From Digboi we traveled southwest to the populous city of Mumbai, located in the state of Maharashtra.

I have to admit that I wasn’t very excited to visit Mumbai. It is a big noisy city with lots of traffic and walls of people in constant motion.

However, I got a fresh perspective of modern Mumbai on this trip. Even though our Mumbai hosts had been cyber devotees for some years, they had physically met Shree Maa and Swamiji for the first time last year in Varanasi. We all quickly fell in love, and they invited us to stay with them this year for a few days when we came to Mumbai.

When we arrived at their home, we were amazed that it actually looked something like a Beverly Hills style penthouse suite, that afforded a stunning view overlooking the entire city of Mumbai! Wow!

The city of Mumbai that seemed so noisy and chaotic when we were fully immersed in it, now appeared very different. From this higher perspective, the city appeared peaceful and orderly, in sharp contrast to just a few minutes before.

Spiritual lessons sometimes come when least expected, and I could not help but peg this simple lesson of perspective in my memory. I wondered how different my life, and all of our lives, would be if we had the discrimination to apply a higher perspective to our challenging life situations, ultimately shifting our thoughts to peace and order.

In addition to a stunning home, the family hosting us had taken the utmost care, in every detail imaginable, to plan for us to feel welcome and invited into their home. The first thing they did — they fed us!

They prepared a gala dinner of epic proportions, with so many dishes of such great quality, that not even a 10 star restaurant could have matched it.

Then, the family felt so fortunate to have Shree Maa and Swamiji stay with them that they performed a beautiful pada puja (puja to the feet) to Shree Maa with one hundred and eight fully blossomed pink lotuses!

With unimaginable devotion, they read each of the 108 names of Durga, and with every “Namah” they offered one beautiful lotus flower to Shree Maa.

After Shree Maa’s puja was complete, now it was Swamiji’s turn! They washed his feet and worshiped him with the greatest of love.

Fortunately the camera was rolling and we captured these awesome videos to share:

After the pujas, both Shree Maa and Swamiji looked like radiant deities blessing everyone present. The family sponsoring the puja asked for one special blessing — the blessing of true devotion. Who could imagine a better prayer than that!

The post-puja celebrations erupted in a great flow of devotion as Shree Maa led everyone in singing bhajans and chanting the Hanuman Chalisa.

The next day we departed for Tryambakeshwar, but along the way, this devoted family had one more surprise for us all.

We stopped along the way, for one night, at their rural farmhouse. The property was gorgeous and had a country charm much like what you find in small country towns in the United States.

The next morning, as is custom in our rhythm of life in India, we woke up and performed sadhana.

Shree Maa worshiped at an adorable Ramakrishna altar, while Swamiji chanted various stotrams and sahasranams.

Later that morning, together we walked the grounds of the property. The family was quick to point out a special grove of Panchavati trees that it had seeded and nurtured. Sri Ramakrishna had done sadhana in a Panchavati grove in Kolkata long ago, and these trees were planted in honor of the sacred place where Ramakrishna performed his sadhana.

Upon seeing this, Shree Maa became elated, and with full intent of worshiping that tree, she collected various items of worship. With the help of all the ladies present, She decorated the tree with a Sari, flowers, sindur, turmeric and other offerings.

She also established an altar for Ramakrishna, Chandi, and Ganesh at the base of the tree, and a place for us all to comfortably sit.

Under this special tree, Swamiji led us in a group puja followed by the Chandi Path. It felt as if we were at a Rishi’s ashram from ancient times, sitting together under a tree, worshiping with the Gurus.

Unfortunately, our short visit to Mumbai, and to the farmhouse, was quickly drawing to a close. We found ourselves, once again, packing up our belongings to continue our journey to Tryambakeshwar.

Though the time spent here was short in duration, it lacked nothing in terms of the richness of experience. The quality of devotion which permeated that entire visit, indeed gave it a special feeling.

Devotion permeated everything, from the family’s commitment and careful attention to every last detail, to their prayer request for even more devotion, and finally to Shree Maa’s demonstration of devotion in worshiping a tree.

There is nothing we lack when we have pure devotion. With devotion, we truly have everything! Our short stay in Mumbai made me certain of this.

Jai Maa! Jai Swamiji!