Monsoon offer from Guruvayurappan!

     'Thath thavath bhathi sakshat.....hantha bhaagyam janaanaam'!

       Radhekrishna! Now a days it is world of commercial offers. People announce and advertise certain offers for their products. But our Lord gives His offers unannounced. It always comes as a surprise. We had to go to Chalakudy to attend a Radha Kalyanam at our cousin's place. Having gone that far we thought of visiting Guruvayur also after the function. We had planned to leave Chalakdy by 3 pm so that we can reach the temple when it opens for the evening darsan and we can join the senior citizen queue to have our darsan. But we could start only by around 4 pm.

     Incidentally the bus took a long time to reach and we reached by  6 pm. Throughout the journey I was worried that we might miss the senior citizen time. If we reach past that time then we would have to stand at the general queue for god knows how long. Now and then it was raining. After checking in and a quick wash I rushed to the temple with lots of misgivings. As I entered through the Bhagavathi nada and reached in front of kotimaram I saw that ladies queue was empty at the front. Hoping that the queue was kept blocked at the back I rushed towards the west side. People were standing lighting the lamps. I entered the gate and rushed forward. To my dismay not a single person was in the queue. 'Oh have they already closed the ladies queue' I thought but hesitatingly went to the small gate and asked the security standing there whether I can cross and get into the queue row on the other side. 

     To  my delight he pointed his hands forward and I rushed in to the queue path. But there also not a single person was to be seen. Again I had misgivings that I may not be let inside from the front. Anyway I proceeded to the front side chanting Krishna! Krishna! aloud. As I reached the barring gate the woman security guard who was standing there opened the gate for me and I joined the general queue. I was very happy with this surprise gift and moved inside with the surging crowd to have the sweet darsan. As I moved along I could get glimpses of His form and at last reached to a comfortable position from where I could have good darsan of the Lord. Luckily the person just before me stood there for a long time and so I was also blessed with the divine vision for some time. As I walked out of the sanctum I saw the ladies queue path empty. So again rushed inside for a second score. 

      I could just walk in to join the general queue and suddenly I felt I saw somebody familiar going in front. I stretched my head and peeped but couldn't see properly. As I neared the sanctum  I turned my attention towards the deity and was enjoying the beauty of His form. Just as I reached in front of the sanctum some nampoothiri came for darsan and so the blocking chain was put to block our further movement and we were 'forced' to stand in front of the Lord for a few minutes. I was thrilled with this surprise offer of the Lord. As I moved away rounding the sanctum I saw Sri Muralidhara Sharama, one of the prime disciples of mahan Sri Sri Krishnapremi swamigal. I rushed to him and said Radhekrishna anna!He was also very much delighted to see me there. We talked and moved out, circumbulating the temple. It is really a great gift today to have the darsan of the Lord along with a bhaktha, I thought. He said he was going back by the night train and so I accompanied him to his place. It was drizzling slightly.

      As we were walking along one Mr. Kannan who is an old acquaintance accosted me. He was accompanying an old Nampoothiri. He introduced him to us as the one who had served as melshanthi of the temple twice. I was thrilled to meet a person who has touched and petted the Lord with his hands. I touched his feet to seek his blessings.He started narrating one of his experiences with the Lord. Murali anna and myself stood listening to him for sometime. Then as it was time for Murali anna to leave we bid him bye and proceeded. 
        After seeing Murali anna off myself and my husband returned to the temple. I preferred to sit in the western corner of the temple while he decided to circumbulate the sanctum. Some people were sitting there. It was quiet there and I sat watching people moving about. It was about 'athazha puja' time and the nice aroma of neyyappams being offered to the Lord was coming from inside. I was very much tempted by the smell and wished if I could get one neyyappam then. But I knew I had little chance as I hadn't booked for one. Then suddenly a man carrying a big parcel walked towards our side. Talking to a man sitting towards my left side he took one appam from the parcel and offered him. Then took another one and offered to the person sitting next to him. I was watching him openly when he suddenly turned and offered one appam to me too. I silently accpted it. It took me sometime to realise the divine intervention. It was raining intermittently and then it came to my mind - isn't it all Krishna's monsoon offer? 
       Suddenly I felt Krishna is very close to me for He knows what runs in my mind. I found myself talking to Him intimately.  I was interrupted by my husband who came after a good darsan. As we were sharing the appam we could see people lighting the lamps for the Seeveli. As the crowd was very thin the man was calling out to people to join the lighting ceremony. We also felt blessed and joined them. We were happy we could light some lamps at least. Then we came out and stood watching the procession of the Lord. It is really fantastic to watch  little Unnikrishnan coming on the elephant. You need thousand eyes to see that. No words to describe the experience! We were immersed in the shower of His grace as well as the rains. Body and mind were cooled and we left for our room. 
     We changed into dry clothes and got into the comfort of warm bed. Early morning I went to the temple by 5 am. It was just like what some corporate companies announce - walk in interview! There was no booking or waiting! We could just walk in to see the Lord. I was enjoying this special offer too! I could go round and round a number of times to have the darsan. As I came near the front suddenly the door closed for some puja.  I felt little Kicha loves me so much that he is reluctant to send me away. He made me stand in front of Him for half an hour. I felt I was in the heavens. What a grace my Lord! I could chant Krishna Karnamritham and some Periyazhvar pasurams to Him. He was listening to me very very patiently. What love He showers! The door opened and arathi was done to the Lord. I could see everything very close. I came out contented and sat at the western corner chanting, as my legs ached. 
      Little later my husband also joined me there. Then somebody showed us a notice of a Bhagavatha thripaksha (45days) yajna being conducted at Venkatesa temple guruvayur. So we thought of going there. First we went to Narayanalayam to offer our pranams to Poonthanam's Unnikrishnan and Sadgurunatha. As we came out we met another acquaintance who suddenly asked us - 'why don't u people go and have prasada lunch at the temple. there is no crowd at all there. This is a rare chance for you. do go'. We were surprised at his suggestion. It was not even lunch time then. Still we decided to go there. We never knew that a free lunch was also included in the Lord's offer!!!!He is always full of surprises as you know.
       After such a heavy lunch we could only go to our room and sleep. We got ready in the evening and proceeded to the temple. It was raining heavily then. The rains were no more disturbing us as we realised it was His showering of grace! We got into the senior citizen queue and waited till the sanctum opened. We had very good darsan again.As usual we sat in the western corner watching people moving about, chanting. From somewhere we could hear Srimad Bhagavatham being read. Thinking that there must be some Bhagavatha sapthaha going on in the first floor. We went there and were happy to join the Bhagavatha sapthaha group. It was closing time so we sat till the end and again came down. After one or two circumbulation we again sat at our cosy corner. It was time for the daily Narayana namajapam in the mandapam. As my legs were aching I didn't go up instead sat there listening to the namajapam. Then an acquaintance from Narayanalayam saw us and asked us to come up. 'Please do come up and join the chanting. I will give you prasadam'. We had no other way but to go up since we felt it was Guruvayurappan himself who is insisting us to chant His nama there. So we went up and sat there for a few minutes. A big sweet packet was given us as prasadam. We were wondering at the intermittent showers of the Lord's grace just like the rain showers going on outside. Why does He want us to join the sapthaham and the namajapam? Isnt it purely His karunyam? And he was very particular that we got our prasadam gifts also intermittently. Then I realised this is His monsoon showers of grace. 
       It was drizzling again and we crossed the showers to get another darsan from the Kotimaram view point. We got a very comfortable place but the curtain was drawn. So we had to wait there for a few minutes till it was raised and lo! There He was all smiles after His dinner, very much pleased and again ready for further showers of grace. Then we decided that we would have our dinner at the temple itself if possible. Immediately I saw a local woman who is very much known to me. When I asked her how to get dinner at the temple she volunteered and took us through some staircase to the dining hall. She peeped inside and talked with somebody. A few minutes later we were let inside. They had kept the leaves served with rice, chena curry, pulissery and pickles. It is the system there. The serving is done only once. We started having our food. But midway I found the curries had exhausted and only rice was remaining in my leaf. How can I eat mere rice? I wanted to ask somebody but my husband deterred me from that saying it was not proper since it was not in the system. I couldn't eat plain rice and didnt know what to do. Just then a young nampoothiri carrying a mug of pulissery passed in front of me. I called out to him for pulissery and he immediately served me smiling. Then my husband also had some more from him.
       We came to our room after the heavy dinner. The last but not the least was when my husband accidentally checked the sms of our ticket. We had originally planned to leave by 3-30 next day evening. But to his dismay he found the ticket was for 3-30 am next day. Miraculously transportation was arranged to take us to the station at 2-30 at the night and we were comfortably seated on our seats! 
        Turning back I find all that happened including our return was all well included in Guruvayoorappan's monsoon offer. He has lots and lots of offers throughout the year for all seasons. He is always ready with His unlimited grace. Only we have to realize His grace and enjoy that. Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!
    

Nathdwara yathra - 7

Chithorgarh

             There is a sacred pond used by the royal family near the Vijayasthambha. As the name Gowmukh reservoir indicates the water from some hidden spring comes through a carved mouth of a cow. The water supply never dries up, even during the hot summers! 

Then we saw queen Padmini's palace. It is surrounded by water. Once Allaudinkhilji who had heard about Rani Padmini's beauty very much wanted to see her. He forced inside Chithorgarh and demanded to see her. But Rajput ladies are seldom allowed before other men. So it was arranged that he could see her mirror image. The mirror was kept in a room in such a way opposite a window, that he could see the reflection of her palace very clearly in it. But if he turned around to look through the window the palace was not visible unless he moved the place for a more comfortable view. Even today we can see the mirror placed in the same place and the reflection of the palace in it. 

 It was after seeing her reflection that he got attracted to her beauty and attacked Chithorgarh. It was to escape from him that she conducted Jauhar.

       Originally there were numerous temple in the fort. But most of them are destructed by muslim attacks. We can see some Jain temples also inside the fort. The locals make their living from selling tie and die fabrics, carpets, precious and semi precious jewellery, enamelled jewellery, furniture, paintings, etc. Here the government offers 40% reduction in sales tax. The govt. showroom has a wide collection of Rajasthan specialities. By evening we had finished seeing around Chithorgarh and so started back to Udaipur. Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!

Nathdwara yathra - 6

Chithorgarh

               Radhekrishna! We had asked the same driver who took us to Mount Abu to take us to Chithorgarh too. He first took us to Sanwalia ji temple on the way to Chithorgadh. Sanwalia ji means the 'dark Lord'. The temple is situated at the town of Mandaphia about 40 kms from Chitorgarh. The deity of the Lord Krishna here is considered second only to Srinathji of Nathdwara.

The temple is very big in the middle of a very vast compound. The temple is being renovated now. Construction work is going on around. When we reached the temple the curtain was drawn. But I wanted to wait and have the darsan so we waited for about half an hour. It was arathi time and we could attend the arathi. The 'dark Lord' is really fantastic. His lotus eyes attract us. He has a bewitching smile too. His curly hair adds to His beauty. Wow! Blessed indeed is His darsan. From one of the security people I came to know that some devotee had a dream that 3 of the Lord's deities are under the ground somewhere. So the deities were undug and one consecrated here and the other two at two other places. Anyway we felt very happy having seen the cute Krishna.

        It was already 11 am when the arathi was over. So we hurried to our next destination - Chithorgarh.  Chithorgarh is a district by itself and was the main headquarters of the rajput kings. The entire city is surrounded by huge fort.

This place is full of forts and temples. The first place we visited was Meera bai's temple.

 The one place which I was eagerly waiting to see! I was feeling so excited nearing it. The guide showed us two adjacent temples in a a compound. One is a temple for Lord Vishnu which was built by the Rajasthan kings. Near to it stood a small but beautiful temple of Krishna built by the Rana as requested by Meerabai. 

        MiraBai was born in 1504 AD at Chaukari village in Merta District of Rajasthan. Her father, Ratan Singh, was the second son of Rao Duda ji. According to the prevailing story, Meeramatha was married to Bhojraj also called as Rana Kumbha of Chithorgarh at the age of 8. The Rana ordered this temple of Krishna to be built for her. But he didnt live to see it. According to the guide Meera became a widow within a few months of her marriage. Then she lead a secluded life with her Krishna. Since as a child she thought she was married to Krishna she never considered herself to be a widow. Generally Rajput ladies are prohibited from moving out of their palaces. She being a widow was expected to be confined to the room only. But Meera full of devotion for her Lord spent most of her time in the temple itself singing and dancing. This was not liked by her brother in law who kept tormenting her. Meera Bai’s sister-in-law Udabai formed a conspiracy and began to defame the innocent Meera. Once they tried to kill her with a poisonous snake. But her Lord kept saving her from every disaster. Finally she got fed up and left to her home. It was from there that she went to Brindavan and to Dwaraka to get merged in the Lord.

               I was hearing the story attentively. Oh what a great devotee she was! I found his story more credible. She was only a little girl when her husband died. She never had the opportunity to colour her mind with the worldly thoughts. Her whole attention was pointed to her 'lover' Krishna! As there was nobody to support this little girl she must have suffered a lot under her in laws. But brave as she was she had overcome all hurdles and reached her detination finally! Great! Great! I humbly bow at her feet to bless us also her bhakthi bhavam!   

        There is also another version in which Meera didnt become a widow. But the Rana tortured her ill adivsed by his brother and sister. When the torture and scandals continued, Meera sent a letter to Goswami Tulsidas and asked for his advice. Tulsidasji sent a reply: "Abandon those who cannot understand you. The turning point in Meerabai’s life occurred when once Akbar and his court musician Tansen came in disguise to Chittor to hear Meera’s devotional and inspiring songs. Both entered the temple and listened to Meera’s soul - stirring songs to their heart’s content. Before he departed, he touched the holy feet of Meera and placed a necklace of priceless gems in front of the idol as a present. Somehow the news reached the Kumbha Rana that Akbar had entered the sacred temple in disguise, touched the feet of Meerabai and even presented her a necklace. The Rana became furious. He told Meerabai, "Drown yourself in the river and never show your face to the world in future. You have brought great disgrace on my family".

      When Meera tried to drown herself in the river her lover Giridhari held her from behind and stopped her. He whispered in her ears - My dear Meera, your life with your mortal relatives is over now. You are absolutely free. Be cheerful. You are and have always been mine."

 Meera went to Brindavan to her Guru saint Raidas and spent her life doing oonchavrithi. So many princesses and queens have come and gone. So many princesses, and queens have appeared on the stage of this world and vanished. How is it that the queen of Chittor alone is still remembered? Is this on account of her beauty? Is this on account of her poetic skill? No. It is on account of her renunciation, single-minded devotion to Lord Krishna and the self-realization.

             The guide first took us to the Vishnu temple. This temple is slightly bigger than Meera's Krishna temple. There is no dearth of beautiful carvings all around. Lord Vishnu along with His consort Lakshmi is the main deity here. The pujari gave us theertha and tulsi leaves. We then moved towards Meera matha's temple. My heart was pounding. After praying to Meera matha I entered the temple. 

                   

A soft music of Meera matha's bhajan could be heard from inside. They keep playing the bhajans continuously. Inside is a deity of Lord Sri Krishna playing the flute. There is a deity of Meera matha too sitting facing Him holding a tambur in her hand. The scene accompanied by the sweet bhajan gave shivers in me. I could very much feel Meera matha's presence there! I prostrated there and was very happy. I felt the purpose of my life fulfilled at that moment. What more do I need! I was actually standing in the very same temple where the great devotee had sung so many songs. Opposite to the mandir is a mandap where we can see the 'charana kamal ' of Meera matha's guru Raidas ji!

 

  We now moved on towards a tall stupa called Vijayasthambham. We can enter inside and move up through the winding stair case. It was very dark inside. We didnt climb up high but came out quickly. Near the Vijayasthambha is a place where queen Padmini committed jauhar - self immolation with fire. The muslim ruler Alaudin Khilji captured Chithorgarh in 1303 AD. The then queen Padmini preferred jauhar to abduction and dishonour by the Muslims. She along with other ladies jumped in to a big fire and ended their lives. What a moral strength they had in those days! See you in the next issue. Till then Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!

Nathdwara yathra - 5

Mount Abu

       Radhekrishna! After booking for the Srinathji temple trip we had booked for a car to take us to Mount Abu the next day. So next day morning we got ready and got in to the car. Mount Abu is a resort located at an elevation of 4000 ft in Rajasthan.In puranas this place is referred to as arbudaranya. A number of temples are situated here like Arbuda devi temple carved out of solid rock. You have to climb about 800 steps to reach the temple. Another one is a Dattatreya temple built on the Guru Shikhar peak.

Climbing up the hill was a real adventure for us. On the top peak we can see Dattatreya's charana mandir. The place has nice ambiance. Climbing down we were taken to Achaleswar Jain mandir. Here also you will have to climb lots of steps to reach the mandir. But it is worth seeing. The architectural beauty of Rajasthan is really good. 

The temple is built in marble. They have kept it very clean and neat. But cameras are strictly prohibited so we couldn't take the photos of the wonderful sculpture there. In this temple they have built rooms for pilgrims who want to stay there and do sadhana for free. Daily food is given to pilgrims who come there. Well we didnt wait till lunch time since we had to see many other locations also.

      Our next destination was the very famous Dilwara Jain temple complex. My God! This is a marvel in marble so to say. Actually we need at least one full day to see around it completely. We could only do a hurried circumbulation. Long marble corridors with a number of temples for various thirthankaras. Each temple would be different. The corridor is full of innumerable pillars each different from the other. The ceiling is also covered with various floral and other designs carved in marble. We stared at the ceiling till our necks ached. Walking around our legs started aching. The temple is very vast and exemplary. By the time we finished seeing around the temple complex we were tired. Next we moved on to Nakki lake beside which we had lunch at a hotel. 

This is a place of visitor's attraction. There is a toad shaped rock in this place. As we had to return by 7 pm we started back without seeing the rest of the temples. It is advisable to stay in Mount Abu for a day to complete the temple visits. Next issue we will be back with our Chithorghadh trip. Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!

Nathdwara Yathra - 4

Jai Srinathji!

      Radhekrishna! The much awaited tour had come at last!  The main destination of this trip was Nathdwara. Next day by 8 am we reached the travels's office. The bus came late after some confusion regarding the starting point.We kept praying to the Lord frantically. At last the bus started forward. The first destination in the trip was Purana Srinathji Mandir. They say that the deity was originally consecrated here and then it was moved to the present location later on. 

It is an old temple with a photo of the Srinathji deity inside. A Pandit lives in the premises with his family. They are doing the daily seva to the deity. We sat there till the arathi time and took part in it. After that we moved forward to Rana Prathap Singh Smarak at a place called Haldighat. We can see sculptures depicting the historical incidents of Rana Prathap Sing's life with light and sound show.
    Rana Prathap Singh fought against the Mugal rulers vehemently. In the battle he faced Man Singh the Mugal commander. In the ensuing fight Prathap Singh's faithful horse Chetak was wounded fatally on one of his legs. The enemies were surrounding him. At that time one of his Jhala Sardar wore Prathap Singh's Royal insignia and made himself the target of the Mugal Army. Thus the Rana left the battle field along with some of his loyal followers. Chetak who was fatally wounded carried him as far2 miles where he encountered a stream on his path. While trying to jump over it he collapsed. Rana Prathap Singh built a monument for his faithful horse in this place. We saw the monument also and proceeded further to Eklingji mandir. 

       This temple is situated 22 kms from Udaipur. It is a very old temple of Lord Siva the main deity of Mewar dainasty. The magnificent architecture of this temple is really fantastic. All over Rajasthan we cant but admire the architectural fraternity of the people. The main idol is about 50 feet high depicting 4 faces of the Lord facing four directions. It is a beautiful temple which must be visited. 

      Srinathji is principal deity of the Vaishnava cult called Pushti marg. The saint Vallabhacharya established this form of worshiping the Lord in the Vatsalya bhava. It is said that the deity's arm and face emerged out of the Govardhan hills. The deity was worshiped in a temple on Govardhan itself. Later on it was moved from there to protect it from the hands of the Mugal emperor Aurengazeb to the present location in Rajasthan. It was in 1672 that the deity was consecrated at the present temple. The deity is that of Lord Krishna as a little boy with Hi left hand raised holding the Govardhan mountain. 

       We reached Nathdwara by 3 pm. The bus stopped at a bus bay on the outskirts of the town. From there we had to take an autorikshaw to the temple. The temple was closed at that time. We joined the queue standing in front of the temple. Ladies and gents have separate queues. By 4-30 the temple doors were opened and we were let inside through a different path from the gents. Inside another hall we were again made to stand. But we could see the first batch of visitors getting inside. Somebody said they were those who had booked for puja sevas. After letting them out the gents were let in.      
       Some of the ladies began to feel jealous of them. Some of them were  getting restless. One lady standing behind me (who seems to be new to this place) commented that the gopas are Krishna's favourites so he had let them in first. Immediately another one who was a regular visitor replied that first he will see off the gopas so that he can have more time with gopis. This caused a ripple of laughter among us and some of us fully supported her. 
      While all this was going on I had started worrying whether there would be enough time left for me to have the coveted darsan. Those who were regulars were saying that the temple closes every 30 mts. It was already nearing 4-30 and we were to reach the bus before 5 pm. I was worried whether I would be able to have my darsan before that. I enquired with a lady who supported the gopis earlier whether everybody would be allowed inside before 5 pm. The lady smiled and told me not to worry at all that the Lord never lets anybody go back disappointed. Whoever comes there to have His darsan is never disappointed she said. Though that quietened me for some time, as the time was dragging on I again began to feel desperate. 
      I cried from my heart of hearts to the Lord. "Oh Lord ! Please dont let me down. If the time is out then I cant wait for the next darsan. I will have to go back. I dont know whether I would be able to make a visit this far again. So please dont disappoint me." Time was going on still no sign of calling us in. Now tears slowly started welling in my eyes. At last we were let inside and I rushed like a mad woman holding on to the duppattah of the lady who was standing behind me. I knew she was a regular and she might know the techniques of getting good darsan. 
       As I stood in the crowd trying to get a glimpse of the coveted form my heart leaped with joy. The crowd was thronging inside and I was about 5 or 6 rows back. The lady with whom I came was standing beside me. She whispered in my years "have u seen your Takur? Didn't I tell you that you will have your darsan?" I smiled at her. Then she pushed me forward saying 'go!go! go forward near  and look at Him' I managed to inch my way forward and set my eyes on the beautiful form. I saw the Lord as a fascinating youth with a captivating smile. My eyes were getting wet at the divine darsan. The crowd was crushing me from all sides. I was slowly pushed out and stepped away from the crowd. The lady came near me and said 'Why don't you go inside again and have the darsan?' I hesitated as we are supposed enter from the right side and move out through the left side. How can go back to the right side entrance now? But she forcibly pushed me inside the door in front of the security guard who was totally unaware of what was happening. I again found myself standing in front of Srinathji. What a grace! This time I saw His dress, jewels etc. 
     Again I was slowly inched out of the pushing crowd. I was virtually crying. Then lady was still waiting outside for me. She asked me to have darsan of Bal Gopal deity which is on the left side of Srinaji sanctum. She also told me to visit Meerabai mandir and a Panduranga mandir before she left. I moved along the crowd and saw the Bal Gopal deity too. I came out and met my husband and we visited Meerabai mandir and also Panduranga mandir. By that time it was 5 pm. We rushed out of the temple and caught an auto to take us back to the bus. Almost all had returned except for a few people. We waited till everybody came back and then proceeded back to Udaipur.
Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!

Nathdwara Yathra - 3

      Radhekrishna! We reached Udhaipur by 6 a.m. We took an auto and reached our hotel. We had booked at the hotel online and so checked in to our room. We got ready quickly and went for a tour of Udhaipur by auto. Udhaipur is a beautiful city of lakes and palaces. Many of the palaces have been converted in to luxury hotels. We started with Pichola lake. Boat rides are conducted around the lake.It is a vast lake right in the middle of which is a palace turned hotel called Lake Palace Hotel run by the Taj group. The Lake Palace covers the entire island in the Pichola lake. Boat rides are conducted around the lake. We are taken around the Lake Palace Hotel. On the eastern shores are situated a series of massive palaces turned luxury hotels. We enjoyed the boat ride very much. 

       We were taken to Karna devi temple situated on a hill top next. Cable car services are provided to reach the top of the hill. On top is a small temple of Karna devi. The view from there is breath taking. Children will definitely enjoy the cable car ride. 

 We proceeded our tour and passed by City Palace which is partly occupied by the royal family and the rest is open for visitors. It is a big palace of architectural beauty. We roamed about palace for an hour and came out. 

  Our next destination was Jagdish Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is an old beautiful temple. It was arati time when we went so attended that there. 

 Just outside the temple there are number of shops on both sides of the road selling various handicrafts items, dresses etc. It is a shopper's delight to walk around the place.

 From there we were taken to Aravali Vatika a nice garden on the small hillock. We hurriedly finished seeing around the garden and proceeded to our next destination Prathap Smarak which is dedicated to the memory of Rana Prathap Singh. It was here that the Rana's military force were given training. The old dilapidated building is still there. There is a light and sound show in the evening.

 

       From there we proceeded to Fateh sagar lake. It is a beautiful lake and is a source of water supply in Udhaipur. We went for a boat ride around the lake and visited Nehru Park which is situated in the midst of the lake. Our next destination was a park of water fountains called Saheliyon ki Bari. Sahelion Ki Bari' was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. The princess was very fond of bathing rains. So the Rana made this garden with lots of fountains. The gardens set below the embankment of the Fateh Sagar Lake have beautiful lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant- shaped fountains. These fountains are fed by the water of the lake gushing through ducts made for the purpose. Each water channel has its distinct sound and the mingling of these sounds complement the ambience of the place

  On our way back we passed Sukhadiya Circle and reached our hotel. On the whole it was a nice outing. We enjoyed seeing around Udhaipur very much. We had booked our tickets in a conducted tour for Nathdwara darsan next day. We were so excited and were very much looking forward to the much awaited trip of Nathdwara to see our little Srinathji! Will be back in the next issue about that trip. Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!    

Nathdwara yathra 2

Pushkar

         Radhekrishna. We boarded the train for Jaipur on 28th of Feb. from Bangalore and reached Jaipur on 2nd March 6 am. As the hotel where we were to stay had pick up arrangements from the station we reached there without any problem. We checked in to the hotel (The Golden Hotel) room which was very comfortable. We got ready by 9am. ready to see around Jaipur. We can get autos, taxis, etc. to take us around the city in plenty. We had hired an auto and started our tour. 

       Rajasthan in total is a state of fine architecture and Jaipur is no exemption. We first reached Birla mandir dedicated to Lord Lakshminarayana with His consort Goddess Lakshmi. The temple is  made up of marble as almost all structures in Rajasthan are! It is situated on an elevated place with a beautiful garden around.

      Our next destination was Jaipur zoo and museum. In the museum we can see various things used by the people in those days including the royal dresses, armours etc.

 

   

 From there we visited Amber Fort. It is a beautiful old palace situated on a hill top total area of 4 sq.kms around. It was built by Raja Mansingh. It is built with red sandstone and marble consisting of Diwan-e-aam or for public audience and Diwan-e-khas for private audience. There is a 'sheesh mahal' a wonder with mirror work. The walls and roofs are laid with intricate mirror designs which is a sight to see. 

Inside the palace artificial water cascade is made. The wind blowing through it kept the atmosphere cool even during summers. There is also a temple dedicated to Sila Devi, a goddess of Chaithanya cult, given to Raja Mansingh, when he defeated the Raja of Jessore (Bangladesh). A big lake is in front of the palace meant to supply water for the people around. An old township existed around this palace which was the old Jaipur. Now almost all the buildings are dilapidated. 
      Next we saw the pink city which is separate from the town with Hawa mahal as its centre of attraction. All buildings inside the Pink city are retained as such and only pink colour is used there.Next we saw Jal mahal which is situated amidst the Man Sagar lake. It was built for the purpose of entertainment for the Royal family. Dance programs were held here on special occasions for special guests. The first floor remains under water. We can see only the top floor from the banks. Nobody is allowed to go there they said.
     
We also visited Jantar Mantar which is a marvel in astronomy. How they calculated date, time, astrological signs etc from the shadow falling on the structures designed by great men. Seeing all these we feel very proud of our country's rich heritage and culture. We saw Nahargarh fort only from a distance as our auto man did not take us there.
                          
 We went around some beautiful gardens and reached our hotel by evening. Next day we were planning to go to Pushkar by bus. But the  taxi driver rang up to say that there are some people who would like to share the trip. So we decided to go by the taxi itself. We met two tamil speaking couples who had come from Chennai and the trip turned out to be a nice one. 
       Pushkar is situated near Ajmer. Some say that when Lord Siva shed tears after the death of his wife Sati, two ponds were formed. One is Pushkar in India and the other is supposed to be Ketaksha in the Chakwal district of Pakistan. According to another legend Pushkar was formed when the lotus (pushpa) from his hand (Kar) fell down on the earth and water appeared there. There is a temple for Lord Brahma but no pujas are conducted to the deity due to the curse of Lord Siva. It is said to be good to offer pirthru tharpanam in this place. In Srimad Bhagavatha this place is referred when Balarama conducts a pilgrimage. We did the offerings and sprinkled the water over us. A separate kumbha mela is held in Pushkar. Camel fair is also conducted annually. 

       On our way back we had to pass through Ajmer where a famous darghah is situated.  We reached back our hotel by evening. We finished our dinner and started by the night train towards Udhaipur which was our next destination. We will be back with more news of Udhaipur in the next issue. Radhekrishna !

 

Nathdwara Yathra 1.

Bangalore.

             "Guroranugraheneva pumaan poorna prashanthaye."

      Radhekrishna! Bhagavan Sri Krishna tells Sudama His school friend about the greatness of sadguru. It is only with the grace of Guru that man finds fulfillment in his life. Without the grace of guru one cannot achieve completeness.  
     H.H.Swamiji Sri Shanthanantha Puri maharaj of Vasishta guha was to stay in Bangalore for about a week. We wanted to make use of this golden opportunity of being with him for a week. We planned to continue our trip forward upto Rajasthan after that.  So the tickets were booked accordingly for our pilgrimage. With the full blessings of our guruji Brahmasree Gopalavallidasar, Chennai, we started this thirtha yathra from Trivandrum to Bangalore on 22-2-13.

 

      We reached Bangalore on 23rd morning. We had booked our accommodation at Aurobindo ashram guest house in J.P. Nagar. Swamiji came from Thiurvannamalai with few of his disciples. They came in a mini bus to Bangalore. Before reaching Bangalore they stopped at an old age home run by one of Swamiji's disciples Sri.Srinivasa Reddy.  Swamiji spoke a few words in English as well as Tamil for the inmates. The bus driver wanted to take a photo of himself with swamiji. Miss Guhapriya who was in the group agreed to take the snap in the driver's mobile phone. She took one snap, checked it and took one more snap and handed the phone over to him after checking it. The driver saw the photos and shrieked in surprise. Puzzled, Guhapriya took the phone from him and looked and she too shrieked in surprise. The photos had come like this:

           

The incident was narrated to us as soon as we met the group. All were busy with their cell phones switching on the bluetooth  to get the photos transferred. We were all excited by this. Somebody asked Swamiji how this could be explained. He laughingly waved it aside saying "I am not the culprit! I plead not guilty!" We were thrilled how the driver who knew Swamiji only for just a few hours got saroopya!

            We enjoyed a wonderful week with Swamiji. The nectar of his words kept flowing out of his mouth all through the days.We were immersed in inexplicable bliss forgetful of our worldly ties! Though Swamiji felt tired at times he was never reluctant to satisfy the thirst  of a sincere aspirant. 

          Swamiji was telling about the importance of reading the Puranas like Srimad Bhagavatham. He said it is always good to read the Bhagavatham, each syllable of which has the powers to elevate our 'spiritual antenna'. But he also insisted that hearing the stories rejuvenates one's self. He quoted the gopikas in 'gopika geetam' from Srimad Bhagavatham. (Thava kathamritam.......)
Somebody asked whether anything has to be done when faced with other's jealousy. Swamiji replied not to worry about such things and to concentrate on one's namajapam. Then the question came how to tackle the tendency of one's own jealousy. Pat came the reply "Pray  sincerely to the Lord to remove such obstacles from the mind". Sadhana should be very systematic Swamiji said. We must fix a particular time in our daily routine for japam and meditation. Under any circumstances should that time be directed for any other thing in the world. Swamiji quoted his own experiences as a sadhak while he was holding an important post in the office. Even when the senior most boss rang up for Swamiji his poorvasram son would reply that Swamiji can be contacted only after the particular time of his meditation. He never deterred from his path for any reason at all. 
     In the beginning stage there would be no concentration. When we start chanting the mind would bring a whole world of things in front of us to divert us. Only by practice we can prevent ourselves being carried away by the mind's fantasies. We should never lose courage and must stick to our routine strictly. By and by the mind will get used to the new habit and start accepting it. As the concentration increases it leads to meditation, said Swamiji.
       Another question put to swamiji was how to get the grace of the Lord and Guru. Swamiji replied "See usually grace marks is given for whom? For one who has written the exam but not upto the pass mark. If somebody has written nothing and submitted a blank paper the question of grace marks does not arise at all. Similarly when you start doing sadhana the grace will automatically flow from the Lord and the Guru. If you do nothing and expect the grace to raise you it is only impossible! 
       Swamiji used to quote many anecdotes. Once a staunch disciple of Mahatma Gandhi came to meet a great mahan of Brindavan. He prostrated before the saint and humbly asked "Sir, It has been said in Yogavasishta and other great books that in the spiritual path the mind should be destroyed completely - manonasa. Can you please guide me as to how it should be done?" The mahan with a look of surprise asked him in return "What? You say you have been a follower of Mahatma Gandhi for the past 30 years who preached non violence and here you are asking for violence. How can it be? Well tell me what were Gandhiji's main ideals?" The man replied hesitatingly 'non violence and non co operation'. Pat came the mahan's reply "That is it! You just dont co operate with your mind. Keep ignoring it. Don't think of destroying anything". 
     It was wonderful being with Swamiji. His sweet words were a solace to the parched hearts of the devotees. Swamiji also took us to places like Rajarajeswari temple, Sri Ramakrishna mutt, Shirdi Saibaba temple etc. In Ramakrishna mutt they have kept a stone slab on which Swami Vivekananda used to sit during his visit to Bangalore years back. Mother Saradamba too had visited the place and the place where she sat in meditation is being maintained. We met the present head of the mutt there. We had the opportunity to meet many mahans in the course of our stay with Swamiji. 

       Maha Mandaleswar Sri Jayendrapuri swamy of Rajarajeshwari peetam who is the disciple of Sri Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal had invited Swamiji and his disciples to his place. We were taken inside the mutt where the swamy was waiting for us. He gave us a beautiful talk after we were all seated. The swamy knows many languages like Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Sanskrit, German etc. Swamy was talking about the founder of the Peetam, Sri Shivapuri maharaj who lived up to 137 yrs and who was a gurubhai of Sri Thothapuri maharaj. Sri Shivapuri maharaj has done a world tour by foot! He is the only Hindu who has entered Mecca! He has also written a book on his experiences - 'The long Journey'. Sri Jayendrapuri swamy told us that Sri Shivapuri maharaj preached the 'Right Life'. Then my husband politely asked him to be more specific. Immediately he turned towards him and answered in perfect tamil - 'Karka kasadara katravai katrapin nirka atharku thaka'. We were all taken aback. Then my husband who is very weak with tamil requested swamy to explain. Then he said one should listen to the words of the guru attentively and fully imbibe them without any blemish. Then one should follow the words implicitly. This is 'Right Life' according to swamy. 
      We had forgotten ourselves so much that we didnt know 6 days had rolled by! It was time to bid bye. Swamiji was to leave Bangalore on 28th night. We left earlier on the same day itself for Jaipur! It was a memorable sojourn for us! We will meet in our next issue in Jaipur! Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!