Ashtami

I did not go to Bangalore (sad face). But I did my Navratri Vrat, puja, Akhand Jyot (Light that burns constantly for nine days) in Delhi.
I went for Maha Chandi Homa in Chattarpur Temple today and what an experience it was. All the Mantras, chants, Puja, done with Vedic Mantras and traditions by Rishi Nitya Pragya Ji and saints that had come from Bangalore Art Of Living Ashram. More about my experience along with pictures in my next post.

Here is a description from another devotee who was in Bangalore Ashram and attended the Puja with Guruji.

The 7th and 8th days of Navratri

I'm thinking of sending the Oxford Dictionary a new entry to the list of words:
A single word for - Amazing+Beautiful+Calm+Delightful+Enchanting+Fabulous+Magical+Powerful.
Navratri.
And if they disagree or ask for proof - I'll send them an invite to 2011 Navratri :) They'll add more to my list :)

The 7th day started with a beautiful Maha Rudra Homa and in the evening we started the Sudershan Homa at a little past 6 with the Vishnu Sahasranama
( If you haven;t heard it - here is the link - It's a very beautiful chanting:
At about 9pm on Thursday Guruji played the Veena (first he played a new tune and then: Jai Jai Durge Maam Shree Bhuvaneshwari Maa)
It was quite amazing to listen to Bhanu didi sing and Guruji play the instrument! Truly divine :)

Ashtami had to be special - as always.. It is amazing to watch the puja - to see the number of people who come to witness this spectacle... And i prayed - prayed for each of you :)
We waited to say "Jaya Jaya" at the end of every chapter (and remembered how Kashi Bhaiya had told us - When you say "Jaya Jaya" with the priests it's almost like you have done the puja) we heard the "ya devi sarva bhuteshu..." shloka and remembered how so many years ago we were fortunate enough to listen to Vikram Bhaiya and Rishi Nityapragya singing it together during Navratri.....
During the Puja Guruji suddenly took the mike and said - "we are reading 13 chapters for the mother divine and we are reaching the pinnacle of the puja's... just surrender... don;t do anything else... you don;t do anything.. just relax... Krishna had told Arjuna 'you surrender to me and i'll wash of all your sins'.. it's the same,, you don;t do anything.. just relax... all your sins will get washed off"
After a good lunch and spending time the whole day - it was satsang time...
Everyone seemed in extra high spirits and each of the bhajans were power packed too - "bhole nath shiv shambho bhaje" - "haati ghoda palaki jai kanhaiya lal ki" - "durge jaya jaya maa"...
so Guruji took a meditation and just before he took the meditation he said -
"The celebrations began in silence and we should have silence in between too. The puja's were very good, Everyone has been blessed in abundance.. everything is in abundance this time... there is no lack of anything... and with this happy, content and fulfillment we should meditate and enjoy in silence."
then he took a very nice meditation.
Guruji - "He who is awakened from within, the veda mantra's go to him... and hence it is so important to meditate. In all these yagya's the 5 elements are considered and honored. the result of which is health faith intelligence success wakefulness and strength,,, and everything else.. it's all getting covered,,, and he who doesn;'t participate in yagya's get's neither the benefits here or in the afterlife... Tomorrow we have the Rishi Homa - we should celebrate by singing and meditating and in silence... yagya's is all of this - the puja's the singing - dance - silence....
Although the intellect night not understand the subtle knows.. And it's not that the intellect doesn;t know. if you want to study and learn about these things you can... From the empty how did the 5 elements come? first there was gas,,, then came fire... it cooled and became water.. then became heavy solidified and became the "earth"...
These yagya's are done keeping so many things in consideration.. special herbs and materials are used... some of the best priests from various parts of India come for our puja's... The yagya's benefit us in this world and in THAT world too... it's precious... and for all of this we need the right atmosphere too... there are 16 main disciplines which are focussed on and no one person in their one lifetime can master it. It you choose to do that - it will take more than 300 years to study which is not possible by 1 human... so we have the priests who specialize in each discipline and they do the puja's.. just like 1 person cannot be a doctor+engineer+lawyer etc...
we are very fortunate to experience this. and what we have experienced is very deep and subtle. It cannot be put into words.. words are in fact the first distortion of truth. It's tuff to explain... The mind memory intellect speech - when they all dissolve into the being/source/self - it is bliss...
So tomorrow i will meet all the internationals after lunch.. ok? we will finish the Rishi Homa.. it's to thank all the masters who have lived on this planet.. tomorrow we will also honor the musical instruments and vehicles and recognize the divinity around us... you might fins in the city all the taxis and buses are all decorated... Divine is beyond gender - but the very first instance in our lives is the Mother - and tomorrow we will honor that... Just to remind you of that...
JGD"

And with that - we almost draw curtains to another Navratri - the amazing and beautiful experience :)
Good night/morning/afternoon/evening.