Devi Mandir

Temple of Divine Mother

TravelOver the years we have visited many pilgrimage places around the world. Most of these yatras were for the purpose of conducting special vows of worship, pujas, homas, recitation of scriptures, and feeding people.

Enclosed are descriptions of some of the places we have visited, along with what we did while we were there, and in many cases what we found by doing it.

Also, we have included information about other places of worship, where you might want to visit.

Himalayas Tour, August 2009

~~OM~~ I recently returned from a short visit to the Himalayas. Joined by three dear friends, Sanjay, Sushil, and Swami Ramkripaluji, we visited several places in the Kumoan before we headed for Yamunotri and Gangotri. We took mules into the higher mountains on the way to Gomukh. There were no bridges, so the mules had […]

India Blog Nov 2008 (from 24th Nov to End)

11/24 We woke up very early Monday morning and took the train from Delhi to Haridwar. Swami Ram Kripaluji met us at the train station and whisked us off to his ashram in Rishikesh. We stayed at Ram Kripalu’s ashram located in Mayakund, Rishikesh on the bank of the Ganges. We all appreciated the beauty […]

India Blog Nov 2008 (from 15th Nov to 22nd Nov)

11/15 Most of us left Benares and headed to Kolkata after receiving so many blessings. For many, the trip to Benares had fulfilled the desires of a lifetime, whether it was taking a bath in the Ganges, reciting a scripture at Manika Karnika Ghat, or visiting the Annapurna and Vishwanath temples. After arriving by train […]

India Tour: November 2008

~~OM~~

  • Invitation to Banaras
  • India Travel Planner
  • Suggested Packing List for India Tour
  • Invitation to India Tour
  • India Tour Blog – Part 1
  • India Tour Blog – Part 2
  • India Tour Blog – Part 3
  • Highlights of India Tour
  • India Tour Pictures
  • India Tour Press Coverage

India Tour, Press Coverage: 2

Foreign Devotees Sing a Beautiful Recitation of the Sundar Kanda

Varanasi

Coming from California, USA, Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati along with disciples from many countries sang a beautiful recitation of the Sundar Kanda at the Sankat Mochan Mandir on Monday evening. Along with about 40 disciples from many countries and about two dozen Indian disciples from Banaras, they arrived at the Sankat Mochan Mandir at 4:30 in the evening.

After performing worship, they all assembled in one area of the temple. Then as one voice, they all sang the Sundar Kanda with great rhythm and speed. Seeing so many foreigners reciting with so much devotion, the local people who came to the temple for evening prayers were greatly surprised.

Playing harmonium was Trilochan, on tablas was Rajan, on dholak Vinay Bhushan, playing the cymbals was the Respected Ramya, and on the bells was Srini Baba. After completing the recitation, they joined the arati in the Ram Mandir and in the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir. The foreign devotees distributed prasad with their own hands. Coming from many various countries were Dharmesh, Mahananda, Manohar, Srimati Rukmani, Susri Parvati, Kamala, Nanda and others joined devotees Amitabh and Jolly Agrawal to perform the recitation.

India Tour, Press Coverage: 1

~~OM~~

The Maha Yajna of Shree Maa and of Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Varanasi

Coming from California, USA, Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati performed a Maha Yajna of the Shiva Sahasranam for Universal peace and the welfare of all mankind at the Lalita Ghat on the bank of the Ganga. Also present in this great religious undertaking many people from various countries were reciting the mantras with beautiful tones and correct pronunciation.

Along with both Indian and foreign devotees, Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati arrived at the ghat on the bank of the river at 5:00 AM. After cleaning the area of the yajna, they erected a howan kunda. After inviting and worshipping the Gods, Swami Satyananda Saraswatiji enkindled the homa fire. After that about forty devotees who came from California, were joined by devotees from Australia, Switzerland, England, Indonesia, and many other countries, and at least two dozen Indian disciples, all offered oblations into the fire while reciting the Thousand Names of Shiva.

Desiring the welfare of all mankind, Shree Maa offered one thousand eight bilva leaves into the fire. Witnessing the clear intonation and proper pronunciation of the the Sanskrit mantras by foreigners, a large crowd of Banaras citizens gathered. In this same way foreign tourists gathered and many people were able to receive the blessings of Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

Local resident Amitabh Agrawal said that on 10 November at 4:30 PM Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati will be leading the recitation of the Sundara Kanda at the Sankat Mochan Mandir, and at 6:00 AM on 12 November, they will be leading the Chandi Path Homa in the Annapurna Mandir.

India Blog Nov 2008 (from 3rd Nov to 14th Nov )

3rd Nov 2008 We came out from the airport at about 3:00 AM. Many dear friends and devotees were waiting to welcome us. We touched the ground and bowed to Mother India! What a joy to be back! We were home by about 4, and after a bath, some of us sat down to chant […]

Suggested Packing List for India Tour

~~OM~~

  • Security Lock with a combination or key
  • Small flashlight w/long-life batteries & same batteries for other electrical equipment.
  • Small cloth or other ID-Bag to contain Passport, Credit Card, & Cash to be worn under your clothes while out in public places.
  • Mosquito Repellant, Folding Umbrella, and Sunglasses. Mosq. net get in India.
  • Your own effective medicines for common cold, headache/pain, nausea, digestive aid, menstrual cramps, diarrhea, etc.
  • ATM/Visa Card with international symbol for cash-rupees from Indian “State” banks
  • Small day/backpack or closeable shoulder bag for shopping/or carrying your puja books around. Please note that cameras and mobile phones are usually not allowed to be carried into important temples.
  • Bring comfortable, but not expensive walking shoes or sandals with some tread which you will leave outside of the crowded public temples.
  • Pack light-weight, loose-fitting clothes which can be worn in layers, and which are appropriate for Hindu temples. Weather will be like Autumn Season in the USA with warm, sunny days, but cool in the mornings and evenings. A sweater or thin woolen shawl/chadhur is sufficient for the coolness. For women: sarees, two-piece Punjabi dress outfits, or long skirts with modest blouses are OK. For men: Punjabi-style pants & shirt, kurtas, lungies are most comfortable.
  • Pack for minimum use of electronic gadgets, and plan for backup options as 1-2 power-cuts per day, lasting 1/2-1 hour are normal in both Varanasi and Kolkata.
  • Some people find that carrying Nutrition/Protein Bars and moistened towelette come in handy while traveling here.
  • If you’re traveling and sleeping in slim-budget accommodations, bring your own bedsheets. 1st, 2ND A/C, and 3rd A/C Class trains provide sheets etc.
  • Some shopping time for clothes and other items is available in the schedule.
  • Keep your luggage within the required weight-limits of the Airline, and pack your carry-on bag or laptop bag with the bare- minimum amount of items, to REDUCE the amount of your time in the Security-Check and Customs lines.
  • Pack the puja books indicated on website: Chandi Path, Sundar Kand, Annapurna Sahashranam, Shiva Puja & Advanced Yagnya, Kali Puja, & Rudrashtadhyayi.

Shree Maa- Trip to India- Swamiji and Shoes

~~OM~~

We asked Sushil dada to share with us more stories of his time with our beloved Swamiji. “You will not believe this”, Sushil dada said. “I don’t believe it myself. But I was there.”
“Yes, yes, what? What?” We ask breathlessly.
“Is Kolkata hot? The roads?” Sushil dada asked us.
“Yes, of course, most of the time.” We answered quickly.
“Swamiji used to walk there barefoot. All the time. How did He do this? I saw it. But I still can’t believe it.” Sushil dada said.
We asked: “What about you?”
Sushil dada said, “Oh, I had shoes. How could I walk in that heat without them? But not Swamiji. He was walking and walking. So many places, He always went walking. Without shoes.” He looked at Swamiji and said, “Is that not so?”
Swamiji was smiling and we asked Him, “Why did you do that, Swamiji?”
Swamiji answered; “Oh! It was a bother! Either the shoes got stolen or they broke. It was better without them. I didn’t have to worry about them.”
“Unbelievable!” Sushil dada voiced all our thoughts!

Shree Maa- Trip to India- Swamiji and the Farmers

~~OM~~

We were sitting with Swamiji and Sushil dada. Sushil dada (Sushil Chowdhury) is the author of Sahib Sadhu and he spent most of his teenage years with Swamiji, in his own village Bakreswar where Swamiji did intense tapasya and travelling with Swamiji.

Sushil dada is an expert in Sanskrit and speaks English with the cutest Bengali accent and was joyfully telling us stories about Swamiji. He said that Swamiji would be locked in a little temple in Bakreswar and be chanting and doing puja continuously from dawn to dusk. Nobody could enter the temple as the door was locked from outside and Swamiji had the key inside. When Swamiji finished His practices he used to throw the key outside and they would open the door. Swamiji would have his only meal for the day – a humble fare of daal and rotis. In the evenings, Swamiji would share His knowledge with all those present.
Rolling his eyes in a sweet manner, Sushil dada asked us, “Do you know who was present then?”
“No Dada, please tell us.” Eagerly we asked.
“Farmers, Pachu and me.”
Swamiji laughed, “That was the satsang, a young Brahmin boy, Sushil, Pachu who worked in cremation grounds and some farmers and me.”
“Swamiji was a farmer with the farmers.” Sushil dada exclaimed. “They wore dhothis till their knees and Swamiji too. He spoke to them in a village dialect so they would understand. With them He was like them. They love Him.”

Today, we see Swamiji working with routers and computers and His classes are webcast to over 70 countries. Viewers across the United States watch His classes on community TV. He is as much at home with us in the western world as He is with the farmers in rural Bengal. He is able to talk to us in a way we understand. We love Him for all He is doing for our universe.

Shree Maa- Trip to India- "Don’t Get angry: Talk to me"

~~OM~~

A young devotee was sitting at Shree Maa’s feet and confessed to Mother, “Mother, I get angry with my wife. What to do? When I am coming home from work, I think, “Oh, how sweet and patient is my wife. I should not get angry with her.” But somehow, when I get home I just lose it.” What to do Maa?” Maa smiled and said, “Don’t get angry. Talk to me. Think of me. I am ever with you. Just talk to me and don’t let anger manifest.” The young man smiled and we all felt blessed that our Mother is ever with us!

Shree Maa- Trip to India- A devotee's story

~~OM~~

Many of Maa’s devotees came to have Her darshan even if for just a few hours from different places in India. One such devotee is Mr. Mitra, an extremely successful lawyer in the Kolkata High court. Mr. Mitra recounted how he met Maa many decades ago when he was a young man. He said he was not at all interested in meeting any saint and even today he said, “I don’t know about God. I know Maa. She is my everything.”

As a young man in college, he went to escort a family member who wanted to have Shree Maa’s darshan but when he saw Maa he was spell bound. In his own words, he said “I became crazy. Wherever Maa went, I tried to go there – by hook or crook. I waited outside the house, in a park, anywhere and anyhow I tried to have Maa’s darshan.”

At that time, he was studying for his M Com (Master of Commerce) exams. He went to see Shree Maa and took with him a packet of incense sticks and other offerings as is customary in India. In the house where Maa was staying, were many devotees waiting for Maa to open Her eyes from deep meditation to do arati. There was a big pile of incense boxes before Maa which had been brought by the many devotees. Maa opened Her eyes and got up to do arati. From the big pile, She picked the “Vaishak” brand that Mr. Mitra had offered and took out one incense stick. She used that for arati. She handed the rest of the packet to Mr. Mitra.
There was a month left for his M Com exam and each day Mr. Mitra took out one incense stick and broke it into a little piece and lit it to guide his studies. Needless to say, Mr. Mitra did very well in his exams and later following Shree Maa’s advice he went to law school and has since been practicing law with “truth”. As Mr. Mitra recounted this story, he smiled and handed a packet of the Vaishak incense and said, “Please light one tonight at arati time.”

Shree Maa- Trip to India- God is a Mystery

~~OM~~

One of Shree Maa’s young cousins was reminiscing about her childhood days with Shree Maa. She said that she loved Shree Maa very much as a child but she was very young when Maa left their family house. “She was a mystery to all of us!” Maa’s cousin exclaimed.
In response, I heard myself saying, “We stay with Her everyday now and see Her night and day and yet She is a mystery to us also.”

Next day, all of Maa’s relatives had left and the house we were staying in was quiet. As usual, Shree Maa awoke before dawn and conducted Her Nitya Karma (everyday worship). After worship, She blessed us with tilaks. Everybody was remembering the beautiful days we had spent with Shree Maa’s family and other guests. We recounted this conversation with the young cousin. Shree Maa smiled endearingly and said, “God is a mystery.”