Kanhangad was a 3-day visit filled with regular activities. This time we had the Gaokar family of Smitaji, Snehal, Ashlesha, and Pushkar, Pratap bhai's family which included the smallest ShivYogi 7-month old :) Prathistha and Shyam bhai with his son Shubham. Surprise was it to know that Raghavendra bhai, his wife Niharikaji and their little daughter Gauri were going to be there already. Vanitaji came with her daughter Priyal. Mayaji came with her daughter Swastika. As we all met the Mangalore Railway station, last moment another person Rahul. The total number came upto 21 people this time and i don't know if this should be called a co-incidence or what as only 5-6 people were initially supposed to come here today. Some came for one day and some for two days and some remained with us throughout the 3 days.
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| Nityananda Samadhi Temple, Kanhangad |
Since the next day, all had planned to go Quilandy and Thallashery, the first day itself after being a while in the ashram caves and attending Arati, we left after lunch to Guruvan. This time, we had lots of little children, all divine in their own ways. i insisted that first all the little ones would go and spend some silent moments in the holy Guruvan caves and we did so. Then turn by turn all of them sat inside in groups and meditated. As soon as we came out fully loathed in the holy soil of the caves, there was a very heavy downpour that cleansed the soil from us. Swami Vidyanand was kind enough to make some hot tea for us and we gratefully had it. After the arati, we left back. Ganapathiji gave us company all the while. From here we called autos and went straight to Padiyar Swami's house and after spending time there, returned back to the ashram. After food, we we back in our rooms.
The next morning, we all woke up early and left the ashram in two taxis to meet Amma and Achar Baba in Quilandy. At Amma's place when we went she was not there like last time, as she is most of the time wandering outside. This time, we knew what. We sat and connected with her. Within 10 minutes Amma walked from the streets into the house and straight to her floor bedding besides where we all sat and lied down. We sat and meditated there. Then, we got up and offering our respects at her feet, we took leave of Shri. Jayesh who was Amma's caretaker and left towards Quilandy.
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| Amma in her eternal bliss |
Last time, we were able to go to Shri. Ishwar Iyerji's place where Baba Nityananda had grown up but we could not go to the jungle location where he was found as an infant. This spot is 12 kms from here. We drove straight to this place. After stopping the taxis, we had to walk quite a distance through narrow muddy roads that were carved through the muddy hills. This seemed to be a jungle even now with very few habitats.
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| The narrow path to the temple |
Finally, we reached the temple that was built at the location Bade Baba was first seen by Chathuamma. As we sat down for meditation, there came and sat two huge black crows near the window and soon there were lots of crows cawing.
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| The well behind the temple |
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| The spot inside the temple where Bade Baba was spotted first as an infant |
i pointed out to Ganapathyji these strange looking crows and after a loud chorus cawing for about minutes, the whole area dropped into total silence again. After meditating, the Auntys in the group shared eatables here, and this was shared with the local villagers too. Then, we walked back to our taxis and went to Ishwar Iyerji's place. From there we had our late lunch. It was 4 p.m. by now. After lunch, we visited Achar Baba's place. This time, the moment we sat down after bowing to Achar Baba, he, who speaks rarely, this time turned his head to the two little ones Shubham and Pushkar and continuously muttered to them for almost all the time we sat there. He looked straight at them and spoke certain things which were not audible at all and at times he laughed. Ganapathyji gave all kids one by one something or the other to be offered to Baba and it was worth watching as they offered it to him. He looked at every little thing that was offered to him but as usual did not like anyone to touch him.
After spending a good amount of time, we took his leave and he as usual nodded, or okayed with a head jerk or simply stayed silent as each bowed and took leave. It was sure to me that this Kanhangad visit was specially for the little ones and these little ones have been around for about two weeks now visiting sacred places and people like Baba and Amma.
We then went to Siddha Surya Narayan Jeeva Samadhi only to learn that the gentleman who we met last time had left his body just a fortnight back. He had taken to his house where the Siddha's room and bed were there, and had invited us for the function which he said would be done in a grand manner. The preparations for this function was visibly going on. He can be seen in the video of our last visit. This Samadhi is a powerful place as i had mentioned last time, and we sat inside the Samadhi place.
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| At Siddha Surya Narayan Samadhi |
Taking leave of the priest and the kind women there, we left back towards the ashram. It was 9:15 p.m. when we reached the ashram. Even after this entire day's activity and coming back late to the ashram, we did not want to go immediately to the rooms.
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| The youngest one ~ Prathista :) |
Instead, we went up the Nityanand Samadhi Temple and sat there for a while. The energies of this place is awesome. After half hour we got back to our rooms and were happy to know that there was some food left for the hungry tummies. Quickly and silently, we went to the Annapoorna Hall and had our meals. A wandering swami was kind enough to help us with the food and serving. Then, we came back to our rooms. Some went to sleep and some of us sat down on the floor outside our rooms and spoke till about 1 a.m. All this while i was just awed with the most little 7-month-old Prathistha, who traveled with us everywhere! Such a tender little one with nothing but adorable smiles at whoever looked at her!
Next day evening we all had to leave back home and none were actually in the mood to. We then went to sleep and woke up next day and were up in the Nityananda Samadhi Temple. Here, there is a space just in front of the temple and we sat down facing east and did our Shree Vidya Sadhana. Just as the Sadhana ended, the bells of the 7 a.m. arati rang at the temple and we attended the same. After arati at Janananda Swami's Samadhi down, we had our breakfast and spent some time in the caves.
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| Panchaloha idol of Bade Baba at his Samadhi Temple |
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| Arati at Jananand Swami's Samadhi Temple |
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| The caves built by Bade Baba in the ashram |
Then, as planned, we left to Anand Ashram where we this time also were able to meet Swami Muktananda, the current caretaker of the ashram. He imparted a few words and blessings on everyone of us.
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| The naughty little |
The time spent in chanting "Shree Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram" was mesmerizing in Swami Ramdas' home. This place is a magical place for me and one can just sink into the melodious chants and remain absorbed in a different world. After a delicious pure satvik food, we sat for a while in the premises and auto was called. We then left straight to back to the ashram and spent next few hours meditating or just sitting in the ashram. By 5 p.m. we were all ready and as the autos were to come a heavy downpour followed. By the time the autos reached the station, the rains stopped. We took the 5:40 p.m. train to Mangalore and from Mangalore the entire Goa team took their train back home. Vanitaji with all her strength and might took me on finger-gunpoint to her brother's place, where after a light supper, she and her brother were kind enough to drop me at the private bus-stand from where i had my bus back home at 10 pm.
As i laid stretched in my sleeper seat, my eyes quickly ran through the wonders of this magical place and how after any number of visits, it can still seem to be the first time. Thanking Bade Baba and everyone who came there, it didn't take much effort to fall into deep sleep. Namo Namaha!
Video clips of visits to sacred locations in North Karnataka and Kerala
