kumbha and kalasha. We fill it with the milk of the heavenly river, as we said above. What is known as the Milky Way in English is called akasha-ganga, Ganges of the Sky, in India. But the thought of mother’s milk as in the Milky Way is not far from the clear surface of the mind. The milk of heavenly light it is that constitutes the stream of akashaganga. Here the Greek and the Hindu speak in one voice. What a shame that the Greek narrative (why do they call it myth?) has been smothered to death and the Hindu narrative now keeps a lonely vigil of reality in a world of myths. Jupiter (Sanskrit dyaus-pitr) was disloyal to his wife Hera and had a son from a mortal woman. He naturally wanted this son to be made immortal. But Mother Nature has so determined that though one may be born of an immortal father’s seed he cannot become immortal unless he has drunk the milk of an immortal mother; only she carries

9 the vessels of the nectar of immortality. Jupiter, knowing this well, played a trick on Hera. While she slept, he put his son’s mouth to her breast to drink. As the baby began to suckle, she, startled, rose, and pulled her breast away. The drops of the milk of immortality spilled all over the heavens and became the Milky Way.

Go to Gomukh, where the milky white glacier releases Ganga to us. Sleep there a night; akasha-ganga, the milky way, touches her hem to the mountain top and you know that the heavenly river is making her eternal descent on to the earth. All we need is a kumbha, made of clay, or brass, or bronze, or silver, or gold to fill it and carry home the heavens; all we need is a meditating cephalousvessel to contain in our mind and body vessel the essences of heavens, to make our body pure, to make our minds dotted with the light of saintly stars. Saintly stars? Yes, from times immemorial, the Indian astronomers have named the stars after great saints, sages and ascetics. For example the stars of the Ursula Major are called sapta-rishis, seven sages. There is now even a star named Gandhi. These thousands of star sages take their holy immersion in the heavenly Ganga and we only emulate them by taking our purificatory dips in the heavenly river’s form that has descended on the earth. We spoke of the continuity of the Greek narrative into the Hindu image of Ganga. Even though there may be no historical connection, the link is in and through the universal mind. On the other hand, who knows what transpired when Greece and India met; was it only the Bamian Buddhas and nothing else?

10 For thousands of years China and India have shared a long border but the Chinese signs of the zodiac remain different from those of India. However, the occidental signs are the same as the Indic ones; mesha is Aries is a goat, and so with all the rest. Kumbha, full vessel, is the water sign in India; so is Aquarius. There is a slight difference between the roles of Jupiter and Brhaspati. The former is the ruler of the Greek gods; the latter is the Guru of gods. When the Guru goes to take the immersion, the disciples follow. When the heavenly Brhaspati, Jupiter, takes an immersion in the celestial river, the earthly gurus and their disciples emulate the same. All of what we have written above is summed up in the word kumbha; this is the beauty of the language of multilateral realities, incorrectly named “myth”, that such enormous vistas of meaning can be encapsulated in a single word and all of them are triggered in the mind’s eye all at once in a flash as the word is thought, spoken and ritually enacted. Mela means a get together, a meeting, a union. Ah, what a concept. What an experience. Tens of millions of minds, those of heavenly starsages and of the earthly pilgrims, all being poured into a single vessel, all partaking of the dripping drops of the knowledge of immortality. Was it not Maitreyi, the wife of the sage Yajnavalkya in the Upanishad who had said to her husband: Yenaham namrta syam kim tena kuryam What shall I do with that wherewith I shall not be made immortal (amrta)?

11 For countless ages the Hindus have prayed in the words of the Upanishads : Mrtyor ma amritam gamaya Lead me from mortality to immortality. And, even before the Upanishads, the Vedas called the human beings Amrtasya putrah, Offsprings of Immortality. It is this celestial inheritance that we celebrate, commemorate, renew, when we bring together tens of millions of minds to take a holy immersion in one spot, so that all our senses and faculties may be baptized, as was Jesus baptized in the Holy Jordan by his Guru, to dwell in the full vessel of immortality even while walking on the earth. How beautifully vivid Mora Singh has made the scene of the kumbha mela, the meeting of minds that takes place in a vessel. Let us hope and pray that the sages, invisible and visible, tangible and intangible, embodied and disembodied, continue to join the human throng in this vessel century after century, millennium after millennium. Do remember that not all the thirty million who took a dip on the 24th January 2001 in Prayaga were human beings; naked or clothed, on chariots or on foot, some of them were devas disguised as human beings, rubbing shoulders with human beings. It is to rub shoulders with these devas, and with the disembodied sages who live only the bodies made of mind-stuff that we all gather in these sacred spots.

12 Thank you, Mora, for reminding us. May your book be read by many millions and invite them to the next “gathering inside the vessel of the nectar of immortality”. (Swami Veda Bharati)

13

What is Kumbha Mela? Kumbha Mela is an old Indian traditional festivity in which hundreds of thousands of people go for pilgrimage to receive the benefits of Amrita, the divine nectar that gives immortality (liberating the spirit from the cycles of reincarnation). The word Kumbha in the Sanskrit language means pitcher but also means the zodiac sign of Aquarius; the word Mela means meeting. The Meeting or Festival of Aquarius brings people together every three years at one of the four following sacred cities in India: Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nasik. According to the Indian mythology, the Amrita drops from the divine Kumbha (pitcher) while the gods and the devils are fighting for it. It happens every three years in four different cities of India at a certain time. These cities have in common sacred rivers in which the pilgrims bathe as a flowing form of the Amrita. For this auspicious occasion, saints from all over India also go to the chosen cities to receive the blessings of the drops of the Amrita. Those who live in the Himalayas doing penances and austerities also come out of their caves and travel to one of the four chosen holy cities. They exchange ideas, give lectures and perform the bathing ritual in sacred rivers. They meet other saints and give guidance to the spiritual seekers who appreciate the saint’s words as drops of the divine Amrita. One of the most important features of the Kumbha Mela is the parade of the sadhus of the Akharas (Hindu religious institutions). The leaders

14 of these Akharas go with their respective groups of followers to bathe in the holy river with all the protocol and paraphernalia of the occasion. Many of these ascetics are Naga Babas who go in the parade totally naked covering their bodies only with ashes. Astrologers calculate the exact years of the festivity. For the auspicious bathing ritual days, they take into account especially the position of Jupiter (the planet that is considered to have influence on the spiritual aspects) in relation with the constellations, with the sun and with the moon. It is believed that those who take bath in the sacred river at a particular auspicious time attain Moksha (liberation). When the Kumbha Mela is held in Haridwar or in Allahabad, the bathing ceremony takes place in the river Ganges and that makes it more special for the millions of Ganges devotees. Since ancient times, the belief of the benefit of bathing in the river Ganges is very much present in the Indian mind, culture and tradition. The reason of this is the belief in the divine origin of the River Ganges. It is explained in Mahabharata, - the biggest and most ancient epic in the human history- , that the Ganges came down from the heaven through the dreadlocks of Lord Shiva. Only He, Lord Shiva, could control the tremendous impact of bringing the celestial river to this world: “When that highly sacred stream fell from the firmament, Maheshwara (Lord Shiva) held it on his head. It is that very stream which is adored in heaven”

15 (Mahabharata:

Anushashan

Parva-Section

26). The spiritual benefits of bathing in the Ganges are also mentioned in the Mahabharata, as follows: “That end which a creature is capable of attaining by penances, by Brahmacharya (celibacy), by sacrifices, or by practicing renunciation, one is sure to attain by only living by the side of the Bhagirathi (Ganges) and bathing in its sacred waters. Those creatures whose bodies have been sprinkled with the sacred waters of Bhagirathi (Ganges) or whose bones have been laid in the channel of that sacred stream, have not to fall away – from heaven at any time.” (Mahabharata: Anushashan Parva-Section 26) There are many other festivities related to the Ganges, but the Kumbha Mela at Allahabad and Haridwar are the most famous. People from all over the world also join the Festival of Aquarius. For such a special ceremony, foreigners have been coming since ancient times. In fact, one of the earliest written references about a sort of spiritual festivity of this kind goes back to the year 644 A.D. when a Chinese traveler called Huan-Tsang wrote about it. He came to India during the reign of King Harshavardan at Allahabad and narrated what he saw. Though it is difficult to affirm when and how the Kumbha Mela started, the comments given by this Chinese traveler show that it is a very old tradition. In Subash Rai’s book, Kumbha Mela, it is mentioned (Page-21):

16 “However, the designation of Prayag (Allahabad) fair of 644 A.D. as ageless by HuanTsang indicates that such gatherings and the ritual bathing were in practice since early times in India.” Some people believe that Adi Guru Shankaracharya, the great saint and organizer of the Hindu religion, is responsible for organizing the Kumbha Mela the way it is held nowadays. In the same book, Kumbha Mela of Subash Rai, page 22, he wrote: “There are some, who believe that it was Adi Guru Shankaracharya, who gave final shape to this practice by force of his magic personality” The fact is that in the third millennium of the Christian era, still the ancient practice of the Festival of Aquarius takes place every three years in four different sacred cities of India. Due to the facilities of fast communications and easy transportation, nowadays more people have the opportunity of participating in the Kumbha Mela than in the previous celebrations. Newspapers said that in the Maha Kumbha Mela 2001 in Allahabad, more than 30 million people got together on the most important bathing day. There might be some truth in the stories of the Amrita dropping during the Festival of Aquarius and to find that, I think one should try to participate and experience personally.

17

Introduction Being aware of my spiritual nature, I was searching for the guidance to attain Self-realization. I was born and brought up in Caracas. I studied primary and High School at San José de Tarbes with French Christian Catholic Nuns and then, in the Metropolitan University, I got my degree as Professor in Modern Languages. Though I got the best education anyone can get in Venezuela, I was looking for something beyond professional training. Now I can say that I was looking for a spiritual path. In the search for that path, I attended relaxation courses, the universal energy (healing with the hands), and other similar courses in Caracas. Unfortunately, none of these studies fulfilled my intellectual as well as my spiritual urge. But the spiritual side of my being always kept an open window from which I could see some features of my own inner world. I used to read books about philosophy, theology, new wave, even esoteric books to find answers to my questions. However none of these readings and courses gave either convincing answers to my questions or guidance for a better way of living. Until August 1994, that I met my husband who was the Indian Ambassador to Venezuela. Through him, I came into contact with the yoga and meditation field. He has been practicing yoga and meditation since he was 16 years old. With his vast experience, he guided my very first steps into the meditation path.

18 Two years later, in February 1996, we got married in New Delhi, India. We lived in Venezuela until December 1996 and we moved to Havana where my husband was appointed as Ambassador of India in Cuba. We lived there up to 1998 when my husband retired from the Indian Foreign Service. In April 1998, I had the opportunity of participating in the Maha Kumbha Mela in Haridwar where millions of people got together with the belief of receiving the benefits of all the aspects of Amrita. Participating in the Kumbha Mela was an extremely interesting and rewarding event in my live. During my stay in the Kumbha Mela, I carried out nine interviews, six women and three men who went also there. The particularity among these people is that they had chosen to have spiritual lives some as ascetics and others as people who do service to humanity. During my conversation with them, they talked about their lives and also about the Kumbha Mela festivities. The interviews were not planned in advance; on the contrary, they were done as they were coming up. Though we were guided by a known person, everything came out spontaneously, and I always felt that there was a force guiding us. Even I liked the fact that at the end there were more women interviewed because I was always concerned about the freedom of women in India to choose their own way of living. For my surprise, during Kumbha Mela, I could see how now women are participating directly in the spiritual field. In the professional field, I came across many very well educated women but in the books of spirituality, mostly the names of men are found as renowned gurus. Of course, there were exceptions in

19 some of the ancient books. For example, saints couples were mentioned like Vashita and Arundati – giving some recognition to Arundati. Also Mirabay, the great poet devotee of Lord Krishna is sometimes mentioned. In modern times, the name of the great saint Anandamay shines with the rest of the great saints from India. But she had to fight with her spiritual strength to convince not only her family but her own husband, about her sanctity. Times have changed and many of the ladies Swamis I met are having their own group of disciples and their own Ashrams. About the men Swamis, they are also changing many rigid believes into a softer system. Many changes are taking place in India now and it is amazing to see how the process is taking place with ancient infrastructure traditions like Kumbha Mela. Juxtaposition of the new and the ancient is clearly found even in the streets where bullock carts and elephants are very much used as the new modern full air conditioned cars. That is the contemporary life in India and that is one of the things I could easily observe during Kumbha Mela. I have found very interesting the experiences I had during those days and their influence in my life. I hope the readers may find them as interesting as I do.

20

Journey to Haridwar When we were living in Havana, we traveled to India in March 1997. During the trip, we visited Haridwar and Rishikesh and we saw the works that the Government of the state of Uttar Pradesh was doing in Haridwar and Rishikesh for the religious festival called Maha Kumbha Mela of 1998. Many people were telling us about the meeting of the saints that happens after every 12 years there. While people were telling me about it, I remembered some stories that I read some years ago related to the Kumbha Mela, in the “Autobiography of a Yogi” written by the great spiritual master Paramahansa Yogananda. I thought that it might be a good idea to come and meet the saints but many people discouraged. They said that it would not be convenient due to the problems caused by such a big pilgrimage meeting. They also said that the government was expecting around 11 million people to visit Haridwar and Rishikesh for the festivity. In addition to that, they told me many stories about the people who died in stampedes that occurred without reason and also about the dangerous fights among the sadhus (ascetics) of different the Akharas. I felt that they were giving me very good reasons for not coming to the festival. Besides, my husband said that it would be very difficult to come back to India due to our duties in Havana. So, I forgot completely about Kumbha Mela, until one day, five months later, something happened in Havana that changed my mind…

21 Havana, August 1997 After bathing and doing Yoga Asanas, (physical yoga exercises), I did a very long and deep meditation. During the meditation, I had a vision where I was told to go to the 1998 Maha Kumbha Mela in India and write a book about my experiences there. When my meditation finished, I was confused and even scared of obeying this command especially after all the stories I was told about it in India. I laid on the carpet where I used to do yoga, and started thinking about it. I was trying to understand how this order came to me when I was not even thinking about anything related to it. In fact, I was too busy with my duties to think of anything else. Our residence in Havana had a beautiful garden with many different tropical flowers, mango and banana trees. I went and sat on the hammock that was set between the two mango trees to think about how I could go to the Kumbha Mela without being in danger. I was wondering how a small city like Haridwar could accommodate as much as the entire Cuban population in it. When my husband came from office, I told him about my meditation. He said that he would try to send me if I wanted to go, but for him, it was going to be difficult to go because of his duties at the Embassy. I told him that I would not like to go without him because I would not be able to manage it alone without knowing the local language, especially for the type of event we were talking about. At the end of our conversation he said: “If God wants us to be there, we will definitely be there. Don’t worry about it. We will see.”

22 In the middle of March of 1998, my husband’s mother was not well and my husband had to go to see her in India. In April, she still was not well. So, my husband thought that I should join him there. But still he was not sure if he could go to Rishikesh due to his mother’s condition. He contacted Penny Mataji, a Canadian born lady who has been living in Haridwar and Rishikesh for the last 25 years, and requested her to arrange the tour for us, and the meeting with some real spiritual sadhus. During her first 12 years in India, she lived in an Ashram with her husband in Haridwar. When her husband decided to move back to Canada, she did not want to leave India and she stayed alone. She bought a house in Rishikesh at the bank of the Ganges, which is her own Ashram. She knows very well all the Ashrams and Swamis of the area and all of them know her also. We knew that, she was the perfect person to organize the meeting with the real sadhus and Mahatmas. The first time we met her was during my first trip to India when my husband took me to Rishikesh to see the house he was building for us when would get retired from the Indian Foreign Service. I remembered clearly that she was sitting in a rocking chair in her balcony and her neighbor introduced us to her. While having tea, she explained many things about Indian culture and tradition that I did not know at that time. Since then she has been always a great support. On 25, March husband phoned me at told me: “You make the Then, you take an Air Delhi.” When I tried to

1998, early morning, my Havana from New Delhi and flight reservations via Rome. India flight to come to New make the reservations to go

23 to Rome, there were no seats available. I could not believe it. I thought that all the circumstances were favorable for me to go to India, so how come there was not vacancy in the flights in the next days? What to do? I have learnt to trust God. I said to myself: “If God wants me to be there, I will be there. I will not worry.” Next morning, at 8:30 A.M., I received a phone call from the Indian Embassy saying that reservations were confirmed not only up to Rome but also up to New Delhi. I knew that if I had to be there, I would certainly be. I was excited but, at the same time, I was scared. Surrender is very important in the spiritual path and only after surrendering to God, I got the strength to start my pilgrimage to the Kumbha Mela. I also thought that participating in the Kumbha Mela was a good opportunity to meet Selfrealized people that were already on the spiritual path. By meeting them and talking to them, I could go deeper on my own path of Self-realization. I left Havana on 4th of April for Rome. It was a nine and half hours flight. In Rome, I stayed with our friends, the Singhs, for two days and then, I took my flight to New Delhi. After, more than 8 hours flight, I reached New Delhi. My husband was waiting for me at the airport. We were very happy to meet again after more that 15 days of separation. We stayed at Gymkhana Club in New Delhi for two nights. We visited my husband’s mother who was better. I also took some time for doing some shopping required for the pilgrimage trip to Haridwar and Rishikesh.

24 Our friends from Canada, Chand and Urvashi Mehta, also came for the Kumbha Mela. We had dinner at the Club and we planned to go together. I was happy that they could come along because besides of enjoying good company, I would not be alone in Haridwar and Rishikesh if my husband had to go back to Delhi,. For more than one week my husband was trying to get the confirmation for our train reservations from Delhi but we were confirmed only the morning of our trip to Haridwar in the train station itself. It was very difficult to find seats available due to the heavy bookings for the Kumbha Mela. That morning we got up very early to go to the train station and see if we could get our seats. We reached the station before Chand and Urvashi. It was 5:45 a.m. and there were already so many people that it was very difficult to reach the board were the lists of passengers were displayed. Many lists were there and only by pushing, we could find our names, the seat numbers and the number of the coach card. An employee of the Ministry of Railways told us that they had provided extra coaches to meet the enormous demand for traveling to the Kumbha Mela area. Only by pushing, we came away from the board and started searching for Chand and Urvashi. Just before going into the train, we met them and went very fast inside the coach car. We placed our luggage on the suitcase stands and sat thanking God to be able to be in the train. We bought some magazines and biscuits from the sellers that came inside while waiting for the train to start. We were

25 talking about how lucky we were when the train started moving at exactly 7:15 A.M. I felt a little uneasy: mixed feelings of fear, restlessness, excitement, and at the same time, I was sure that everything would go fine. I just relaxed and meditated for a short while. After meditation, I felt much better and all my doubts and fears went away. The trip was, after all, quite comfortable. At 7:30 A.M. the waiter offered a nice hot cup of tea. While enjoying my hot morning tea, I opened the little short blue curtain that covered the window. Trains in India go relatively slowly, so one can observe and enjoy the view while the train is moving. The bright light of the Indian sun could be felt even through the dark glass of the train coach windows. One could also see the common morning scenes in the Indian fields: Group of women in their colorful saris walking with pieces of wood on their heads; girls with plaits walking in groups towards their schools wearing their school uniforms (usually Salvar Kurta); groups of boys going also to school wearing British style school uniforms (some of them even wear ties and blazers); men going to work wearing western style pants and shirts with their lunch packed in small thermos. The green cultivated fields were adding color to the kinetic painting that could be seen in the square blue metal frame of the train’s window. Breakfast was served at 8 o’clock. It was good but the vegetarian meal was too spicy for my taste. I don’t know why usually the vegetarian food is spicier than the non-vegetarian. I could calm my burned mouth with a sweet cup of tea that the

26 waiter gave. After breakfast, I slept until almost reaching Haridwar. The sun was stronger and one could feel the heat even though we were in an airconditioned coach. We reached Haridwar at 11:40 A.M. There was a big crowd at the train station, more that what is usual. Many people were wearing orange cloth (many of the Indian sadhus wear orange cloth); some others were beggars and others were coolies (suitcase carriers) pushing each other trying to carry the luggage of the tourists. We walked with great difficulty up to the tourist office where a friend of my husband, Ajit Singh, was waiting for us and who helped us to find a reliable taxi. There is hardly half an hour journey on the main road between Haridwar and Rishikesh. But due to the rush and the crowd, we had to go by the road that goes through Rajaji Park, a longer road to Rishikesh. It was nicer to go by the park way because we could enjoy the scenic beauty of the foothill of the Himalayan Mountains as well the green splendor of the river Ganges. The green color of the Ganges and the shining reflection of the noon Indian sun gave me the feeling as if millions of emeralds were navigating on the surface of the water. There were no other cars on the route, so we could take our time, even for taking some photos while we where going by the side of the river. Although it was the month of April, and the rainy season had finished long time back, the flow of the river was very strong. It was good to see the

27 strong current because many people were going to bathe in the Ganges in the next few days. It was nice and calm until we reached the very crowded streets of Rishikesh. There were cows, pigs, bullock carts, horse carriages, cars, buses, trucks and people that were all moving in different directions. Although there were a lot of traffic policemen, the unorganized flow of moving elements gave the sense of total chaos. From all over India, pilgrims had come to Rishikesh and Haridwar for such a special occasion. Sometimes, it was easy to make out from the type of cloth they were wearing, from which part of India they were coming. The easiest to differentiate were the Rajasthani groups. The women from Rajasthan usually wear a long skirt with a short blouse covering them with a bright colorful chunni (long scarf). They also wear bangles from the upper most part of their arms up to the wrists. Many of them also wear a big ring in the nose. Rajasthani men usually wear either a white or a colorful cloth tied as a turban to be protected from the sun. Usually they wear dhotis, the most commonly used cloths for men in India. Men wear dhoti according to their regional style. It can be from two to five meters long piece of cloth that is folded on the waist covering the legs. On the top, either Kurtas or shirts are used. We could also see the simple Indian peasant wearing no shoes. Many of the pilgrims were walking bare feet on the hot asphalt as smoothly as if they were walking on carpets.

28 After finding our way in the crowd, we arrived at the hotel where we could find rooms for all of us. It was a new, small hotel that was located in the heart of Rishikesh. We were lucky to find rooms available during the Kumbha Mela time. The room and the bathroom were very small but they were clean. Also, they had restaurant service and phone. It was good for staying few days. We rested for a short while and had lunch in the small restaurant of the hotel. Food was not bad and they made it without spices for me. That was a great relief because it is very difficult for Indian cooks to make food without chilies. We tried to contact Penny Mataji but she was not at home. As she was the one who was organizing our tour, we wanted to know if the arrangements were finally made. It was very important to be properly guided because we were told that there were a lot of fake sadhus and fake saints who claimed themselves to be enlightened. While we were resting in the hotel, she phoned us and confirmed that everything was fixed and organized for us. We agreed in meeting the day after for lunch and she would introduce to us the people who were coming with us. After resting and having tea, we went to see our house that was still under construction. As our house is located in the main ghat (bathing area) of Rishikesh, it was far from the hotel we were staying in and it was difficult to reach there because of the crowd. That was the first time in my life that I saw so many people together. We had to go walking because roads were closed. Only private cars with

29 some special permission could be seen on the crowded roads. We went through the inner marked area evading the main roads but still it was very crowded. When we reached our house, we sat on the upper terrace and enjoyed the view. At sunset time, we could see from our house the Pundits (priests) performing the Arti ceremony. Arti is a Hindu ancient ceremony in which offerings of flowers, incense and light (in the form of fire) are made to deities. It is performed just before sunset and nowadays the offerings are readily available on the main ghats of cities on the Ganges side. The offering is a sort of small basket made of green leaves containing marigolds, jasmines and roses; a small round oil-lamp made with bran wheat flour with a small cotton and a small piece of camphor (for lighting the lamp), and a stick of incense is available and anyone can by it for two Rupees. A group of Pundits holding big devotional lamps lighted with fire lead the ceremony in which devotional songs and prayer are recited. While the Pundits perform the holy ritual, the people light their camphor and incense and offer the green leave basket arrangement to the Ganges. Also, it is said that in the moment of the offerings one should make a wish. It is beautiful to see many little lights at the same time floating in the Ganges. In the dark night background, thousands of earthen lamps were looking as if shooting stars where moving with the flow of the river. When it was already passed 8 P.M., we went back to the hotel through the same inner market road. After bathing, we met Chand and Urvashi and had dinner together. Then we sat on the hotel

30 terrace to enjoy the night and the cool breeze that always goes with the Ganges.

31

Visit to Kumbha Mela Camps in Haridwar April 11, 1998 The most important part of journey was going to start and I needed the strength that I only find in meditation. During meditation, I asked God for his blessings and guidance to find the right people for the interviews. With the conviction that I got His blessings, I started packing in a briefcase whatever I thought we were likely to need there. I also ordered from the restaurant some vegetarian food to take along with us. Around 11 o’clock in the morning, Penny Mataji came with some sadhus who were going to take and guide us in Haridwar. The leader of the group was Swami Naradananda. Penny Mataji said that she knew Swami Naradananda since at least 20 years and she considered him as a real Mahatma. He was wearing saffron color cloth and through his very thick hair, beard and moustache, one could see light shinning in his big black eyes. Penny Mataji said that he was very well educated and had a Masters degree in Indian religious philosophy. She said that she was sure that he is the best guide we could get. With him, there were four of his disciples including a young lady sanyasini. Her name is Maharani Pardeshwari (Queen of Mercury) alias Sanjul. When I met her, I thought that I should ask her for an interview because she was so young and so pretty that she must really have some spiritual call for

32 renouncing the world but I waited until knowing her more. There were also others disciples of Swami Naradananda but they did not go along with us to meet the sadhus in Haridwar. We dropped them on the way in the Ashram where we were going to spend the night. Urvashi and Chand did not come with us. They wanted to visit a beautiful city called Misoury near Rishikesh. Swami Naradananda had a big white jeep to accommodate all of us. He had obtained a special permission for his car to move freely during the Kumbha Mela time. Due to the heavy crowds it took time to reach Haridwar. Meanwhile, we were getting our cameras and tape recordings ready. I was very exited to be at the Kumbha Mela and meeting those sadhus who were considered spiritually accomplished. When we reached Haridwar, I was amazed to see that it was far more crowded than Rishikesh. I could not believe my eyes. There were so many people that it looked like the whole population of India came to the Kumbha. !I am sure you cannot imagine so many people in such in a small area! Swami Naradananda said that in the Guinness Book of Records the Kumbha Mela entered as the biggest meeting with a single purpose ever. After I heard that, I did not say anything else about the crowds. There were tents of every size on both sides of the road. In big areas there were many big tents together having the same color and material. According to Swami Naradananda, these big tents of the same kind were big Ashrams from all over India that had come to the Kumbha Mela.

33 Some tents were giving food free (Bhandara) and long lines of people were standing and waiting to be served. To give free food to people is considered to be very good charity and it is very common at all the holy places in India. Then, we went out of the main road and went into a dusty and dry area where there were huge tents. We parked the car and went inside of the main tent. At the entrance, there was a big Shivalinga of crystal of 65 kg and there were many people paying homage to it. Swami Naradananda talked to some people that were coming from Karpatri Institution in Banaras. He asked for an interview with an important person of the institute. We waited for some time and a boy came and asked us to follow him. We passed through many tents including one where they were having at least 20 Holstein cows. It is common in India that some sadhus or big Mahatmas travel taking along with them their source of milk. It may be cows, sheep, or goats. Some people said that even when Mahatma Gandhi used to travel, his followers were carrying along a goat for his daily milk. Many times in India, some milkmen mix the milk with water and it is not considered to be pure and good. Also, pure milk is very important especially for those who make a sort of fast in which they drink only milk, or sometimes, they take milk and fruits. After the cow’s tent we entered into another huge tent where a group of actors were playing Ram Lila, (the life of Ram, an Avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu). It is also common that during the

34 religious festivities these types of plays are performed. A crowd of approximately 70 people was watching the play. We continued our way through tents, following always the boy, until we reached a medium side tent into which the boy entered. We followed him.

35

Kalyani Devi Inside the tent, there was a very pretty lady sitting on a divan. She was quite fair and her hair and eyes were black. Her black hair was tied in the back and a little kajal (black eye cosmetic) was decorating her big eyes. She was wearing a chiffon yellow sari. There were four more people in the tent who were taking care of her. We saluted her by folding our hands and saying Hari Om. (This is the way people greet in Rishikesh and in Haridwar, Hari one of the names of Lord Vishnu and Om is the primordial sound). She did the same thing and asked us to sit. We sat on small folding chairs that were opened for us to sit. First of all, she offered chai (tea) to us and we accepted. Swami Naradananda told her about my dream and the book I was asked to write. After listening, she was willing to share some of her knowledge with us. I asked her: “What is the origin of the Kumbha Mela?” She answered like this: “After churning the ocean (Accordingly to the mythology the origin of the world is the ocean and its nature is the like the nature of the milk. When the churning started, many things came out of it including the Amrita) there was a discussion among the gods regarding what to do with the poison which had come out of the ocean. They came to Haridwar where Lord Shiva’s marriage was performed and His wife (Sati) had died during the Yagya performed by her father Daksha. Mahadev (Lord Shiva) was approached to do something with the poison. He

36 thought that by swallowing it, His entire body will be poisoned and it will not be proper. By keeping it in His mouth, His words will become poisonous which is not proper either. He, therefore, decided to keep it in His throat. The Amrita, that had come also out from the ocean, was kept in a pitcher (Kumbha), which could be accessible at the time of a particular planetary configuration. This happens once in 12 years and therefore the Kumbha Mela happens with a gap of 12 years. There are many cities associated with different parts of the body of the Lord. Haridwar is the place of abode of the heart of Lord Shiva. God’s things originated from His heart. There are many other cities that are also associated with the legend of Shiva like Dwarka, which is considered to be His naval. During the Kumbha Mela in Haridwar, people come to offer something to the pitcher that absorbs all offerings. It is not only the common people but also important people who come during this time.” We finished drinking our chai and before leaving, she gave one mala (Hindu rosary) made of crystal beats to my husband and one to me. We thanked her for giving us her time and cooperation. She came all the way through the tents up to the entrance door to say Hari Om to us. We came into the jeep and continued our journey. It was about 4 o’clock and the sun was still very strong. There was plenty of dust because too many people were walking on the outside of the asphalted road (and also on the asphalted road of course).

37 Thinking of the gift the lady gave, I asked Swami Naradananda what a mala was and what types of mala were available. He explained: “A mala is for counting mantras (prayers) and it has 108 beads. They can be made of crystals, precious or semi precious stones, wood, metals, pearls but the most commonly used are the ones made of seeds. Each person chooses the mala according to his or her nature. The followers or devotees of Lord Shiva, for example, use the Rudraksha Mala. Rudraksha is a rare seed that has different shapes or faces when it is developed. The smaller the seed, the more expensive the mala is”. Then he asked me if I have ever seen one. I said “of course not.” Then he said that he would take us to a place where I could see the Rudraksha trees and seeds. So, he deviated from the way where we were going to and went towards the Ganges side. All over Ganges area, there were specially arranged places for bathing. On our way, we saw many people taking bath in the Ganges. We could see people of all ages, but mostly they were adult and old people. Women were wearing either saris or Salvaar Kamiz for bathing in the Ganges. In India, women always have to bathe in public places with cloth on. In some private clubs or five star hotels in Mumbai or Bangalore some women (mostly young girls) wear swimming suits. For men, the rules are totally different. Men wear underwear for bathing. But the Naga Babas not only bath but also go everywhere totally nude. The road that passes by the Ganges side in Haridwar is very pretty. We stopped in a small Ashram where we could see a lot of huge trees from

38 outside. The buildings inside as well as the boundary wall were pink but the main iron gate was black. We came inside looking around for the Rudraksha tree. But as soon as I came inside, I felt a very deep peace inside me like sometimes I felt when I was in an empty Christian church near my house in Caracas; Or when I used to sit on the white sand to see the amazing sunsets of the colorful Caribbean beaches. The union of the endless blue almost imperceptible line of the horizon of the sea with the baby blue color of the sky usually gives me the feeling of infinity. Just now, while writing about that feeling, some memories came to my mind of what I think was the first time in my life I felt that deep inner peace. It was in the Gran Sabana (Great Sabana) in the Bolivar State of Venezuela. I was 14 years old and I went with a group of school’s mates to a Christian mission that the nuns of my school used to give some support called Kavanayen. The Gran Sabana in known for being the first solid part of the earth to come out of the sea when the world started developing. It is in fact, the most ancient part of the world. Topographically, it is a vast Sabana in which are tepuyes or mesetas. Tepuyes are a sort of mountain with a plain square top that looks like a table. The Spanish name for them is Mesetas and it means “like a table”. This area is mostly unpopulated excepting for some native Indian tribes that have been living there since remote times. Some Christian missions have settled in the area and Kavanayen, was one of them. So, my school planned a visit and I went with a big group of friends from my class. To reach there

39 from Caracas, it took almost two days by bus stopping one night on the way. As it was a very long journey, we stopped one night in Ciudad Bolivar. Next day we continued our way south. When we entered the Gran Sabana, I felt scared because there were no roads of any kind, no towns, no signal, no people, and no cultivated lands. We could only see a huge sabana area for many hours. Some of us thought that the driver got lost because after so many hours on the way, there was nothing coming up. Then, around 5 o’clock in the evening we started seeing the tepuyes and these different-looking mountains amazed me. But still the uneasiness was there because I thought that even though the tepuyes were appearing, it did not mean that we were going in the right direction towards Kavanayen. Anyhow, do not ask me how, but we reached the Kavanayen Mission at the sunset. When we arrived, many native Indian children came toward the bus and greeted us. We also saluted them and played with them for some time. We took our bags to one of the big houses where we were going to sleep. The mission had five big building and a church. One of the biggest ones was the dormitory and bathroom for students; the other one was for the nuns and ladies secular missionaries; two big ones for the Indians living there and a small dispensary. Priests usually stayed in the room on one side of the church. There were around one hundred native Indians including children living there plus priests, nuns and secular missionaries. For my surprise, inside the house there was a long dormitory with no furniture and no beds. We had to go to a storage room and bring small

40 mattresses to put on the floor and make our beds to sleep there. I was astonished because I had never slept without a bed in my all years of life. But what could I do? No choice. Mom was not there to take care of me. I arranged my mattress and put a bed sheet that was very big on it and lay down for sometime. We were very tired so my friends also made their beds very fast and lay down. We wanted to sleep but one of the nuns that had gone with us called Sister Elizabeth, had a very bad temper, and as soon as she saw us, she shouted at us and told us to go and bathe quickly because dinner was going to be served in 10 minutes. At that moment I wanted anything but bathing. But as we had Sister Elizabeth checking upon us, we had to run and bathe in common bathrooms areas separated by thin walls and by plastic shower curtains. When I saw that, I just wanted to be at home bathing in my own bathroom without anybody around. But, no choice, Sister Elizabeth was there standing up at the main bathroom door like a policeman. So, I bathed as fast as I could. When I started to put my clothes on, the “sergeant” Sister Elizabeth shouted at us again saying that food was already on the table and that we should be in the dining hall in less than 3 minutes. As fast as I could, I put my jeans, shirt and my sleeper on and went to put my dirty clothes in my bag. While going out of the bathroom my friend Rudimary told me to wait for her because she was not ready. I waited for her but she took more than 15 minutes to get ready. I was sure that we were going to have another cold water bath when “sergeant” Sister Elizabeth would see us coming late to the dining hall.

41 When I saw my friend coming to the dormitory combing her long black wet hair, I started fighting with her because I was sure what would happen later. We argued all the way down to the dining hall until we heard the shouts of “sergeant” Sister Elizabeth. For me, her scolding took centuries to finish and then, when we sat for eating our dinner, there was very little food left on the trays and it was cold, of course. I did not stop fighting with my friend until we went to sleep. But I could not sleep. The small mattress was very uncomfortable and I was scared of the snakes that could come in the night while I was sleeping. I tried my best but I could not sleep. I was not the only one who could not sleep. My friends also were awake. So we decided to go out to the inner patio and talk. We took some snacks to eat because we were hungry. Very slowly, without making any noise, with our slippers in one hand and the snacks in the other, we sneaked out of dormitory and went outside to the patio. We left the door open in case the patrol of the “Sergeant Elizabeth” would come and catch us again. Outside, it was a little chilly but pleasant. We went up to a small wall of stones and sat there. We started chatting while we were eating the snacks. Then, I saw the amazing beautiful sky full of big stars as I had never seen before. There were so many stars that I thought that if I started counting, I would never finish. My friends also were amazed to such a beautiful night. I lie down on the wall made of stones to admire it better. The stars were shining very much and also shooting stars could be seen. Some of them

42 were twinkling more than the others but in general, they were looking like many big balls of light having a contest to see who shines more. I started feeling as if I was touching them, playing with them… as if I were one of them. I forgot totally where I was or who I was. I was just one within the infinite universe. I was in absolute peace, in absolute calmness and I had never felt that before. That was the same happy peaceful feeling I had in that small pink Ashram. I was puzzled why I was feeling like that. So, I asked Swami Naradananda why was that small place so special? What made it like that? He said that the Ashram was a sacred place because the Mahasamadhi (place where a saint’s body or ashes are kept) of the great saint Shri Lahiri Mahashaya was there. He pointed out a small pink construction in which some stairs were. I immediately remembered whom Swami Naradananda was talking about. Shri Lahiri Mahashaya was the guru of the guru of Paramahansa Yogananda and he mentioned him many times in his books. I took off my tennis shoes (in India before entering into a sacred place, shoes have to be taken off) and climbed up the stairs. On the top of the construction, there was a little pink temple 4 feet height and two and half feet width. Inside, there was a photograph of Shri Lahiri Mahashaya (same as in Paramahansa Yogananda’s book) and a Shivalinga decorated with flowers. There was also an oil lamp lighted and incense burning. Swami Naradananda explained that under the small temple some of his ashes where kept. I felt like meditating there. I asked Swami Naradananda and

43 my husband if there was any problem for them to spend some time at the Mahasamadhiof Shri Lahiri Mahashaya. They liked the place also and agreed of meditating there. I don’t know exactly for how long I meditated, but it was one of the most beautiful meditations I have ever had. After doing our Pranam (salutation) to the great saint, we went down stairs and looked for the Rudraksha tree. It was one of those huge trees that were just by the side of the temple of Shri Lahiri Mahashaya. My husband picked up one Rudraksha seed and showed it to me. It was a small, brown oval shape seed. I think that place had a very special meaning. Shri Lahiri Mahashaya is one of the greatest spiritual masters of India. By the side of his Mahasamadhi, there was a Rudraksha tree from where the seed of Lord Shiva’s mala are grown. Lord Shiva, according to the Tantric tradition as well as the Yogic tradition, is considered to be the primordial Guru. It is said that the Guru’s Mantra has a seed that should be grown with the soil of the disciple’s Sadhana (spiritual practice) and with the daily water of the japa (repetition of the mantra). When the seed grows and becomes a tree, then the disciple is no more a disciple but a guru who will give many seeds to be cultivated by his disciples. That’s how the Guru Force manifests from spiritual master to spiritual master and this cycle has been rotating in the endless wheel called time. As we had spent a long time in the Shri Lahiri Mahashaya Mahasamadhi, Swami Naradananda insisted to go soon because it was already 5 P.M. and we had to go to the Akharas to interview some

44 sadhus. I did not feel like going but I had a task to accomplish. So, we continued our journey.

45

The Jhuna Akhara We went towards the center of Haridwar. The closer we got, the more crowded it became. Swami Naradananda stopped at the side of the road 20 minutes after and parked the car in a narrow street. He explained that we were going to visit one of the biggest Akharas in Haridwar where we would interview some of the sadhus. Many people were coming in and going out through the huge black grill door. Very tall boundary walls were separating the Jhuna Akhara from the rest of the world. From the entrance, we could see inside the campground and the big orange building that is the main headquarter of the Akhara. On the top, an orange flag was moving with the wind. A very strong smell of marijuana mixed with smoke covered the whole area. It was a big campground with thousands of tents of different colors and sizes in it. I should confess that I felt scared entering the big grill door that separated the Akhara from the road. I prayed to God and put us in His hands while crossing that line. To be able to go there, I had to discard all the western thoughts or judgments (specially those ones which I learned from studying 14 years in a French Christian Catholic nuns school) I decided to go ahead and not to judge anything. Inside, there were Sadhus and Naga Babas all over the place. Some of them were wearing orange cloth; some white, others were wearing only a loincloth, and other were totally nude. Babas had

46 long and matted hair. Many of them were having some sort of drawings on their foreheads. In most of the tents there were at least three or four Sadhus sitting around a fire talking or praying. After passing some small tents, we saw a big tent with nine Naga Babas sitting in semi circle. A lot of people were surrounding them so we went closer to see what was happening there. We saw that some people from a television news channel were filming them with big cameras. We came closer to see what the television cameramen were filming. There was a Baba with long matted hair sitting in front of a fire with four other Babas on each side. They were repeating some Mantras; then, the man who was in the middle, lighted a pipe and started smoking. He was so slim that he looked as if he were only bone covered with dark skin. After inhaling deeply, he gave the pipe to the Baba who was by his right side. He said something and then smoked from the same pipe. I thought that probably they were doing a kind of ritual. It was already late and we decided to go straight to the tents where Swami Naradananda wanted to take us.

47

Swami Karnapuri He took us to a tent where there was a Sadhu sitting on a carpet on the floor. He was wearing an orange Kurta with a Dhoti and he looked very calm, peaceful and well mannered. Many people were around him and they were listening carefully to what he was saying in Hindi. Swami Naradananda asked if he would accept to give some time for us and he gladly agreed. He told the group of people who were sitting around him to give us a place for us to sit. They moved to the backside of the tent and we sat on the ground around him. He told a boy to bring us water and sweets. I did not want to take anything because I was feeling a little dizzy. The mix of the smoke with the marihuana had made me sick after walking part of the Akhara. So, I thanked him and told him that I would not like to have anything but he said that in India, a saying goes like this: “Even if your enemy comes to you, first you must offer food to him and then, if you want, fight. So, in India, it is a must to offer and to eat the offerings,” he explained. When the boy brought the sweet, I had some sweet from my husband’s plate to please him and I tried to explain that I was not feeling very well that he should kindly excuse me. He accepted my apologies and finally he agreed in answering some questions. My husband was making the questions in Hindi while recording everything on our small tape recorder. The Swami was very kind and answered all our questions.

48 I asked: “What do you think is the significance of the Kumbha Mela?” Swami Karnapuri answered: “The significance of Kumbha Mela is that people from distant places come here and the spectacle they see, is something unique. People from different countries and from different cast come and live together during the period of the Kumbha Mela. Our sages have spoken of the unity of God and unity of mankind. This is fully demonstrated during Kumbha Mela. People in millions come without any persuasion. This is the great specialty of this fair and our culture. It happens after every twelve years gap, due to the story churning of the ocean of milk and the drops of Amrita, which were carried in a pitcher. The Amrita drops fell at different places at different times and accordingly the Kumbha Mela is celebrated in Haridwar, Allahabad, Ujjain and Nasik. But there are scientific elements to the Kumbha Mela at Haridwar. River Ganges is known to have very beneficial effects on those who take bath in the holy water. It is well know that the water of river Ganges never gets contaminated even if it is kept for a long time. When this river passes through the mountains, it collects many chemicals, which are beneficial for the human body. It is proved that if someone drinks the water of the Ganges River, he does not need to take any medicine. From religious point of view, as well from the scientific angle too, taking bath in the holy river is considered auspicious. It is also known that if a person takes bath in River Ganges for forty days, many of his ailments are cured.”

49 Then I asked him about the reason of the violence among the different Akharas during the Kumbha Mela. He explained like this: “Different Akharas are devoted to different gurus and follow their special teachings. Their differences are not religious because they follow their guru’s teachings for the same objective. The organizations have their own institutions and their activities are devoted to defend the religion and its teachings. The differences and the clashes among different Akharas demonstrate the spirit of competition for finding the truth. This is like the churning of the ocean of milk. Without the churning of the ocean of milk, the Amrita could not have been found. Fighting itself is not bad. The motive for fighting determines whether a person is right or wrong. An ordinary killer is taken into court for violating the law. But a fighter who kills hundreds of people on the enemy side is decorated. One person that commits only one murder is condemned but another person who kills hundreds of people is decorated. Violence, if it is done for the good of the collective welfare, should not be considered sinful. Some devotees that are new in the Akhara do not behave well and are responsible for violence. It takes time to cultivate discipline and attain a higher level of life. It requires dedicated practice of Sadhana in institutions. A person who is not well trained should be forgiven for his shortcomings. He should be taught higher values. A real sadhu should not commit any mistake and if he commits any wrong, he is not a real sadhu.” I asked him to tell us more about the Akhara he belonged to. He said: “With the organization the Akharas, Sri Adi Shankaracharya from Kerala

50 started the tradition of devotees who renounced the world and who devoted themselves exclusively to spiritual activities. Some people renounce even the cloth and live naked. They are called Naga Baba. All of them are devotees of the teaching of their gurus and make sacrifices to their institution. At that time, there was the need to have an army of fighters but at the present time, it is not necessary. The main place of our organization is Kashi (Banaras) but we also have our offices in Haridwar and in Ujjain. We have seventeen people in the organizing committee who take care of different aspects of the organization. All decisions are taken only after consulting all members, and sadhus actively participates in the organization activities. There are women members in the Akharas but they are not yet members of the organizing committee.” I asked him what should be done to improve the Akhara. He replied: “The tradition that has been going on in the Akhara requires some changes. More emphasis should be given to education. Ramakrishna Mission is giving a good example in which it is basic the education as well as participation in the activities of the Ashram. This example should be followed.” I asked if the members of the Akhara follow Varnashram Dharma (Caste system)? He said: “After becoming a member of the Akhara, they belong to one family irrespective of their past identities. The main relationship is between guru and disciple. The status is high or low according to the state of Sadhana and not accordingly to the cast.”

51 We took some photographs and thanked him for his time and cooperation. We continued walking between long lines of tents. Almost in every tent, there was the same scene: Many sadhus sitting around a fire praying or talking. Then we saw many people standing outside a big tent. We came closer and saw many Sadhus all over the tent but there was one who was standing on one leg. Swami Naradananda told us that this sadhu is famous because it is said that he has been standing on one leg for the last 12 years. I asked why someone would do that. Swami Naradananda said that some sadhus do this type of physical penances to obtain God’s grace. Though I did not understand his answer, I did not want to keep asking in the crowded area. I just kept quiet and continued my way. We were following Swami Naradananda among tents until we entered into a separate area for the Lady Swamis. Most of them were wearing orange or yellow saris or Kurta Pajamas. Most of the tents had a lot of women. As the tents were very small, they looked very crowded. Some of them were talking. Others were praying or meditating near a fire. Almost at the end of the narrow and dusty line, Swami Naradananda turned to the right and took us towards a different area. We reached a narrower lane with tents on both sides. In the middle of the small lane, we stopped in a very crowded area. In a medium size tent, there was a dark, long black hair Naga boy with a tiny loincloth. It was very difficult to see his face due to the untidy matted long hair. Surrounding him, there were about thirty people. Some of them were trying

52 to talk to him, others were just staring at him. He suddenly turned his face towards me and only then I could see some of his features. It was like finding a lake in the middle of the jungle. He had a cute, sweet round face with big sparkling innocent eyes. One of the ladies who was in the crowd, gave him a small blue toy car. He took it and started playing with its tires. He put it on the floor and pushed the car backward and forward. He looked meticulously at the car and put it back on the floor and moved it again. Everybody there was smiling and enjoying his playing. He gave the car back to the lady and he turned his face and saw that my husband was taking some photos of him. He jumped towards my husband and started pulling the camera out of my husband’s hands. He wanted to play with it as he was playing with the toy car. My husband had the camera hung from his neck and tried to hold it. But the boy was so strong that when he tried to pull it again, he pulled my husband’s head along with it. My husband stepped back and pulled the camera out of the boy’s hands and ran. The boy also ran after my husband to take the camera. My husband entered inside a tent that was in the back and the boy followed him. The sadhus who were in that tent jumped and shouted at my husband and at the boy for running inside the tent. It was so funny! The boy pushed my husband into a corner, grabbed the camera and brought it down towards himself pulling my husband’s head along with it. He touched and moved its flash up and down. My husband and the sadhus shouted at him to stop but he continued touching every button of the camera.

53 My husband was scared that he would damage all the photos we had taken for my book. When the sadhus, who were taking care of the boy, heard the noise, they called the boy, but he did not pay attention to them and kept fighting for the camera with my husband. Mata Pardeshwari, who was also there, took the boy’s hand and in a very sweet way talked to him in Hindi and while taking his hands, the boy left the camera and my husband’s head also. She took him out of the tent and told him that the cameraman was going to take photos of us and that he should stand still for that. Mata Pardeshwari called me to stand by his side for the photographs. The boy obeyed and quietly accepted me by his side also. But he was always staring at the camera with attention, like a cat staring at a bird to jump on it as soon as it moves. When I came near him, I felt a tremendous heat coming from him as though I had come near to a fire. I looked behind him to check if there was another source of heat around but there was not. As soon as my husband clicked the camera, the boy jumped towards him again and this time, he also took the tape recorder in which all the interviews were recorded. Swami Naradananda called the sadhus who were taking care of the boy, and they shouted at him. When the boy turned his face to see the sadhu who was scolding him, my husband snatched the tape recorder back. But he boy pulled it back. At the same time the sadhu who was shouting at him came closer to him and scolded him. Then, the boy left the camera and the recorder and my husband escaped as fast as he could. We all left because we could not take the risk of loosing the camera and the tape recorder. When we were far

54 enough away and safe from the boy, Swami Naradananda explained the Naga boy story. He said that when the boy was three years old, he made a vow of never sitting ever. The sadhus that were taking care of him, made a swing for him to sleep and he only leans on it for sleeping. Then I understood why the legs of the boy were curved and his feet were swollen looking abnormally big for his size and age. Swami Naradananda explained that some people in India believe, that these types of vows made at such a tender age, is the consequence of the penances a sadhu was doing in previous lives. Therefore they come with that tendency in the next lifes. Some people support these types of penances. Others think that the people who support these things are exploiting children for getting money. By that time, I was feeling worst and with a headache probably due to the dust, the smoke and the strong smell of marijuana. Between sadhus and Babas, we walked back to the entrance. It was not easy at all due to the people trying to come inside the Akhara. Even after crossing out of the black grill door, there were many people standing outside pushing their way through. We came inside the car and I asked Swami Naradananda to go straight to the American Ashram where we were going to spend the night. It took about one hour to reach the Ashram due to the waves of crowds coming into Haridwar. Most of them came walking because cars, buses, and other vehicles were not allowed. Only special people got permission to go with cars, and Swami Naradananda was one of them, luckily for us.

55 We reached the American Ashram after sunset. The Ashram was small but it had western bathroom facilities. Swami Narandanand’s disciples arranged for us the biggest room with attached bathroom. They put twi portable beds with mattresses, two small side tables and two plastic chairs. It was good enough for us to spend the night. They asked us if we wanted dinner but we had brought our own food from the hotel. So, we thanked them and told them not to be worried about us. My husband and I had our dinner in our room. Everything was fine in the American Ashram except for the noise that was surrounding us. It was unbearable. Some Ashrams and tents around us had loud speakers blaring from all directions. There were going on lectures, prayers, Bhajans, Kirtans all together at the same time. I was very much disturbed by the noise. If there is something that really affects me, it is the loud sound. At that moment, I thought how far from God were those people who needed loud speakers for God to hear them. According to the Bhagavad-Gita, the Holy Rituals that are performed as a show are considered Rajasik and the people who perform them will not receive its fruit. But still some people perform shows instead of praying. Though I was extremely tired, I could neither meditate nor sleep. I just lie down on the bed and started thinking of all the experiences I had that day and what could be waiting for me the next day. As my husband could not sleep either, we talked for sometime. Around 2:30 A.M. some of the loud speakers shut up (I supposed they got tired of

56 talking and singing so much) but others continued the whole night. I felt a little relaxed when the near by area’s loud speakers stopped, and some peace came to me. Finally, I could get some sleep after 3 o’ clock in the morning.

57

Haridwar, April 12, 1998 I could not sleep much because at 5:30 A.M. the neighbor’s loud speakers woke me up. The truth is that I was not very happy with such a peculiar wake up call. I was very tired due to the lack of sleep. I did not have any choice but to start my day. While time was passing, more loud speakers joined the noisy undirected cacophonic orchestra. I tried to meditate but my attempt was not very successful: 5 minutes was the longest meditation I could do. When I got ready, I went out of our room and tried to find the way to the kitchen to prepare some coffee. But most of the people were still sleeping (including the servants) and I could not find any of the Swamis. So, I came back to our room and waited until 7 o’clock. The people were still sleeping, but a servant had just got up and I asked him to help me to make breakfast. He asked me if we would like him to prepare some Parathe (stuffed yeast less bread with butter coating) but I said no and thanked him. I had brought along with me instant oatmeal bags, coffee and powder milk. I do not know how he understood what I said (at that time my Hindi was not good) but I got the coffee and the hot water to make the oatmeal. I took the food to our room and when we were eating, someone knocked at our door. It was Swami Naradananda. He also was up since early but he had gone to bathe in the Ganges. I asked him to sit and wait for me to make his breakfast. I went to the kitchen to prepare cereal and coffee for him. He was

58 quite impressed to see how easy breakfast is made in America. In India, generally speaking, breakfast is very heavy. In north India, the usual breakfast is Parathe, and in south India idlis or dosas (sort of yeastless bread made of rice and white lentils) with Sambar (yellow lentils soup with vegetables). In India, it takes time to make breakfast. We spent the whole morning talking with Swami Naradananda. He is a very well educated person and we enjoyed his views about different spiritual matters. Around 12 o’clock, Penny Mataji, sent a messenger saying that she would be waiting for us in the Ashram of Braj Wali Mataji. We packed, got ready and left for the ashram where they were waiting for us. It was not so far from the American Ashram and Swami Naradananda took shortcuts to reach there quickly. The ashram was a big house with a big front terrace. It was almost impossible to enter because there were at least 300 foreigners, mostly people from Hare Rama, Hare Krishna group, that had come to sing Bhajans for Braj Wali Mataji of Brindaban. As we could not go inside, Swami Naradananda asked one of the helpers of Braj Wali Mataji to tell her that we were out side. As soon as both Matajis knew we were out side, they sent people to make room for us to come inside. They also brought some chairs for us in the terrace to sit near Braj Wali Mataji. We got the best spot to see the group of foreigners’ singing Bhajans. Most of the men were having long matted hair and they were wearing dhotis or bermudas with shirts. The ladies where wearing a mix of west and east clothing style; I mean, dhotis with the blouse of a sari on the top

59 and bandanas on their head. Some wore bermudas with long colorful Kurtas. It looked strange to me, (and I suppose it looked stranger for Indians who were there) because I knew what each cloth was made for. When they finished singing Bhajans, we were called inside the house and we stayed separated from the rest of the people for the Bhandara. First, we washed our hands, and then sat on the floor in front of a long piece of cloth with empty plates on the top. Some Indian women brought the food in big metal buckets and they started serving the food on the metal plates. We got grams (Chana), vegetables, rice, Raita (yogurt with pieces of cucumber and tomato) and Khir (sweet dish made of milk, rice and pieces of dry fruits). Before starting eating, Swami Naradananda blessed the food with Sanskrit prayers and only then, we started eating. After lunch, Penny Mataji formally introduced us to Braj Wali Mataji and told her about the meditation in which I was told to write a book about Kumbha Mela. After listening very carefully, she asked us to sit close to her. She asked us some questions. We answered all her questions and when she was totally convinced of our sincerity, she accepted to answer the following questions.

60

Braj Wali Mataji As she knew English, I could communicate directly with her. First, I asked her: “When did you feel the spiritual call for first time?” She said: “Since childhood, it was there. I used to stay in Mathura and in Brindaban. The atmosphere there is totally different. I used to stay with my maternal uncle. He was very devoteed to Lord Krishna. We had a temple with pujari (the person who performs a sacred ritual called Puja) in our own house. Ever since I was born, I had this call. I had always one thing in my mind: I would never go for having family life. I did not and I do not want the worldly life. First, I decided that I should stand on my own feet. Then I went to do service, I mean, to teach in a school for girls. In a way, I became independent. I told my parents: I don’t feel I should get married and please don’t involve me in all that. Whenever I feel like that, I will tell you frankly. Gradually, I studied the scriptures and studied with sadhus and Mahatmas. The urge became stronger and stronger. I felt that there was a call from within. I felt that I must dedicate my life to it and that I must preach Hindu philosophy. I preached philosophy and I tried to bring people towards the bhakti (devotional) path. The devotional path is the easiest one can achieve in life. Tapasya (penance) and all that is difficult. But in the devotional path, you just have to love your Lord, just as you love your child, just as you love your

61 husband, just as you love your parents, just as you love in this world; similarly, this worldly love has to be diverted. The object of your love should be changed and nothing else. I try to preach this.” Then I asked: “What do you think is the importance of women in the spiritual world nowadays?” She said: “The most important thing is to understand that men are Purusha and women are Prakati. They cannot do without each other. But you are asking about woman preachers?” “Yes” I confirmed. She continued: “These days, I believe that women preachers are more important than men preachers because women can reach women easily. Women can open the heart to women and it is better to be on the safe side. You see, there is distortion everywhere these days; everywhere there are frauds. I should not say this but it is a fact. What to do? Ladies are very innocent. Our Hindu ladies are quite innocent and very faithful. They easily believe anyone and surrender to him. Sometimes, they get entangled with wrong people. For them, women preachers are very important. The devotional path means love and women are full of love. This path is very useful and the easiest for women.” About the Kumbha Mela theme, I asked her about the importance of the Kumbha Mela. She said: “Do you know something about Kumbha Mela? Do you know the story of the nectar? Every 12 years the Amrit comes. But put aside that, and just think, what is this that attracts crores (one

62 crore is equal to 10 millions) of people? In the last two months more than 2 crores must have come to Haridwar. After all, they came to know that Amrit is falling on these days. They come all the way from north, south, east and west; from every corner of India, people come. It is unity in diversity: different people, many different languages, many religions and still in such occasion, look at their faith. They just come to have a dip in the Ganges. Nothing else. Indian culture is the faith in the Lord. From cultural point of view, it is very important event. From religious point of view, all the religious leaders, big or small, are here in Haridwar. You can meet anybody. There are many people here; there are spiritual vibrations and we get the vibrations. We try to catch them. They have been transmitted among many people, among crores of people. We are getting those vibrations. That’s why we say that our Hindu religion is ancient. It has been since ages and will go for ages. It will never die. You just sit and wonder: what is the power behind it? Why are so many people coming? It is very necessary. They come to meet each other.” I asked: “Do you think that the importance of the Kumbha Mela is to meet spiritual people?” She answered: “To meet them and see them! Even if you don’t go to see them, you get the vibrations. They are breathing in and they are breathing out. There are also many Satsangs, Banjans, Kirtans, Ramlila. Everything is going on. It is an assembly of Mahatmas. Those Mahatmas who are staying in the Himalayas don’t usually come to the cities. You see these people also (pointing at the foreigners). They have come from across the Ganges

63 where they are staying in the forest. They foreigners; some of them may have been doing things, but some of them must be having a sincere life. You see everything is mixed: good bad together. We should see the good points.

are bad real and

I always tell my people that they should try to have the skill of the ant. Suppose you mix some sugar with dust, the ant will not look at the dust but it will take away the particles of sugar, the sweetness. Don’t look at the bad things, take the good things. One should have that approach.” At that time, the Bandara finished and all the foreigners thanked Brij Wali Mataji. We also thanked her for her time and cooperation and said Hari Om to her. It was already 3 P.M. and it was very hot. So we decided to go back to Rishikesh and rest in the hotel. There, we met again Urvashi and Chand who had also come back from their tour to Mussoorie (a city in the mountains near Rishikesh). We sat on the terrace and interchanged our experiences while having a nice cup of chai.

64

Rishikesh, April 13, 1998 13 and 14 of April were the most important bathing ceremony days of the Kumbha Mela of 1998. We could not go to Haridwar because the roads were closed and not even Swami Naradananda’s car was allowed to go. Besides, the police and the tourist officers told us that we should not go because they were expecting problems between the different Akharas and they could not provide us security. In fact, that morning the Akharas fought bitterly (even with arms) because all of them wanted to bathe before the others. Police had to interfere to stop the fight but many people were hurt (no one died). One of the Akharas wanted to protest by doing fast up to death but they cooled down later and bathed in the Ganges after noontime. Rishikesh was also considered to be part of the Kumbha Mela area. As the Ganges water in Rishikesh was not polluted, many people came to bathe there. We also bathed in the clear waters of Rishikesh. We looked for a little private place to bathe, but privacy in Kumbha Mela time is almost impossible. After looking around for a while, we found a not so crowed place for bathing. As we were a little far from the hotel, and no place to change cloth, I just went inside the river up to my knees and put water on my head and arms. We went back, and it took almost half an hour to reach the hotel (walking of course). It also took more than half and hour to wait for the food in the hotel’s restaurant. The small restaurant was full of foreigners as well as

65 Indians guests. The food had a lot of chilies so I ate only rice and Dahi (yogurt). When we finished our lunch, it was already past 3 P.M. I decided to rest until 4:30 P.M. when Swami Naradananda was coming for the interview. When he arrived, my husband was resting and I did not want to disturb him. I asked Chand for his help with the translation. Chand agreed and while having tea in the dining room of the hotel, we started the interview.

66

Swami Naradananda First of all, I asked him to tell us about his life. He started talking like this: “I was born on October 21, 1956 in a village called Sakin near Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Since childhood, I had an interest in monk life. At the age of 12, I took the permission of my parents to follow Swami Laxchanand as my guru. Under his guidance, I started my spiritual life and I also studied religion. Then, I studied at Gurukul Kangari University near Haridwar where there are good facilities for studying Vedas, philosophy and Sanskrit. In 1980, I passed philosophy and psychology in first division and even got a Gold Medal decoration. After that, I traveled for 10 years around India and in 1990, I practiced Sadhana at Ujjain. Ujjain is a big Tantric center where there is a natural Shivalinga. I kept a vow of silence for six months and then, I had set up a Siddha Ashram, in Ujjain itself. Then I asked: “What is the origin of the Kumbha Mela?” He said: “There is a story in the holy scriptures about the churning of the ocean of milk after which many things were formed. The first formation was poison, which was drunk by Lord Shiva. Another formation was the Amrita. For the Amrita, there was a fight between Devas (celestial beings) and Danavas (devils). In the process, the Devas grasped the Kumbha (pitcher) in which the Amrita was kept and while running away from the Danavas, they stopped at Haridwar where some

67 drops fell. After Haridwar, they went to Prayag (Allahabad), Nasik and Ujjain. At all these places some Amrita fell. The god Indra got the form of a beautiful woman and when she appeared everybody was astonished to see her beauty. She asked for the cause of the fight and they told her what was going on. Then, she offered to distribute the Amrita to both of the groups in a fair way. When they agreed, she asked them to sit on opposite sides. She brought two pitchers and gave one to each side. The trick she played was that the pitcher she gave to the Danavas was containing alcoholic drink. One of the Danavas suspected that a trick was played on them and he joined the side of the Devas. But the sun and the moon saw that this Danava joined the Deva’s group and they told the god Indra. But it was too late. With his divine power, Indra tried to finish this Danava but as the Danava had drunk the Amrita, he had become immortal. God Indra could only divide him in two. Rahu and Ketu are their names and forever they are going around the sun and the moon in space. They, sometimes, try to swallow the sun and the moon in revenge for telling god Indra about the trick. This explains the phenomena of the eclipses according to the Puranas.” “How did the human beings get to know about the fight between Devas and Danavas?” I asked. He replied: “From the holy Hindus scriptures known as Puranas and also from other holy scriptures” “Who was the writer of these holy scriptures?” I asked.

68 He said: “It was a saint called Vyasa.” “Are the Puranas reliable scriptures?” I asked. He said: “Of course, many events in the world have been influenced by them. Puranas are very reliable scriptures provided a person reads them thoroughly and goes deeply into their meaning. Nowadays people do not take that much interest due to which the influence of the Puranas is reducing.” “When were the Puranas written? What is the language in which they were written?” I asked. He replied: “The Puranas were written hundreds of years back. They were written in Sanskrit language. But, these days there are less people who know Sanskrit.” I asked: “Why is the Kumbha Mela held every 12 years?” He said: It is related to the 12 signs of the Zodiac and their placement in the Planetary System. The time of the Kumbha Mela is related to the position of the planet Jupiter (Brahaspati) or Guru planet. Guru planet is important for attaining enlightenment. It is so important that it leads to quick spiritual development. Another very important aspect is the time. For example, during the Kumbha Mela, there are special days for offerings or special prayers which it will have a quick impact and very soon one can see the results. Another example of auspicious time is the time before the sun rises when nature is still and silent. When a person is suffering with pain and can not sleep during the night, he will sleep two hours

69 before sun rise because of the peaceful state of mind and the peace in the nature. Even the dogs that bark during the night, will go to sleep at that time. This has been highlighted in the holy books also. But most of the people utilize this time for sleeping. If you try to learn something, this is the best time also. During Purnima (full moon) and Amavasya (no moon), the mind is also peaceful. That’s why people fast during these days. In fact, these days are very auspicious for meditating and concentrating on God. It should be that one is so absorbed in God that one even forgets to eat. But people do just the opposite: they fast to meditate.” I asked: “What is the best thing to do during these auspicious hours?” He said: “The best thing to do is to meditate or to remember God. Also it is important to have peace of mind because when you meditate, the mind becomes very open. When the mind is open, your Sanskaras (disposition) are awakened. The Sanskaras are strong desires that remain unfulfilled and they try to be fulfilled. The Sanskaras have deep impact on human beings because they influence not only the present life but also the next lives. That’s why during this auspicious time, people should pray and practice Sadhana. But nowadays, people devote more time to seek material things, and they don’t devote time for spiritual activities.” “What is the connection between human beings and the planets?” I asked. He replied: “When a human being is born, the planets have specific positions that will influence the events that will take place in his or her life. For

70 example, events such as those related to marriage, education, health, death, etc. Observing the formation of the body structure of a person, his past, his present and his future aspects of lives can be known. All this is related to the movements of the planets. The world is considered to be hell because nobody is totally happy. One way or the other, there are always problems to deal with.” I asked: “What is the relationship between bathing in the River Ganges and the Kumbha Mela?” He replied: “First of all, in India, before doing prayers and meditation it is a tradition to bathe. Second, while bathing, the Prana (vital energy) of the person increases and this motivates him or her to pray. During Kumbha Mela both things are included: the purity of the heart and the physical cleanliness. When the Prana Shakti (the power of the vital energy) increases the person becomes more receptive to spirituality because the Prana Shakti regulates the whole world.” Then, I asked: “The common people that come to the Kumbha Mela take bath in the Ganges but they do not meditate. What is the relevance for them to bathe in the Ganges?” He said: “The common man take a bathe but he does not meditate because from bathing only, he tries to attain the purity of heart. Whatever a common man does, his heart guides it. Once he has decided in his heart that he is going to be purified by bathing (in the Ganges), he will certainly be. Even Swamis have said, “Man ke haare haar hee, man ke jiite jiit (if you feel in your heart defeat, you will actually be defeated; if you feel in your heart

71 winning, you will actually win)”. So, when a common man decides in his heart to attain God, he will. The force in our hearts depends on us for which the unity of our heart and our mind is important. To attain this unity of the heart and mind, it is necessary to bring changes in us. This unity is attainable by many means: meditation, holy rituals, Tantra. These are the ways that Mahatmas use to attain this union between heart and mind.” I asked: “During the Kumbha Mela, do the common people actually get to meet the saints from the Himalayas?” He said: “Usually the saints don’t come openly. They are dressed with common cloth and they mix with other people. It is not easy to recognize the great Swamis from the Himalayas. What is necessary is to have an open mind because spirituality is very subtle and it is not easily perceptible. With open mind, people may get benefits of the presence of the Mahatmas during Kumbha Mela.” “In your opinion: What is the importance of Kumbha Mela?” I asked He replied: “Kumbha Mela has great significance because many yogis and accomplished saints come to the festivities and enjoy bathing. Many people from different countries are coming and there is an atmosphere of an international get together where one can see different religious, cultures and philosophical traditions. People who come here forget their homes and get swept away in the flow of consciousness of the Kumbha Mela.”

72 “What is the future of Kumbha Mela? Is it likely to change in the future or it will remain as it is?” I asked. He said: “Personally, I believe that some changes should take place because people come here as if it were an exhibition. There is very little concern for spirituality and moral values. Even some saints or Mahatmas come basically for publicity and then return. There should be more interaction between people and the saints for spiritual enlightenment.” It was already 7 P.M. and my husband and Urvashi had joined us. We requested Swami Naradananda to stay for dinner. He agreed and while having our spicy dinner, we discussed many interesting spiritual matters. Swami Naradananda left after 9 P.M. and we went up to the hotel terrace to enjoy the night and the nice breeze of the Ganges.

73

Rishikesh April14, 1998 Today is a very important bathing ceremony day during Kumbha Mela. Today also is my husband’s birthday. So, he got up at 4 o’clock in the morning to bath in the Ganges. In the morning he told me about the practice in India of offering children to the Ganges in order to get Mother Ganges protection. The Ganges is considered to be a form of the Divine Mother and the children are offered to the Ganges to seek Her blessings. He told me the story when he was offered by his parents and some near relatives when he was 4 years old. They went from his native village to Garh Mukteshwar, a relatively small city on the banks of Ganges. He said that at that time it took two days and two nights by bullock carts to reach Garh Mukteshwar (about 50 kilometers). He remembers that early in the morning, first of all, his head was shaved. Then, his parents as well as other relatives went into the river and made a big circle where he was threw inside the water as an offering to the Mother Ganges. It is believed that if the boy comes up and remained floating, it means that Mother Ganges has accepted being the spiritual mother. If the child remains under the water, it means that nobody can help him. My husband came out of the water as if Mother Ganges Herself lifted him up. According to the belief, Mother Ganges accepted him as Her son and She was and is supposed to take care of him and protect him as his Spiritual Mother!

74 So, during such a special day, he wanted to offer himself to his Mother Ganges again. I did not go with him because it was very cold, and the Ganges water at that time was freezing. But, he went and bathed in the early morning cold Ganges waters. Half an hour later, he came back and to my surprise he was not feeling cold. I asked him how did he feel after offering himself again to the Mother Ganges and he said that he was very happy to bathe in the Ganges on his 58th birthday. It was too early for ordering tea, so we continued talking up to 6 o’clock when we heard voices in the kitchen. We phoned the dining room and the waiter took our order for tea and toast. After breakfast, we slept up to 9 o’clock when Chand and Urvashi phoned asking us to go for breakfast with them. We told them to go ahead without us because we had early morning breakfast. Then, we got ready to meet Dr. Kutty, a world famous physician and spiritual accomplished lady.

75

Dr. Devaki Kutty Dr. Devaki Kutty is a very well known physician in India as well as over the world not only because of her medical skills but also because of her pious and great service she was doing in Shivananda Ashram in Rishikesh. The first time we heard about her was in Hamilton, Canada, from our doctor friends, the Rastogis. Dr. Kutty was their teacher when they studied Medicine in Lucknow University. She impressed them very much for her work with the poor people she was doing at Shivananda Ashram. They said that although she was a very qualified doctor who studied medicine in London, she never worked to make money. She dedicated her life to teach and to help the poor women of India. They talked so highly about her that I wanted to meet her. According to the Bhagavat Gita, the real yogi (the person who has united with God) is the one who dedicates himself to do actions for the good of others. From what I heard about Dr. Kutty, she is really an accomplished spiritual person and that is the type of person I came to meet. I was hoping that she was free that morning. She was so generous, that she agreed immediately to receive us. Her apartment was small but very cozy. The drawing room had a big window with a wonderful view of the Ganges. It was simply and nicely furnished. There was also a library with mostly medical books in it. When we came in, she gently welcomed us and asked us to sit. There were

76 two more people with her: a middle aged gentleman and a girl in her 20s. She introduced them to us and asked the servant to make coffee for us. I was very happy that she could speak good English, so I could ask whatever came to my heart. I asked her to tell us about her life and she started like this: “I was born in Konoor, South India. For my post-graduation I went to London, England. There, I studied Gynecology and Obstetrics. Then, I went to Scotland for a while. Later, I got a job in Lucknow in the Medical College and I stayed there. After sometime, I resigned when I found that I did not have anything else to contribute there.” “When and why did you come to Rishikesh? How did you know about it?” I asked. She replied: “I did not know anything about Rishikesh. Actually, I came here on my way to Badrinath. I wanted to see Badrinath. We did not know anything about Swami Shivananda (her guru). We just came to spend a night. At that time, there was no hotel here and someone told me that I could find residence in Shivananda Ashram. So, I came for the night here with two friends. Then, I met him (Swami Shivananda). He prevented me from going to Badrinath. He said: “You stay back and do some service for the poor; that is more important than going to Badrinath.” So, I canceled my trip and I stayed. Then, every year when the college closed, I used to come here and do a camp for the poor. That’s how every year my attachment for this place went up. I did about 25 medical camps. I used to

77 bring medicines myself and he (Swami Shivananda) used to give me the infrastructure to see the patients. So, it went on like that, until I was about to retired. When my father died -he was living with me-, I did not find much incentive to continue in service. I thought let me do something for the poor; I have done enough for the colleges: teaching, research, work, etc. I wrote to Swami Shivananda and he got me this little apartment here, and I moved. This is the simple life I have and I don’t have any problem in life. At that time, Swami Shivananda wanted to build a Hospital. So, we got some money from contribution of all his disciples and we built this hospital. There was only a small dispensary before. After building the hospital, I started to work and I am still working.” “Do you still work?” I asked. She replied: “Oh yes, yes. Not in a very high way but we do our job. You should come in the morning and see our work. We do also surgery; we got a good (operation) theater to poor patients: some beggars and destitute. We operate very poor people. Everything in this hospital is free. I like that atmosphere. Nothing much”. “You are what in the scriptures is called a Karmayogini. (A woman who has attained the union with the Divine and who has dedicated to do service to humanity) Are not you?” I asked. She said: “I can only say that I do karma (actions) but if I am a yogini or not, I don’t know. I do some reading, of course.”

78 “Do you have a lot of devotion?” I asked. She said: “Well, that’s automatic. That has been always there.” “What do you think is the importance of the last Kumbha Mela of the Millennium?” She answered: “It is a concept coming from inside the person. What people feel is that the river Ganges is always important for our spiritual culture. There is a lot of mythology associated that goes with everything in India. But it is during this time that there is a change in the pattern of the planets. This is called the zodiac signs change. When the Zodiac signs changes that is the time when it is said that there is a lot of very divine vibrations in the air. This is definitely due to the electromagnetic changes that are in all planetary migrations. So, they think that these particular electromagnetic changes that take place from Aries to Pisces, the last sign of the Zodiac, charge the electromagnetic fields. So, taking a dip into the Ganges, at that time, is considered to be very spiritually elevating. I don’t know myself if it is true or not because I can’t find that. But this is the concept, and people come blindly. You cannot reason about that. Since it has been done like that from times immemorial, you find that is a built up faith. People, with a built up faith, come and when they get the dip, they feel better and they feel that they have got all the blessings. Yet, there is a tradition of getting together that comes along with all these Sanyasis taking a dip in the Ganges. This contributes to the sanctity of the period. They feel satisfied, although scientifically it cannot be explained. It is more a feeling inside and

79 that feeling cannot be scientifically explained. They get it, they have it, but one cannot prove it scientifically. They pray and they take the name of the Lord they like. That’s it. After all, we all work most of our time for a material satisfaction more than the spiritual one, but after coming here, they have a lot of satisfaction. This fact has been contributing to build up the Kumbha Mela. You find that the people who came here are the most naive people of the villages, not the high society people. They are satisfied and they are happy. What makes you happy is more important. That’s what I feel and that’s what is there. Also, the water is very cold and they feel fresh when they bathe. The people of the villages don’t go for holidays as westerners do; their traveling is going for pilgrimages; their outing is always a pilgrimage. They go for some temple or another. So, these types of events give them a chance to come together, to get out of the daily routine of the villages where they live. So, they come and chant God’s name and they feel happy. That is the real thing. Because the concept of holidays, we don’t have it in our country excepting the rich and modern families. But for the people of the villages, their only outing is going for pilgrimage. In that way, this is what the people have contributed to the Kumbha Mela.” “Being you a very spiritual lady, from a woman point of view, do you consider that there is any change in the spiritual world? Are there more women participating than before in the spiritual world?” I asked.

80 She replied: “In India, the spirituality has been handed over from generation to generation by women and not by men. Women have been more into it because they have more spirituality, sacrifice and love put together. Women of India have done more sacrifices and have given more love and, I don’t want to be mistaken, but men have been selfish. They have not given anything either to children or to home. They have been breadwinners since ancient times. Women have never got the publicity that men have got. But behind every great man, there was always a great woman, and that woman never came in the light. But women have been the most contributive for the integrity of the family, bringing people and even their own children together. They also have more time for praying. They never did any analysis if there is God or not. It is just blind faith and they have accepted it as it is. So, you can say that is they (women) who have brought faith on these things continuously, and in India particularly, it has been growing up by women and not by men. May be, there have been some intellectual men who have grown up and down philosophy. But I am not talking about philosophy, I am talking about blind faith and actually it is faith which keeps the Kumbha Mela going on. Otherwise, we are talking about a science called theology, and not about faith. But it is faith that gives you the benefit, and faith has been brought up by the women of India, not by men. There is no change now, but there was in the interim period when the western nations influenced us and we started to question. I am talking about an intellectual view; western education made us question about faith and for many of the questions,

81 there were no answers. So, during the interim period, when people were not intellectuals to understand, and at the same time, the blind faith was left out, there was a period of doubt. At that time, India was a small world. Now things have taken shape again. People are more interested.” “From here, from your apartment, you have a beautiful view of the Ganges. Rishikesh is also known for the Ganges. From your perspective, what makes river Ganges so sacred?” I asked. She replied: “Well, I don’t know. This is an eternal question and nobody can answer what it is. But there is something in it, this much I can tell you. In South India to see the Ganges is a dream. The water you take from here it doesn’t get spoiled. If you keep any water, even tap water, for a long time in a bottle, you will find a lot of fungus and many things will come up, but never in Ganges water. There are a lot of researches going on this. First, they said that it is due to the origin of the Ganges, in Gomukh because it starts from a glacier, from a huge glacier. They say that it is so electromagnetic charged that all the water particles are charged particles. That must be the reason why the bacteria don’t grow. There are bacteria. Don’t think there are no bacteria. There are bacteria but the bacteria do not grow much. The second thing they say is something called bacteriophage. It is like an enzyme, which comes from nature. That eats the bacteria. They think it is the herbs in the Himalayas through which this water comes up. The water absorbs certain elements from the herbs and the bacteria are affected by it. That is also another theory but nobody has proved

82 anything. Plenty of researches have been done during British times. Nobody could understand what produces this water. We also have got an old concept: when someone is about to die, one should take some drops of Ganga water. So, you find in every old Indian Hindu household, there will always be a bottle of Ganges water. There are many things that cannot be explained. It is something that has to be felt and experienced. It cannot be explained. “Your commentaries are very important because they are coming from a scientist” I said. “That’s why I am saying but these experiences are not transferable. For example, if I put sugar in your mouth you can say it is sweet but you cannot explain sweetness until you experience it inside. That is all in religion and in spirituality; religion and spirituality are pure personal experiences. It is not a transferable experience. The person has to feel it. That is what I think.” After the interview finished, we had our cup of coffee and had a nice chat about spirituality. Then she allowed us to take a photo of her and very sweetly said goodbye to us. There were many things that amazed me about her, but what I really admired in her was her clear holistic view of life. I could feel it as soon as she looked at me. She saw deep into my being, into my own essence. Usually doctors, see only the physical part of the human being, especially those who have studied in the west. Very few physicians have developed intuition. But, Dr. Kutty could see the reality of a human being at a glance. I mean that

83 she could grasp the whole being (body, mind and soul) while looking at someone and I think that is not easy to acquire. I was very happy to meet such an extraordinary person like Dr. Kutty. When we were back in the hotel, I phoned Penny Mataji to ask her to come to the hotel at teatime and do the interview for the book. She agreed. I also called another Swami (whose name I promised to keep in secret) for a meeting at 6 o’clock at the hotel’s restaurant. He also accepted. After lunch, I had a quick nap and at 5 o’clock I was in the dining room waiting for Penny Mataji. She arrived at 5 o’ clock sharp and while having tea, she answered following questions:

84

Penny Mataji “Tell us something about you. Since when are you living in India?” I asked. She said: “Well, I came to India for good in 1974. But the first time I came to India was in 1964. I have been back to Canada for short trips only. Mainly I have gone out with my guru, and by myself only once.” I asked; “How many gurus have you had?” She answered: “I had one guru in Canada and one in India. I lived for 10 years in my first guru’s Ashram in Toronto. I got married with someone who was also his disciple. We lived for 3 years there and then we came to India. When we came, we stayed at the ashram of my first guru in Haridwar. In fact, he paid us for taking care of it because people were living illegally on his land. So, it was very convenient for us to stay there. Since he (my first guru) left for Canada, he has never come back to India. We were very fortunate of having that opportunity to live in Haridwar at the bank of the Ganges. I asked: “What happened after? How did you meet your current guru?” “Mauni Baba Chandra Swamiji is my guru. His ashram was very near to my first guru’s ashram. Mauni Baba was born at the Samadhi of Shri Baba Bhumansha, a famous Udasin Saint who lived around seven hundred years ago. Mauni Baba was

85 not an ordinary child. When he was studying at Dehradun, at the time of India‘s partition, he was overwhelmed by his desire to be a wandering sadhu. He broke his social ties forever. He spent many years living in lonely places in Kashmir before coming to Sapt Sarovar. He lived eleven years in a small island in the Ganges. Then his devotees made for him an ashram in Haridwar. Swamiji always spent a lot of his time in complete silence (mauna) and has not spoken at all during the past 16 years! You see the real Guru is God and He works everything out for you. It was inevitable that one day we were going to meet him.” “For how long did you live in Haridwar?” I asked. “For 14 years I lived in Haridwar.” She replied “How and why did you move to Rishikesh?” I asked. She said: “Mauni Baba Chandra Swamiji sold his ashram in Haridwar and bought a land North of Dehradun. He built a beautiful ashram there. His ashram has strong discipline and all its member sit together with Swamiji in meditation four times a day. But I was not going to leave Ganges. I came to India not to find a guru but to live on the bank of the Ganges. I love the Ganges and I truly believe that my actual real mother is the Ganges. That is my experience and my feeling. I get great love and care from the Ganges in a way my own mother could never have hoped to do. I am very attached to the Ganges.

86 I asked: “How did this love for the Ganges appear in your life being you born and brought up in Canada?” She replied: “This is the proof that Karma and reincarnation exist. Once you accept the fact of reincarnation, then these are details of different ways that you reincarnate again and again. Living and dying are facets of a single journey. So, naturally there are certain things you are going to carry on from one life to another. It is not that this is death and that’s it. Life and death are facets of a journey. You keep making new lives by what you do with your body, by your thoughts and by your personality. You can even see that in a single life. For example, somebody who does very bad things has a horrible expression on his face; or he is angry or he is always in a bad mood. This type of people has a very different face of a person who is always cheerful, pleasant and sweet. When we look at someone’s face, we can know right away because he is making his own face. Age is making it (the face) definitely but also he is making it by his thoughts and by what he is doing. You have a very long life, much longer than what you think. You think you can live only 80 years old but you have thousands and thousands of years and you carry them on. Like you carry on one day to the next, you carry the next life. “When one compares India and Canada, one can see that both of the places are totally different. You have all the facilities in Canada: good roads, big shopping malls, supermarkets etc. In India life is different, especially because you are a foreigner and that makes life tougher here. You have to face that

87 every single day. So, why are you choosing to live in India and not in Canada?” I asked. She replied: “That is the question of my life! That is my life. Why am I not living in Canada but in India? It is certainly the most amazing part of my life but I have an amazing life.” “That’s remarked.

why

I

am

interviewing

you!”

I

She continued: “Even my practice of Sadhana (spiritual practice) is a very especial Sadhana. I was always very uneasy in Canada. From what I can remember, I didn’t like the North American society. It hurt me. I could understand more and more because I was getting mature. It really hurt me. I found it manipulative, exploitive, very non-spiritual life. I found it a very cruel society. I always was in difficulties because I was very compassionate. I never fitted at school; I could never get along with immorality, flippancy and shallowness of my contemporaries. I always was very creative. I was a painter. When I was 14 years old, I was always painting in the basement. Lately, I have seen some of those paintings and I was amazed to see them because they are very profound, deep, and good paintings. That was in my personal life but as a part of the North American society, I was also hurt. Immorality hurt me; television ads and violence hurt me; teachers telling us wrong things; telling always the shallow side of life. The school system lacked substance. I was very glad to get out of that society. Now, I will answer the other side of the question: Why India? One thing is obvious: there is a lot of spirituality and meetings with spiritual

88 people. Everyday I have spiritual encounters. In Canada, I had to search for it. But here, it is all over the place: wonderful spiritual Sadhakas (the people who do Sadhana), exciting new teachings, doing Kirtans and Bhajans every day. It is a feast of spirituality. If I were living in Canada, I would be really searching. The second reason is that I am a dedicated Sadhaka and everything in my life goes around my Sadhana. I love India because the practical daily life, aside of the spiritual encounters, is very challenging, and I adore that. It keeps you on edge and alert. In India, you cannot take things for granted. You have to be very alert all the time. Nothing what you see, nothing what you hear is what it appears. I love that. When I went back to Canada, I noticed that everybody there was as if they were dead. If something unexpected happened, they did not have a clue what to do, even though everything was very clear and easy. When I was there, I was often shocked at people’s reactions. People felt that if the waiter came five minutes late, something was terribly wrong. I met old friends who were unaware of themselves. They did not question things; they were asleep. That’s what I saw in Canada: they were all dead. Their brains were dead. They couldn’t cope with anything. They had no resourcefulness. Everything has to be done for them. Once when I meditated, I had a terrifying experience. I saw myself in a graveyard. I was in a horrible place surrounded by dead people and dead leaves. I think the dead leaves were people I knew who were just like them, blown by circumstances. They didn’t

89 make any decision for themselves. They said: “I am angry because my husband is unreasonable.” “I am exhausted because my children puzzled me today.” “I am cooking this because we don’t have enough money for something else.” There is always “I am doing this because.” There is always an external cause. So, they are just leaves. They are being blown around. They don’t have sense of Self. They have no a sense of what they are doing. When you live in an easy country, in an easy family and in an easy society, you may never discover what it means to be a human being. Why are you going to stress yourself? For me, it is a blessing when someone comes to India, for whatever reason. India usually shakes up the mind of the people. India often scares them. Sometimes, something awful happens. I feel this is the greatest grace. Terrible things have happened to me in India. It would have been much easier to cope with them or to solve them if they could have happened in Canada. In India, it was very difficult. I adore that awakening! That’s what people talk about when they come to India, on way or the other: awakening. In fact, some people cannot cope with the awakening. My husband and I had had to send back three people to their home countries because they went almost crazy. As soon as they reached home, everything settled down and they were fine. They just got awakened in India. I also was like so many others. I came to India three times and I hated it. I thought: I have got to get out of here; this is just awful and I cannot stand this a minute longer! Especially, the time I came for the Kumbha Mela. I thought: I am going to die here

90 if I stay a day more. So, I rushed back to Delhi and I managed to get my reservation changed. I was supposed to be in India for one month, and I wanted to go back after ten days. But, as soon as I got off the plane in Toronto, within the first 3 hours, after seeing friends and all, I thought: Oh my God! What I have done! I wept and wept because I said to myself: “You blew it! You had the opportunity of facing the challenges in India and you blew it. You couldn’t face it.” In my heart I knew. I knew that I was given an opportunity but I was not ready. That happened three times. But slowly, doing my Sadhana in Canada, I became more self-aware. But this is not the only reason I choose to live in India. It has to be a tremendous attachment, commitment or experiences from other lives that makes me love India. Here in India, I got cancer and I thought I was not going to live. But, I also felt a sort of a flow that was pushing me to stay here. It might be because of a tremendous commitment to my Sadhana. The tremendous fire inside me to be enlightened and to know who I am. That is a strong force. Also there is a lot of attachment for my past life in India. Once my guru told me that in my very last life, I was in India. So you have a combination of things: my intellectual thinking that it is good to be in a challenging place, the attachment from past life, and plus, the wish to be fired up with the spiritual fire of enlightenment. I have been on the razor’s edge of life and death many times, and I am extremely grateful to God. You see, now I am about to cry. What is greater than being on the razor’s edge! Face it. What a sad life, the life that has never been challenged!

91 What makes it different than a goat or a chicken? Nothing. Most people get born into their bodies and then pass out of them. There is nothing significant to just be in a body and then just be in another one. How grateful one has to feel for being forced into tremendous challenges in which one thinks that one is never going to live. May be one would not survive, but at least one dies alert. One may die trying but how wonderful it is if one has success. I am extremely grateful to India because she challenges me over and over again. All the time, I have a very strong sensation that every single thing that happens to me, it is exactly what God wants to happen to me. So, it is not really guts; it is a sort of surrendering, of being opened to God and of doing the right thing. On the other hand, I really love the Ganges because she is my mother and when I am near her, I feel very safe, happy, and secure. So, it is not taking guts to stay in my house in India. It is that I want to be there and not in any other place in the world. It is just the opposite: it takes guts to go out of my house and I took guts when I went to Canada. I stayed there for four months and I thought I was going to die. When I reached Delhi, involuntarily I kissed the floor at Delhi’s airport. Then I knew how stressed I was in Canada, and how glad I was to be back in India! I really have a sense of security when I am near the Ganges. For me, it is a delight to look at her. I could sit the whole day looking at the water. I am completely happy and I don’t need anything more. So, what could be a greater grace? What could be greater to anyone?

92 “What do you think is the importance of this Kumbha Mela? From your perspective, what is the spiritual relevance of the last Kumbha Mela of the millennium?” I asked. “I have a very short answer for that question. For me it is very clear. The Kumbha Mela used to have a good reason for being and that reason was that once in every three years all the Babas, Mahatmas, Swamis, Fakirs, Sufis, all the spiritual people, would get together and exchange views with each other. It was literally a big sort of meeting for them: sitting together under trees and talking to each other; having debates and discussions; exchanging gossips. Having great meetings with friends once again because they normally wandered here and there involved in their own path. So, this used to be a grand meeting of spiritual men. That was the original practical meaning and practical reason for the Kumbha Mela. There is the mythological reason, there is an astrological reason, but the practicality of this was that it was a good place and a good time to meet. At that time, there were no books, no trains, no television and how these spiritual people were going to have debates? They must have agreed to meet somewhere. Otherwise, there would not have been exchange of spiritual ideas nor spiritual discussions.” “Why do think that people come to the Kumbha Mela?” I asked. She said: “The reason why so many people come to the Kumbha Mela is because there is not

93 just one thing going on. There are many things going on. People come because if they bathe at Har Ki Pairi (the main place of bathing in Haridwar) at a specific time, according to astrology and mythology, the veil that separates the world of the humans, and the world of the gods, is at its very thinnest, or perhaps is totally opened. So, the Ganges water at that spot becomes imbued suddenly with the blessing of the energy of the world of the gods. The other thing is that many thousands of spiritual people are at that place. So, people think, “Oh, this is wonderful.” Obviously, this makes something very interesting. Besides, they are taking a dip in the Ganges. People of India believe that Ganges is not just an ordinary river. It is a holy river with spiritual energy from Lord Shiva. So, the water is not ordinary water; it is a scientific fact also. It is not just a fact of faith. It is a scientific fact. It combines a lot of things together and that’s why a lot of people come. Right?” “Are people coming for spiritual help?” I asked. She replied: “They come for help. The spiritual people come to find spiritual help; the sick people are coming because they think they are going to be healed. If they need a job, they think they are going to get it; if they want to be purified, the spiritual help for purification will be there, certainly. “How many attended?” I asked.

Kumbha

Mela

have

you

94 She replied: “I have attended three Kumbha Mela: two at Haridwar and one at Ujjain. I have been here for 25 years!” I asked “Are there any characteristics between the Kumbha Haridwar and the one at Ujjain?”

common Mela at

She replied: “No. They are quite different. The Kumbha Mela at Haridwar is at the foothill of the Himalayan Mountains. The Ujjain is in the plains. They are in different states and the people of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are different. It is another culture. Har Ki Pairi at Haridwar is a place where people feel that God was present there. In Ujjain, there is one of the twelve natural Shivalinga in India. It is called the Maha Kaal. People believe that this Shivalinga has very profound powers and they believe that it has a profound influence in their lives. It is something to see because all the days, even highest officers, with great reverence go to have Darshan (to see) of that Maha Kaal. “Is the Shivalinga naturally made?” I asked “Yes.” She answered. “Is it a stone?” I asked. She replied: “Yes, it is a stone. It is said that Shiva Himself made it. That is what a natural Shivalinga is. It is a very powerful and interesting place. It is more ancient than Haridwar and it has a lot of old ruins. Krishna studied there. He was sent from Brindaban to study in Ujjain.” I asked: “Are you a self-contented person?”

95 She replied: “Oh yes! I am a very selfcontented human being. I am a self-contented person from within, from gaining knowledge and from surrendering to life as a manifestation of God. That’s how I feel. I am a very lucky person filled with gratitude. This is what my guru has given me, what living in India has given me and by the grace of the Lord, what my Mother Ganges has given me. The meeting finished almost at 6:00 P.M. We kept talking until the other person who came for the interview arrived. I introduced them and took the opportunity for inviting both of them to come for dinner with us. She left confirming that she would be back at 8 o’clock for dinner. I offered tea or something to drink to Swamiji but he did not accept. He just wanted to do the interview and leave quickly because he had to go somewhere after 6:30. He also confirmed joining us for dinner.

96

Swami X Swami X requested not to mention his name. Therefore, only general information about his life will be given. Swamiji before taking the vows of Sanyas, was a very prosperous Indian businessman in Canada. He always was attracted by the spiritual life. One day, he decided to renounce everything and come back to India to follow the Sanyasi life. After wandering some years in different parts of India, he finally has settled down in a very small cottage in Rishikesh where he is practicing Sadhana. I asked him: “Is this the first Kumbha Mela you are visiting?” He replied: “No. I came in the Kumbha Mela of 1950 when I was a student in the college and a group came as volunteers Scouts at university level. We came as part of the organization of the Kumbha Mela and one of the incidents I remember is that they asked us to perform duty for 48 hours continuously. I guess it was part of Scouting development because they used to take you through all kinds of exercises.” I said: “That sounds really tough!” He said: “Well, it seems like that for an outsider. But when you are involved, you are very excited.” I asked “Did you have the opportunity to meet any Swami or any spiritual person at that time?”

97 He said: “As a matter of fact, at that time I didn’t know anything about spirituality. I came with a group from the college as Scouts. I didn’t come as a spiritual seeker.” I asked: “Do you find any difference between this Kumbha Mela and the Kumbha Mela of 1950? He said: “To be quite honest, I neither have many memories about 50’s Kumbha Mela nor the awareness of spirituality was there at that time. But now I am seeing so many people with so much devotion, carrying their baggage on their heads, walking long distances under the sun. Also you see shopkeepers offering drinks, food and shelter. You really feel blissful seeing all these things, that humanity is able to come up to help people.” I asked: “I understood that you lived for sometime in Canada although you were born and brought up in India. How and why did you move there?” He said: “It is a matter of opportunity. First, I moved from India to England. I lived there for 14 years. Then, there were better prospects in Canada, and I moved there.” I asked: “Why did you to come back to India?” We are talking about different periods of life. Going back 30 years, the objective of life at that time was different to the objective of life now. Having spent my whole working life in England and in Canada, after retirement, India is the best place to live.” I asked him: “How did you decide to move to Rishikesh? What has Rishikesh offered to you that made you come here?”

98 He said: There are many aspects. The physical aspect is that Rishikesh is a holy city where the Ganges River flows through it. Somehow, there has been the idea in the back of the mind, that after retirement, I want to live at the bank of the Ganges. By God’s grace, I am having the opportunity to live here.” I asked: “You just moved to your own place. How do you feel living alone after living in an Ashram? He replied: “When I came here, I came with the idea of devoting myself fully to practice Sadhana. For that purpose, the objective was not to get too much involved in organizing personal affairs or cooking. So, the idea was to find a place in an Ashram where the mind is totally free from all those worries. But somehow, by the grace of the Lord, it did not work out. As a result, I found my own place, where I live independently without being worried to be moved out from there.” I asked: “It is important to have privacy and space for yourself, isn’t it?” He said: “Yes, it is very important. Also to practice Sadhana, it is important that the place should not be very big but small. You don’t want to accommodate people around you. You want to devote yourself entirely for Self-realization. I asked him: “How are you feeling coming back to your own roots, I mean, living back in India?” He replied: “I never participated into the system of bribery and mismanagement. I was quite happy when I lived outside. The environment abroad

99 was going very well with my own temperament. The question of coming back home is deeply related to spirituality because you need a place where you can contemplate and read the scriptures. In that sense, Rishikesh suits my purpose.” I was already 6:20 P.M. and Swamiji had to leave. He accepted the invitation for diner and said that he will be at 8 o’ clock. When Swamiji left, I went up to my room to bathe and to get ready for receiving fifteen friends that we invited for dinner. We put some chairs and one big dining table on the terrace of the hotel. We ordered soft drinks, Lassi (drink made of yogurt), juice, and food from the Hotel’s restaurant. It was simple but the idea was to get together. Most of them were spiritual seekers and sadhus who had come to the Kumbha Mela. We had the opportunity of talking about interesting themes and even of sharing experiences with people from different part of the world. After having dinner and after singing happy birthday to my husband in many languages, we tasted Rishikesh’s bakeries special dish: eggless cake. Our guests left around 10:30 P.M. I was very happy because it was a very good day for us. With today’s meetings, I had made seven interviews. I wanted two more to make nine. I just had to find two more people to achieve my task. As I usually do, I put my problem in God’s hands and told Him that He should choose the other two people for me to interview. I was sure He would choose the right people and that was exactly what happened.

100

Rishikesh April 15, 1998 I got up after 8 A.M. I was tired and decided to have breakfast in the room. My husband went to have breakfast in the dining room with Chand and Urvashi. When they came up, they told me that the owner of the hotel approached them and told them that he understood that I was interviewing spiritually accomplished people for a book. He said that Gomukh Mataji (Gomukh is the glacier where the Ganges is born and it is considered to be a very sacred place) was a real saint from the Himalayas and that I should not leave her out of my book. Gomukh Mataji was supposed to come and stay overnight in the same hotel we were staying. She was on her way back to Gomukh from Haridwar. The owner of the hotel also told them that she was very well known in the whole Himalayan area not only because of her accomplishments in the spiritual field but also because of the blessings she got from God. As soon as I listened that, I got ready and went down to talk to the owner of the hotel. The owner of the hotel was a typical Indian middle age man. He was well dressed and was wearing glasses. He stood up to welcoming us putting his hands together and speaking English. For his manners, could guess that he was not from Rishikesh. Latter I corroborated that it was true because during the conversation he said he was from Mumbay (the new name of Bombay). After sitting, he offered tea which we accepted. He started the conversation like this: “As I was saying to your

101 husband, tonight a great saint from the Himalayas called Gomukh Mataji is going to overnight in this hotel. She lives in Gomukh all around the year (even in winter time when the temperature goes far below 0 degrees). She lives there without any heating system. She only uses blankets for warming herself and she usually keeps food provisions for the winter. Eight years ago, some devotees took her to Haridwar for medical check up. When the doctors saw her blood test, they said that she should stop living in Gomukh and that she should come down to a lower area because her blood was as thick as the blood of an animal. They also said that if she continued living there, she would die very soon. She answered back to them saying that if she has to die, she would die only in Gomukh and nowhere else. Doctors insisted but she refused to leave Gomukh. That happened eight years ago and she was still living in Gomukh and her health is very good.” He also said that she was very well known among the pilgrims who go to Gomukh for very valid reasons. The first one is that she takes good care of all the pilgrims who goes to her Ashram (the only one there. The second one is that when the pilgrims reached Gomukh after trekking 17 kilometers from Gangotri, she is always waiting for them even with the right number of plates for the quantity of people that are coming as she would already know how many people are coming for dinner! We are talking about a very remote area where phone (and I think that even electricity) is not available. I inquired about her with other people and they gave similar references. I was very happy because I was looking for people like her and I felt

102 again the hand of God guiding me. As she was supposed to come in the evening, I had the whole day to get only one more interview for the book. I was sure that I was going to find him or her very soon. Chand, Urvashi, my husband and I went to our house from where we phoned Penny Mataji. She asked us to come to her house but as cars still were not allowed in the city, we agreed to walk up to the starting point of Rishikesh. From there, Bhim Singh (Swami Narandanand's brother) would pick us up in Mataji’s car. When we reached Penny Mataji’s ashram, we met Swami Naradananda and all his disciples including Mata Pardeshwari. Again I asked her to accept the interview but she was feeling shy. So, I asked her to write two questions: the first one was the reason why she decided to become a Sanyasini (a lady who has taken the ascetic life) being so young and what she thinks about the Kumbha Mela. When I mentioned writing instead of talking, she agreed. She liked the idea and accepted to give it to me in the evening. I was very happy that she agreed to be part of the book because it is not common to find a young pretty girl who has renounced the worldly affairs to become an ascetic, giving up the chance to get married and to have children. She must have had a good reason. Swami Naradananda and his disciples were going to visit another ashram. But Penny Mataji had to go to Ganga Kinare Hotel to check everything for a Kirtan program she was organizing for that evening. We thought that it was a good idea to have lunch there and we invited Penny Mataji to join us

103 for lunch. Mataji agreed and the five of us Chand, Urvashi, Penny Mataji, my husband and I went walking up to the hotel. The view of the Ganges and of the Rajaji Park from the Ganga Kinare Hotel is really amazing. For the Kumbha Mela occasion, the Hotel made a nice place to bathe in the Ganges and even put a tent for changing clothes. As the day was very sunny, I felt like bathing and I asked if anybody of the group were feeling like bathing too. None of them wanted, but I convinced my husband to bathe with me. So, we went down stairs and put our bag with clean clothes (that by chance we had brought along with us thinking that we might feel like bathing) in the tent and went (with our Indian cloths on, of course) to have a dip in the Ganges. It was not very easy because there were a lot of rocks. We went in the river as much as we could, keeping enough distance from the strong current. We enjoyed it very much. One feels very good while and after bathing in the Ganges. First of all, one feels very light and energetic (like after having a good massage). Also, the hair and the skin become so soft and shiny without necessity of shampoos, soaps or creams. The most amazing fact is that the energetic feeling remains the whole day. I am not sure if my sins were washed away, but the feeling of bathing in the Ganges was great. After bathing, we joined our friends for lunch. We had discussions about spiritual matters while enjoying a nice vegetarian meal. Bhim Singh picked us up and dropped us back to our hotel as close as he could. We reached the hotel around 5 P.M. We changed our cloth and went back to Ganga Kinare

104 Hotel where Mr. Ajit Singh, a well-known musician from Dehradun gave a concert with a very ancient instrument called Vichitra. Then, Penny Mataji’s group sang Kirtans. When the program finished, Mata Pardeshwari gave me her written interview.

105

Mata Pardeshwari This is the translation of what she wrote: I am 27 years old. I like to sing Kirtans and Bhajans. I also like to give Satsang, Pravachan, etc. I live and practice my Sadhana in the Swami Naradananda Ashram in Ujjain. Question: Why did you take Sanyas? Answer: The saints say that people with attachment do not attain Lord Shiva (Pardeshwar). Only people without attachment can attain Him. One has to loose something to attain something great that only fortunate people can get. For example: There was a King who announced that whoever came to see him first, he would be his. Meanwhile, he built for his subjects hotels, clubs, buildings, shops, gardens, houses, beautiful arrangements for transportation and guesthouses. All the people proceeded to go to see the King but when they saw on the way that so many shops, buildings, hotels, cars, beautiful cloth and precious jewelry were available free, they forgot to see the King. But there was a child who considered all this as useless and he remembered that he had to go to see the King. If he could reach there before everybody else, the King would be very pleased. Some wicked people tried to stop the child to go to see the King but without caring for anyone, he reached the cottage of the King. The King was surprised that none of the grown up people had

106 come so far but a child had come leaving everything behind. Does not the child need worldly things? The King told the child: “Whatever you want I will give you but you go back to your house.” However, the child was stubborn and he said: “Your Majesty, you had said that whosever comes to see you, he will become yours. I will not go back and I will stay in this cottage because I need you”. Seeing the strong determination of the child, the King took the form of Lord Shiva and embraced the child and adopted him. After the adoption of the child by the Lord Shiva, the child attained the Lord Shiva as well as all the worldly things. In the same way, to attain Lord Shiva one has to have strong determination and sacrifice everything like the child did. Leaving all material things aside and without caring for opponents, one should proceed to meet the King. In this way one gets the Lord as well as the world because the whole world is the play of Lord Shiva Who can be seen in every country and in every place. Question: What do you importance of the Kumbha Mela?

think

is

the

Answer: If the devotion is authentic, one can see the glory of God everywhere. Without the blessing of God, no one can come to Kumbha Mela. Only those who have the grace of the Lord, can come to participate in the Kumbha Mela. At Kumbha Mela, there are showers of Amrita in the form of love. According to the Puranas, God distributed Amrita after churning the ocean between the Gods and demons. But in this Kumbha Mela, everyone is distributing the Amrita of love to each other, whether he is native or a foreigner, a Sanyasi or a

107 detached household person, Babas, yogis, or worldly people. Everybody recites through his heart the sound of Lord Shiva, of Lord Krishna or Lord Ram. In their melodious simple and sweet voice resides the voice of Amrita. In Kumbha Mela, there are two types of bathing. At Har Ki Pairi (main place for bathing in Haridwar) is the physical bathing in the water of Ganges, which is like Amrita. In the singing of saintly people, one enjoys the Amrita of love dipping one’s mind in the Ganges of knowledge and devotion. This makes one’s heart full like a filled pool of water. At the end of her letter, there was a message for us: The hearts of both of you are full of love and devotion. May your love remain stable and immortal and that the goal of your life will be attained. Your well wisher, Pardeshwari Mata When I read the paper, I was very happy that I asked her to be part of the book. Though she is very young, she has profound thoughts and great devotion. Both virtues are essential in the path of Self-realization.

108

Saint Subhadra Mata Around 10:30 P.M., we returned back to our hotel. At that time, cars were allowed to go inside the city. Luckily, Gomukh Mataji arrived late from Haridwar. She was just finishing her dinner when we arrived. The owner of the hotel had spoken to her about us and she agreed to receive us. We went to see her in her room. We knocked at the door that was opened and she sweetly smiled. She asked us to sit on two chairs that her helpers had kept for us. She was sitting on the bed. She was wearing a sari and a yellow shawl that was covering half of her body. She was slim and her eyes shone from a distance. I could not guess how old she was but she looked like a middle age lady. Her strong presence could be felt in the room as if rays of energy were coming from her. There were in the room also three of her devotees, two ladies and Swami Swerwanand from Sri Krishna Ashram in Gangotri, District Uttarkashi. First of all, we thanked her for giving us some of her time for the interview. She smiled. My husband explained why I was writing a book about Kumbha Mela and how we were planning to make it. She kept smiling and my husband started to ask her questions in Hindi language. She spoke Hindi though she was born in South India. We asked her to tell us something about herself. She said that although she was born in a very warm place in South India, she lives in

109 Gomukh, the glacier from were river Ganges is born. Mataji went to Gomukh 20 years ago and felt as if she was in heaven. Although doctors advised her to move from there, she decided to stay and die there. She stays alone there around the year, even during the severe wintertime when temperatures are below zero. Her daily routine in winter is to sit in meditation near the fire with a lot of cloth on her. In summer she keeps herself busy in serving the people that go up to Gomukh for pilgrimage. We asked her opinion about the Kumbha Mela. She narrated the story of the churning of the ocean and dropping of Amrita at four places. She said that the faith of people and the belief on the purification with the water of river Ganges are great traditions of India. Washing the sins away is a big factor for people’s devotion to river Ganges. Many saints come from all over India during Kumbha Mela and common people have the opportunity to see the saints face to face. According to Mataji no single path is useful for everyone: each person can choose the action path, recitation of mantras or meditation path according to his or her nature. “There should not be any consumption of food or drink before meditation. On should be totally devoted and perform service with dedication. Since I was 4 years old, I have been doing meditation.” She said. She also emphasized: “If one can read and understand the Bhagavat Gita, there is no need of reading other scriptures.”

110 Then, she looked at me deeply and gave me important advices on my spiritual path for my life. As it was quite late (after midnight), we thanked her for the guidance, her love, and time she gave to us. She blessed us and we went to our room. I was just full of contentment not only for meeting so many wonderful people but also because we have accomplished our target of getting good interviews for the book. The most important part of the book had finished. The rest should be easier with the grace of the Lord. Next day Urvashi and Chand left for Delhi. We stayed one day extra to discuss with the architect some important points on the construction of our house. Four days later, we went back to Havana to pack our things to move for good to India.

111

Shivaratri, 21 February 2001 To meet spiritually accomplished people, in the multitude of crowds, was like finding pearls in the ocean of humanity. I don’t think it was by chance. Indeed, I think that there was a force guiding us that was arranging whatever happened. After meeting and exchanging ideas with the spiritual people, one could observe that the goal was the same although the paths of most of them were different. In the verse 4.11, Canto IV of the Bhagavad Gita, it says that God accepts people from different paths. Some of them follow the path of devotion (bhakti), some the path of action (Karma), others the path knowledge (Gnan) but Selfrealization was the common goal among all of them. Some of those spiritual people have already reached that objective; some are still on the way but what is important is that they dedicate their lives and efforts to reach the highest level of Consciousness. I think another common feature among the spiritual people is the faith. All of them talked about faith in some way or the other. Also the faith of the common pilgrim is one of the main reasons why the Kumbha Mela has been going on since many centuries. I agree totally with Dr. Kutty when she said that it is faith that motivates people to participate the Kumbha Mela. Faith is a tremendous power that makes the pilgrims to overcome all the difficulties that a pilgrimage trip implies. It was amazing to see people walking even bare feet from far places just to participate in the Kumbha Mela.

112 Many of them were sleeping under the sky and making their food on the streets but they were still very happy because they were participating in the Kumbha Mela. That’s one of the characteristics that make the Festival of Aquarius such a special occasion. But transcending all the rituals and paraphernalia that surrounds the Kumbha Mela, I think that there is something that, indeed, is very auspicious for the spiritual seeker. Almost three years have passed since the Kumbha Mela in Haridwar was celebrated and many changes have taken place for the people who collaborated with this book. Swami Naradananda, for example, has traveled to the United Kingdom, Canada and America where he found many new disciples. Also, he has just made a mercury Shivalinga of 65 kilograms weight for a temple in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh state. The mercury Shivalinga will start being worshiped tonight for celebrating the night of the Lord Shiva (Shivaratri). Mata Pardeshwari also traveled to London and the United States and got many followers there. Penny Mataji took the vow of Sanyas given by her guru Mauni Baba Chandra Swami, last year on 16 of March. That day she received a new name and now she is known as Ma Chetan Jyoti. Swami Karnapuri was named secretary of the Jhuna Akhara where he is having the opportunity to make all the changes he talked during his interview with us. One of the changes that have happened during these years is the passing away of our dear Dr. Kutty on the year 2000. Up to the last moment she was working and helping in the hospital. Two

113 days after having a heart attack, she abandoned her body. Her physical absence is felt very much among all her disciples, her patients and her friends. The work she did has its fruits in all her students who are working not only in India but also around the world. However, her indelible trace is pervading in the incalculable quantity of women she helped. We pay homage to a great soul who in her lifetime was the vivid incarnation of goddess Sarasvati, the goddess of knowledge. In my life also there were a lot of changes. From my personal experience, I can say that my life changed radically after participating in the Kumbha Mela. New circumstances that appeared in my life helped me in my spiritual path. The effect of the auspicious Jupiter position as the planet with spiritual influence that the astrologers and the swamis talked about did manifest very quickly in my case. First of all, as soon as we came back from the Kumbha Mela, we moved from Havana to Rishikesh for good, not to our own house (because it was still under construction) but to Sadhana Mandir Ashram (or Swami Ram’s Ashram as it is known in Rishikesh) for almost 6 months. Swami Rama was considered to be a siddha yogi, (a person who has total control on his mind and body). There, I had the opportunity to read Swami Rama’s books, which I consider to be precious gems for the spiritual seeker. In his book, Living with the Himalayan Maters, he explained in details his experiences while living in the Himalayan caves with saints. He also tells about his guru and adopted father, Bengali Baba.

114 I had the opportunity to meet Swami Rama a year before he abandoned his body during my first trip to India. My husband met him in Toronto many times when Swami Rama was collecting money for the construction of a medical city in Jolly Grant, near Rishikesh. His followers in Curacao and in Aruba had told me many stories about his great powers and their personal experiences with him. The idea I had about Swami Rama before I met him was of a serious and circumspect sage. I was expecting to see an elderly, slow-moving Swami wearing a long maroon kimono as he looked in many of his photographs. But I got a big surprise when in a raining evening, I met him personally. I remember that my husband and I were waiting in the drawing room of his cottage in Jolly Grant for about twenty minutes. Suddenly a very tall, energetic, fast moving middle-age looking man entered into the drawing room. He was wearing a maroon jogging suit and white tennis shoes. Some people were following him with great reverence. My husband stood up and did Pranam to him. I remained seated because I did not know who that gentleman was. He looked at me and smiled; then my husband told me to stand up and to salute Swami Rama. I was astonished to see the legendary Swami Rama coming in such a simple and casual way. He was even wearing jogging suit! I stood up and did Pranam to him but I still could not coordinate the image I had of Swami Rama and the person I was meeting. He sat in a chair near my husband and they talked in Hindi. Still in my astonishment, I just stared at him without saying any word. After sometime, many people started coming in the

115 drawing room and many of them saluted Swami Rama doing Ashtan (lying flat on the floor). Though people were treating him with great respect, there was no arrogance in his manners. On the contrary, one could feel love in his eyes. He listened to all their requests. I suppose he gave them what they asked because the left very happy. When the Darshan time finished, my husband and I also did Pranam to him and left. I asked my husband what he talked to Swami Rama. He said that he asked for Swamiji’s blessings for our marriage and for our spiritual life; also he asked for the blessing for the projects my husband was working on (simplification of the Hindi Devanagari script) and the translation of the Bhagavat Gita into Hindi poetic form. I asked my husband what the other people wanted. He said that they were asking for admissions, scholarship etc. for their children in Jolly Grant Medical College. He also said that Swami Rama granted of their requests. We also left very happy because we were sure that we have received the blessing of the great Himalayan yogi. In fact, his blessings became palpable en we lived in his Ashram in Rishikesh. It is very nicely located on the bank of the river Ganges and had a beautiful garden. There, I could go deeper into the yoga and meditation field after Swami Veda Bharti, disciple of Swami Rama, initiated me into the Himalayan Tradition of Yoga and Meditation. Swami Veda’s scholarly approach towards spirituality and his profound insight into mysticism makes him a very unique Swami. Since a very tender age, he has been considered to be a great Sanskrit scholar and he has been giving lectures and courses on the Vedas, the Upanishads, yoga and meditation for the

116 last 54 years. Still, he goes around the world guiding thousands of people on spirituality. Being the spiritual leader of the Swami Rama Ashram, he stays in Rishikesh during the winter months in India giving special courses for his disciples from all over the world. Swami Veda Bharti was honored as Mahamandaleshwar (One of the highest positions in the Hindu monastic orders) at a ceremony in Haridwar in 1999. I had the privilege to attend this impressive ceremony. The people I had the opportunity to meet in the Swami Rama Ashram were wonderful. I used to share with my brothers and sisters by guru initiation (guru bai and bhehen) as if we were a real family. The Ganges at the point of the Ashram has no waves and it is as smooth as a lake. One of the gates of the Ashram leads to barrage road where we used to walk every morning and evening enjoying the gifts of nature of Rishikesh. All kind of colorful birds can be seen flying and swimming. Some of them showed perfect formation while flying as if they have been perfectly trained for a parade. It was common to see also groups of elephants (plying and pouring water with their trunk to the small ones) Different kinds of deer can also be seen in groups running around on the white sand beaches of the Rajaji Park. In the evenings, the clouds and the Himalayan mountains used to get dressed up in pastel colors to welcome the brightest moon light that shines not only from the sky but also on the mirror of the river Ganges. The pilgrim moon also used to come to bathe in the Ganges offering a path of light on her way.

117 But the most amazing characteristic of Rishikesh is something that, although invisible, it is felt very much. Some people say that it is the blessings of all the sages that have been getting enlightened since immemorial times after doing Sadhana and Tapasya in the Rishikesh area. Others say that it is the Ganges effect because Rishikesh is the first place where the river Ganges slows down after the strength and the speed it has in the mountains. The fact is that Rishikesh has such a special “Shakti” (energy) that makes it unique. Our house is not so far from Swami Rama Ashram and the view is also very beautiful. We finally moved to our own house in September 1999. The house is surrounded by one of the biggest Ashrams in Rishikesh called Shri Jairam Annakshetra (place for food) guided by Shri Brahmachari Devendra Swaroop. In the Ashram, among other activities, there is a Sanskrit school and the students chant mantras and perform holy rituals every day. The Ashram environment gives a holy atmosphere to my house and to my life also. It is the perfect environment for practicing yoga and meditation. The peace that one feels after meditating gives the calmness required for improving one’s life as well as for dealing with daily problems far better. As a western brought up person who has been practicing meditation for many years, I can see clearly the main differences between the contemporary western way and the meditative way of living. The western cultures and countries emphasize the concentration of our being on the outside world leaving very little time and energy for

118 discovering our own inner world. The fast communication technologies provides to man almost instantly the information of what is happening in a small town on the other side of the world, yet he is not able to know why he is feeling lonely, stressed, or depressed. The western man is very close to the events of the world but is very far from his own inner reality. The daily introspection of meditation is the balance that maintains both inner and outer realities in equilibrium. It is the time that we dedicate to ourselves to see what is happening inside us. The time given for meditation may worth years of happiness, good health and harmony within ourselves and with the people that surround us. Based on my own personal experience, I can say that by practicing meditation in a profound way, I could understand more my problems, my weakness, my skills, and my whole reality. It has been a fascinating discovery in which the greatest treasure ever found was the endless peace and infinite love that resides in the Self. This treasure brought a big change in my existence. The jewel of this knowledge gave me the light of intuition; the gold of Consciousness gave me awareness and humility, and the white diamond of love took away my loneliness and gave me my Eternal Companion. The path is not easy but the rewards are worth the endeavor. When we walk on a plain path, it is easy to go on; when we go downwards, it is easier and faster, but when we want to go to the top of the mountain to look down at the world, we have to climb hard with all our energy and with a strong will to reach the heights. That applies to life also.

119 There has been a great change in my life and I am happy about it. My life passes quietly among the activities of writing, reading the sacred books and practicing yoga and meditation. I live in the lap of a beautiful Ashram on the bank of the Ganges and in the foothills of the Himalayas. With the blessings of God, the company of my husband, and the guidance of my guru, I overcame all the troubles and difficult situations that I have come across. Good as well as bad times were there, but I always felt the loving hands of God, protecting and guiding me. That’s why I feel, indeed, that some drops of the Amrita fell from the holy Kumbha into my life.

120

Glossary Adi Guru Shankaracharya: Great organizer of the Hindu religion.

saint

and

Akharas: Hindu religious institutions. Amavasya: No moon. Amrita: Divine nectar that gives immortality. Arti: Holy ritual in which flowers, incense, and lights are offered to God. Ashram: Place dedicated to religious activities or spiritual. Avatar: an incarnation of God. Banjans: Devotional songs. Bhagirathi: Another name of the River Ganges Brahaspati: Jupiter. Brahmachari: The person who has made the vow of celibacy. Brahmacharya: Celibacy. Chai: India tea made with milk and spices. Coolies: Suitcase and baggage carriers at the railway station. Crores: One crore is equal to 10 millions. Dakshan: To see. To have a vision. Danavas: Devils. Devas: Celestial beings.

121 Dhotis: Two to five meters of cloth that men in India wear. Dosas: Sort of yeastless bread made of rice and white lentils. Ghat: Main place for bathing on the bank of a sacred river. Gran Sabana: Great Sabana. First part of the world that emerged from the ocean. Guru bhai: Brother by the guru’s initiation. Guru bhehen: Sister by guru initiation. Hari Om: Salutation. Hari is a name of Lord Vishnu and Om is the primordial sound. Idlis: A south India preparation made with rice and white lentils. Japa: Repetition of a mantra. Kajal: Black eye pencil. Karma: Action. Karmayogini A woman who has attained union with the Divine and is dedicated to do service to humanity. Kirtans: Repetition of one of the name of God accompanied with music. Kurtas: Long and loose shirt. Upper part of the Salvar Kurta. Lassi: Drink made of yogurt. Lord Shiva: Consciousness. Lord Vishnu: God in the form that keeps the universe in harmony.

122 Maha Kumbha Mela: The great Festival of Aquarius. Mahabharata: Longest and oldest epic. Mahadev: Lord Shiva. Mahamandaleshwar: One of the highest positions in the Hindu monastic orders. Mahasamadhi: Place where a saint’s body or ashes are kept. Mahatmas: Great souls. People who have attained enlightenment. Maheshwara: Lord Shiva. Mala: Hindu rosary. Mantra: prayer. Mataji: Mother. Mesetas: Spanish name for the table-top shape mountains. Moksha: Liberation from the cycle of death and reincarnation. Naga Babas: A type of ascetics who wear no clothes. Parathe: Stuffed yeastless bread Pardeshwar: Lord of mercury who is also Lord Shiva. Prakiti: Nature projected as female power (shakti) Prana Shakti: The power of the vital energy Prana; Vital energy Pranam: Salutation Pravachan: Religious or spiritual discourse.

123 Puja: Holy ritual Pujari: The person who performs a Puja Pundits: Hindu priests Puranas: Old sacred Indian books Purnima: Full moon Purusha: Non Manifested power projected as male force. Ram Lila: the life of Ram, an Avatar of Lord Vishnu. Rudraksha: Seed that has different shapes or faces when it is developed. Sadhaka: The person who does spiritual practices to attain enlightenment. Sadhana: Spiritual practice. Sadhus: Ascetics. Monks. Salvar Kurta: Typical Indian women’s consisting of long pajamas and long shirt.

cloths

Sambar: Yellow lentils soup with vegetables. Sanskaras: Strong desires that remain unfulfilled and thus try to be fulfilled in future births. Sanyasini: A women who has taken the monastic vows. Sati: Wife of Shiva. Satsangs: Talks about spirituality. meaning is “In company of the Truth”.

It’s

literal

Shakti: Energy. Power. Shiva: In the Hindu trinity, Lord of destruction.

124 Shivalinga: Force of creation. Symbol representing Lord Shiva. Siddha Ashram: Place dedicated activities for accomplished yogis.

to

spiritual

Swamis: Monks that belongs to a certain Hindu order. Ascetics. Tantra: Thread or uniting force in esoteric rituals. Tepuyes: Sort of mountains with a plane square top that looks like a table. Upanishads: Sacred spiritual books. Uttar Pradesh: One of the northern states of India. Vedas: Four sacred books in which all the knowledge has been kept since times immemorial. Vichitra: Very ancient musical instrument. Yagya: Holy ritual with fire. Yogi: The person who has united with God.