1977

For the Kumbh Mela, MA reached Allahabad on the 6th of January. Next day, she was taken in a procession to the Mela site under the management of Nirvani Akhara. The procession was led by the as­sembled Mahamandaleshwars, followed by Kirtan sing­ing groups. MA sat on a silver throne behind the ‘Narayanshila’ of the Ashram. The throne was placed on a wheel-cart. Mahamandaleshwar Gita Bharati was at the rear of the procession, which covered four long miles to reach the camp set up by Nirvani Akhara.

MA stayed at the camp of Anandamayee Sangh. On the special bathing days on the 14th, 19th and 21st, MA joined the bathers’ procession.. She herself did not take a dip, but stood in ankle-deep water of the Ganga in a posture of bowing. She sprinkled a, little water on herself, some drops falling on the fortu­nate followers who were close by.

On the most auspicious day on the 19th, it was raining incessantly and the winter cold was biting. The long pathway to the river became muddy, slippery and dangerous. MA said that was the will of God. People did not take to penance in the present age. God was mercifully causing everybody to shiver and suffer, for a while, showing no discrimination to rich or poor, high or low, or to saints or family men. Everybody had to go through the rigour of trudging through slush and rain, braving the shivering cold.

There was heavy demand on her time. Every Akhara represented at the Kumbh Mela wanted to take her to its camp. MA tried to fulfil their wishes as much as she could.

From the 25th MA attended a Bhagwat Week at Modinagar held in memory of the late G.S. Mody, and then returned to Kashi. From February 6, MA spent a week in total seclusion at Naimisharanya, and then went to Kurukshetra via Delhi, at the invitation of G.L. Nanda to observe Shivaratri.

Her next stop was Ahmedabad for the opening of a temple at the invitation of Mahamandaleshwar Gita Bharati. In early March, MA reached Kashi after touching Bombay, Delhi and Kankhal on the way. Holi was celebrated at Kashi and MA revelled in the festiv­ities along with the devotees.

After spending two days at Allahabad, Ma went to Chitrakoot by the Mandakini river at the earnest request of Mongturam Jaipuria, who had organised an eight-day programme there of recitations from the Valmiki Ramayan, followed by discussions on the epi­sodes. Leaving Chitrakoot on March 17, MA went to Deoghar via Kashi, to visit the Ashram of the late Narendranath Brahmachari. The holy man had con­ducted Annapurna Puja at Kankhal the previous year on a grand scale, and had desired MA’s presence at the Annapurna Puja at his Ashram that year. His wish was fulfilled, even through Narendra Brahmachari had unfortunately and suddenly passed away earlier.

On March 30, the Dashami Day of Basanti Puja, MA returned to Kashi. The same evening, one of her closest devotees, Durga Singh (Yogibhai) passed away at Solan. The former ruler of Solan had MA’s portrait before his eyes, and quietly uttered ‘MA’ thrice before breathing his last. When this was reported to MA, she commented: “It was just like Bhaiji” . The next day, the singing of M.S. Subbalakshmi and her daughter Radha at the Ashram brought some solace to the bereaved inmates.

Early April MA left Kashi for Naimisharanya and Kankhal. The birth centenary of Didima was observed from April 14. Didima was born in Baishakh (April-May) in 1877, but the exact date was not known. It was, therefore, decided that the centenary would be observed for full one month from the beginning of Baisakh, at all the Ashrams of Anandamayee Sangh.

While MA was at Kankhal, Mahesh Yogi came to her one day. Another day, the Head of Shivanand Ashram, Chidanandji, called on her. On April 14, all the Mahamandaleshwars in Hardwar came to the Ashram and addressed the devotees. One day. Brahmachari Nirmalanand spoke on the high spiritual attainments of Didima and the glorious life led by her. MA herself spoke at times on Didima’s exhulted existance and said that she reflected the glory of ‘en­lightenment with composure’ (Sthita-Pragya) as men­tioned in the Gita.

MA, of course, did not stay at Kankhal during the entire centenary celebrations. She went to Naimisharanya for the second anniversary of the Puran­Purush temple on the Akshay Tritia day on April 21. The same day, the foundation-stone for the “Institute for Puranic and Vedic Studies and Research” was laid there.

The setting up of such an Institute had been suggested by MA two years ago to Dr. Chenna Reddy, Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Dr Reddy had taken immediate interest and arranged 6 acres of land for the Centre. A Board of Trustees was formed with Dr. Reddy as President for life and Dr. Gaurinath Shastri as Director. Funds came liberally from Sitaram Jaipuria and the brother of G.M. Modi.

At the end of the month MA was at Dehradun on her way to Ramtirth, where her birthday and Tithi Puja were celebrated with great enthusiasm from May

2. She was back in Kankhal after a week. The celebrations there drew holy men like Swami Rangana­thanand of Ramakrishna Mission, Hyderabad and Mahesh Yogi.

MA’s health became indifferent. The doctors insisted that she take rest for at least three months and stop her wanderings. She acceded to the request and stayed back at Kankhal till the end of September. There was, of course, no end to religious functions during the period, nor to the pressing demand by devo­tees to have her darshan. Dr. Chenna Reddy came on the Guru Poornima Day. Srinath Shastri from Vrindavan conducted a Bhagwat Week. During Jhoolan Purnima came the Governor of Mysore, Govind Narain.

At the end of September, MA suddenly left for an unknown destination and came back after a week. She had spent those days in total seclusion at a farmhouse near Hardwar. Then she left for Narendranagar at the prayer of the Raja and Rani of Tehri to attend a Bhagwat recital for nine days. Unlike every year, the Durga image was not worshipped at the end of the festival. MA told the Royal couple, “For so many years you have been worshipping the idol; now turn inwards and meditate on the Goddess that lives within yourself. Only a symbolic worship was held for Durga on the Puja days.

On October 24, MA left for Kashi and within days left for an unknown destination with just a few companions. Later it was known that she had gone to Rajgir.

MA left for Western India on November 13, reaching Baroda via Delhi. From there she went to Chandod and Badrikashram where the 28th Sanyam Mahabrat was held from the 18th. at the request of Mahamandaleshwar Brahmanand. A huge pandal was erected near the Narmada river to accommodate over one thousand people who had taken the vow to ob­serve the week. During religious discourses one day, MA commented, “A worthy Guru will never forsake his disciple. The Guru will not release the disciple, how­soever adamant he might be to run away”.

After Badrikashram, MA visited Bhimpura Anandamayee Ashram, Baroda and Bombay on her way to Poona where the 95-year old blind Sannyasi Swami Gangeshwaranand held discussions on the Vedas at a function for seven days. MA also attended a Gita Jayanti at Poona from November 18 to 22. On the concluding day, MA charged with divine emotions sang her heart out for half an hour, invoking the spirits of Krishna, Gopal and Kanhaiya.

After two days in Bombay, MA went to Bairagarh Ashram near Bhopal to rest for a few days. At the end of the month, she went to Panchmarhi, where the Chief Engineer of Madhya Pradesh, N.N. Shah, an ardent devotee, had built a hut several years ago for use in anticipation of MA’s visit to that picturesque hill resort.

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