Kashi The abode of Lord Shiva
Uttar Bhārat Yātrā of H. H. Shrīmat Sadyojāt Shaṅkarāshram Swāmījī
March 4th to March 27th 2025
Vārāṇasī Camp (25th – 27th March 2025)Inputs by Deepā Murḍeshwar
26th March 2025
Early hours of the dawn…
Time stood still as we walked through the narrow lanes of Kāshī, still absorbed in the thoughts of Lord Shiva on that early dawn of 26th March 2025 while on our way to the Kāshī Vishwanāth temple to worship the Liṅga. We were about to witness a historic, awe-inspiring event leaving a powerful, lasting impression in our hearts. We felt immensely blessed and grateful that we were in the Divine Sannidhi of H.H. Swāmījī and would get to see Pūjya Swāmījī perform the Abhisheka on the Jyotirliṅga enshrined in the garbhagṛha as Lord Shiva Himself! शिवो भूत्वा शिवं यजेत्!
No reasoning, no intellectual analysis can dare to describe the spectacular moment when after the abhis͟heka, H.H. Swāmījī’s “Mahādeva sharaṇam… and Sāmba Sadāshiva…” resonated from the pīt͟ha to the shikhara, from every column of the maṇḍapa-s to the kaṭi-kūṭa of the temple parisara.
H.H. Swāmījī visited the shrines of Kālabhairava, Nandi, Pārvatī, Kārtikeya Gaṇesha, Avimukteshwara and the Gyāna Vāpī well in the mandira parikramā parisara.
25th March 2025
Shrī Kālabhairav temple
The previous evening of 25th March, H.H. Swāmījī, accompanied by a few members of His entourage and the Uttar Bhārat Yātrā Organizers, offered His obeisance at the ancient temple of Kālabhairav Gaṇa of Shiva known for embodying intense energy and power.
Worshipped as the protector of Kāshī (Vārāṇasī), Kālabhairav is associated with the Time, destruction and annihilation. While standing guard in front of many Shiva mandir precincts, Kālabhairav is present at all the Jyotirliṅga temples.
25th March 2025
An Informative Presentation
After offering Dīpanamaskāra, the yātrī-s eagerly waited to listen to and see an excellent, and informative presentation by Dr. Nitin R. Gokarṇ, IAS on “Vārāṇasī - the spiritual heart of Sanātana Dharma”.
Nitin mām talked about Kāshī as the oldest living city on this planet. It is mentioned in the Ṛgveda. The word Kāshī comes from the root word “Kāsh/काश्” which means ‘to shine’. It is said that Kāshī is held on the trishūla, the trident of Lord Shiva. The sādhaka-s listened attentively when Nitin mām talked about the 84 ghāṭ-s of Vārāṇasī, the series of steps that lead to the Ganges but could not stop their hearts from thumping when they heard him talk about Rājā Ghāṭ where Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h stands today!
26th March 2025
Namo Ghāṭ 2:30 p.m.
One of the most outstanding features of Namo Ghāṭ is a magnificent, gigantic hand folded sculpture alongside three more, smaller hand sculptures of a male, female and a youth folded in namaskāra mudrā-s, an expression of our culture in which we revere guests as we would welcome the Gods! अतिथिदेवो भव!
H.H. Swāmījī climbed down the steps of Namo Ghāṭ leading to the banks of the holy river Gaṅgā who was once held by Lord Shiva in His matted locks. The untiring tapasyā of Bhāgīratha, moved Āshutos͟ha so much that He set Her free to flow down to earth in all Her majesty!
A flower decked bajrā boat was waiting for H.H. Swāmījī to sail Pūjya Swāmījī on an evening tour across the various scenic ghāṭ-s down the timeless, serene Ganges. The yātrī-s hurriedly boarded other boats.
The view from the bajrā boats resembled a vibrant tapestry, intricately woven with scenes of majestic temples, ancient forts, and regal palaces, seamlessly blending the various ghāṭ-s built over centuries by several royal families of Bhāratavars͟ha. Standing atop the boat with the sun setting in the background we felt an overwhelming sense of triumph, as though every challenge we had faced had been a stepping stone to this victorious moment of entering our very own Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h at Rājā Ghāṭ!
We disembarked to climb up the long, narrow steps of Rājā Ghāṭ and entered Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h, Vārāṇasī
Emerging from the sacred snāna in the Gaṅgā, H.H. Swāmījī made His way to the Mat͟h. After beholding the Divine during Devadarshana, and Darshana at Shrī Dattātreya temple, Pūjya Swāmījī shared a moment of heartfelt remembrance with the sādhaka-s, reverently recalling His Guru, Parama Guru, and their sacred journey to Kāshī.
As twilight descended at Rājā Ghāṭ, H.H. Swāmījī's Gaṅgā Pūjana unfolded like a timeless prayer, merging with the sacred waters.
The evening culminated in the luminous Dīpanamaskāra, as the gathering boarded the bajrā boats that carried them softly across the waters, returning to Namo Ghāṭ and onward to Shriṅgerī Mat͟h, Vārāṇasī.
27th March 2025
The midday Darshana of Mā Vindhyavāsinī, a revered manifestation of Goddess Durgā, at the Vindhyavāsinī Temple in Mirzāpur, Uttar Pradesh, was a moment of profound spiritual energy and devotion. The temple was bathed in the sun's intense heat and blazing light in the peak of daytime.
Mā Vindhyavāsinī was elegantly adorned with intricate jewellery and garlands of fragrant white jasmine and vibrant red roses. Her gaze, both compassionate and commanding, held the devotion of the yātrī-s, who, amidst the vast throng of visitors gathered for the Divine Mother's darshana, could pause only briefly to offer their heartfelt prayers yet feel a deep connection to the Goddess.
It was a truly soul-stirring experience, where one feels both humbled and uplifted in the presence of the divine energy that Mā Vindhyavāsinī embodies.
27th March 2025
Dīpanamaskāra, Shrī Shiva Pūjana, Āshīrvachana
The resonant chants of the auspicious Maṅgalācharaṇa and Ghana Pāt͟ha, eloquently recited by the erudite vaidika-s and paṇḍita-s of Kāshī, filled the expansive hall with a sacred energy.
An eager congregation of devotees had assembled, awaiting the commencement of the rituals of Dīpanamaskāra, Shrī Shiva Pūjana, and the Blessings from the Āshīrvachana as the presence of H.H. Swāmījī illuminated the evening with spiritual resplendence!
Honouring at the Divine Hands of H.H. Swāmījī
H.H. Swāmījī honoured distinguished dignitaries and the Uttar Bhārat Yātrā Organising Committee.
Notably amongst the guests, were a couple, Shrī Mahesh Lāḍ and his wife, Vishākhā, an acclaimed and highly respected artist couple renowned for their exceptional contributions to the world of fine art. Frequent visitors to Kāshī, it was during one of their early pilgrimages to the Peshwā temple at Rājā Ghāṭ, now Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h, that the photograph of H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī, quietly resting behind the Shivaliṅga on the wall, attracted the attentive gaze of Shrī Mahesh. The photograph as though represented serenity incarnate. The image seemed to cast a spell on him. Inspired, he took brush to canvas and brought the image to life in his own strokes. His painting found its way to H.H. Swāmījī in Vārāṇasī – a heartfelt offering, even though their paths had never crossed before.
Receiving tīrtha from the Divine Hands of H.H. Swāmījī at the Concluding Dharma Sabhā marked the profound conclusion of the three-day stay in Vārāṇasī. While H.H. Swāmījī, the retinue and a few sādhaka-s left for Nāgpur the following day, yātrī-s departed for their respective homes with hearts imbued with a deep sense of gratitude and an awakened awareness of responsibility, both towards oneself and others.