Ganeshpuri

In front of Kailas Nivas, Ganeshpuri, India

(A look back to two years ago…)

I have been in Ganeshpuri, India for a little over a month now and I look back in wonder at all that has happened…

Firstly, there seems never a dull moment in Ganeshpuri. In terms of daily happenings, this spiritual powerhouse of a place is filled with events both large and small. Pujas (rituals of worship) and other spiritual ceremony abound offering yet another opportunity to remember the divine…Each day holds surprises and magnificent graces.

Here’s a for instance. The other morning, I was admittedly feeling a bit blue about something that happened back home (my other home!) and just also missing my two sons. There was a tinge of homesickness, very rare here. I roused myself to get ready for the day, nonetheless.

As I was leaving my flat, I happened to run into one of the darling babies of which I had made an acquaintance, a beloved and adorable being of a dear family I know here. She was being carried by one of her grandmothers.

Her smile and welcome lifted my spirits.

As I approached the street in front of where I I live, I heard chanting. (This is not unusual here. As I sit in my flat just now, I hear a beautiful song from somewhere.) A group of folks were walking down the street chanting Bhagavan Nityananda’s name right in front of my place of residence. I felt as if Bade Baba was encouraging me to join them so I did. Chanting together, we walked into town, we stopped in front of the Bhadrakali Temple and payed obeisance; and then proceeded toward the temple.

We first did pradakshina of the temple (walking around) stopping momentarily at the Shiva Temple adjacent…We ended by entering the Bhagavan Nityananda Samadhi Temple and sitting for a time; followed by darshan of the padukas up front.

I spoke to them after and discovered they had walked 6-7 kilometers from the nearby town of Vajreshwari! I happened upon the last bit of their pilgrimage…They had come from various parts of India and gathered to do this practice together.

I was a little taken aback upon hearing this wondering if I had been rude for joining them but far from making me feel like an interloper, they welcomed me and thanked me for participating. They were genuine in this. And I felt so grateful for this generosity of spirit!

I did what I could to express this gratitude. The nearest possibility, in true Annie fashion, was offering everyone some chai at Umesh’s nearby chai shop. We sat together enjoying this delightful beverage. It was a lot of fun and gave us a chance to get to know each other a bit. And it did seem appreciated.

I share this to demonstrate what I feel is an amazing amount of support on all levels here. Of course, the possibilities for profound meditations and insights abound. But here I am describing the daily momentum which naturally speaks to our humanness and how that is supported. I needed some emotional nurturance for a brief time and it readily came my way…It felt like Bade Baba was saying, “I’m here…I’m here…”

On the other hand, there are certain elements on a practical level that require getting accustomed to. For instance, the electricity just went off! This can happen here and there and usually doesn’t stay that way long. But there you have it!

The electricity did come back on a few minutes later.

(Presently, there is a planned stoppage of electricity on Fridays during the day. Not sure the reason but it’s helpful to know in advance.)

I could fill pages and pages with beautiful events large and small here. My favorite place to meditate is Kailas Nivas. And the power of the Arati in the Bhagavan Nityananda Samadhi Temple which happens three times a day is magnificent…

It is a place filled with Bhagavan Nityananda’s grace.

I hope this very brief expression has given some sense of this…🙏

Annie Kiyonaga

November 14, 2023