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Spiritual Journey to India 2016 (Haridwar, Nainital, Kashi, Vrindavan, Agra, Delhi)

It was early June of 2016 –finally our annual trip to India with Guruji, Gurumaa and the Ashram devotees of Shree Maharishi Bhrigu Ashram had arrived. The annual trip is primarily made to get darshan of and spend precious time with Guru Mata Brahmajyoti (Babaji) - Guruji and Gurumaa’s Guru at the Bhrigu Ashram in Haridwar and to visit other spiritual holy places.
All throughout the year leading up to the trip, Guruji recites from the Bhagavad Gita and or the Mahabharata for daily morning and evening satsangs and emphasizes on daily regular meditative practice. Finally the time had arrived to go visit some of these spiritual places he had talked about from these ancient scriptures. Our trip becomes so much more meaningful as all is brought to life per Guruji’s satsangs from the ancient scriptures when one is physically present in these places where divine leelas took place. The peace and serenity and the blissful feeling I experience while I am in these holy places is beyond description. We each go on this trip expecting nothing yet receiving abundance in a form of unexpected miracles and eye opening incidents.
Each year prior to making the trip the itinerary is planned per the Aadesh given to us by Bhriguji during the weekly Sunday morning Bhrigu Divine readings. This year’s (2016) Aadesh was to go to Haridwar, one place in the Northern part of the Himalayas, Kashi(Varanasi) and Vrindavan.
Haridwar
The devotees gathered in Haridwar at Shree Maharishi Bhrigu Ashram which is run by Guru Mata Brahma Jyoti (Babaji) per planned. At 90+ years of age Babaji looked as radiant as ever and full of energy. One could see the excitement in her beautiful sparkling eyes at the sight of us. We were all equally as excited to be in the presence of a God realized divine soul.
The Bhrigu Meditation Center in Lake Forest, California, is run by Guru Ji and Guru Ma as per the divine guidance of Guru Mata Brahma Jyoti (Babaji) and the divine guidance of Shree Ramani Guru Ji per the Kakabhushundi divine palm leaves he reads at his ashram in Tambaram, Chennai.
Bhrigu Ashram Haridwar has a Gaushala that provides dairy products for the Ashram and the locals. The existing Gaushala is now too small. Bhrigu Ashram of Haridwar has bought some land to have a larger Gaushala. First of our spiritual activities kicked off by being a part of Gaushala Bhoomi poojan. This was carried out by the ashram priests and took place in the presence of Babaji – alongside Guruji, Gurumaa and the devotees. We spent a few beautiful days in the company of Babaji and the Ashram residents enjoying daily satsangs with Babaji, Guru Ji & Guru Maa.
Nainital (Northern part of the Himalaya)
For the next leg of our trip there were plans for the Bhrigu Pariwar to visit some Northern part of the Himalaya. There was contemplation of going to Uttarkashi and Gau mukh. However, a decision was made to go to Nainital instead of, agya given to Guru Ji from Maharishi Bhrigu. This decision by Bhrigu Ji was amazing as the rains came too hard on the route to Uttarkashi leading to several landslides and road closures. We reached Nainital amongst a beautiful scenic road trip in several Innova Vans. Nainital was beautiful, scenic and mountainous. The Nainital Lake was very serene. The early morning Vishnu Sahasranam Jap and evening satsangs given by Guruji on the hotel grounds surrounded by the mountains with low hanging clouds overlooking the beautiful Nainital Lake were out of this world.
We had an elderly couple amongst us, whose son-in-law had been involved in an industrial fire accident at his work place a few years back. He was burnt quiet badly and had injured his eyes. His eyes are still not better. Completely unknown to the couple their daughter had taken a vow to go visit either herself or one of her family members to the Naina Devi temple that is located in Nainital and get prasad for her husband for his eyes to get better. How miraculous is this that Bhriguji while diverting us from going to Uttarkashi/Gaumukh chooses a destination that served a purpose for this couple? This simply was a divine play.
Kashi
We were welcomed in Kashi by thunderous rains. Upon arrival at our hotel Guruji began to make inquires as to how to go about having darshan at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Guruji soon found out after chatting to several people in the hotel that it would be impossible for all 40 of the Bhrigu devotees to be able to have darshan as the temple is too small. It was about 4.00 PM in the afternoon when Guruji alerted us of his findings and reassured us that maybe this is Bhriguji’s will. I was completely fine as I had no expectations to be disappointed about.
Bhriguji came to the rescue and with his divine intervention morning Rudra Abhishekh and evening Sapt Rushi Aarti darshan for 40 devotees to the Kashi Vishwanath temple was arranged in a series of miraculous incidents. This was unbelievable and absolutely amazing to see how effortlessly Bhriguji made all this possible through Guru Ji & Gurumaa.
We were all to assemble in the hotel lobby at 1.30 am the next morning to be a witness to the Rudra Abhishek that takes place at 2.45 am in the morning. Everyone in our group from the youngest 6 year old girl to an 80 year old man was present for the event. It was the most surreal and magical feeling to be at a temple where Lord Shiva with Parvati actually resided some thousands of years ago. The temple was old and the place where the Shiva lingam was located was very small yet all 40 of the devotees were in the clear view of the Rudra Abhishek ceremony that was conducted by the temple priests. All the while I was at the temple I was chanting the mantra “Om Namah Shivaya”. Guruji, Gurumaa and all the devotees revisited the temple in the evening for the Sapt Rushi aarti too. These two ceremonies were nothing like I have ever witnessed in my entire life. The Sapt Rushi aarti was very elaborate with seven priests chanting ancient mantras in classical ragas all the while performing abhishekh on the Shiva lingam from bathing it with water, milk, purified butter and honey to applying it with sandal wood and decorating it with abil, gulal, kanku and chandan powder. It was elaborately decorated with fresh flower garlands and Shiva’s favorite leaves – the Bel Patra. We took a boat ride on the river Ganges in the early hours of the morning where Guruji conducted the morning aarti and satsang on the boat. We saw the assi-ghat on the boat ride. It was like being in heaven.
Vrindavan
Again there was a slight dilemma as to how we would attain darshan at the Shree Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan of the Shree Banke Biharilal. Bhrigu leela was at play once more and seamlessly all was arranged for the Bhrigu pariwar to get darshan at the temple. When at the temple all I remember is the 2 bright sparkling rays coming from Shree Banke Bihari’s eyes. I do not remember seeing the Shree Banke Biharilal’s face. I arrived at the altar for darshan and the priest threw a rose garland around my neck and gave me prasad. I was in absolute awe at this and I could not contain my excitement. All the while I was at the temple I was chanting the mantra “Om Namah Bhagavate Vasudevaya”.
While at the temple something out of the ordinary happened. Guruji was approached by a stranger who placed some tulsi leaves (Basil) in Guruji’s palms. Gurumaa began to give this man dakshina but the stranger said “No! Not from you” and he disappeared within moments. We all began to proceed outside the temple after the darshan. There was a very old frail dark skinned sadhu dressed in bright saffron robes with a peacock feather tucked in his hair sitting outside the temple in a cage like structure. Something urged Guruji and Gurumaa to offer the tulsi leaves given to him by the stranger to the sadhu. The Sadhu took the tulsi leaves that Guruji offered and held them with a tight fist tucking them close to his heart. As Guruji and Gurumaa bowed down to get his blessings, he said to Gurumaa that her health will be perfect. Gurumaa has been suffering with arthritis for several years, a fact this sadhu could not have known. We all bowed down to the sadhu to get his blessing. All this had already come in the Bhrigu Divine Readings earlier this year for the events to unfold that God would give us darshan in some form at Vraj-Vrindavan. We all felt the divine touch at this miraculous event.
Agra
In Agra we visited the beautiful Taj Mahal one of the Seven Wonders of the World and took some memorable photos with our beloved Guruji and Gurumaa and the Bhrigu Pariwar. The kids had a lot of fun. We all enjoyed the hotel and magnificent Taj Mahal.
Delhi
While in Delhi awaiting our journey home we were staying at the Radisson Blu hotel. As though we had not had enough special things happen to us already Bhriguji still had something special awaiting us. It just so happened that his holiness the Dalai Lama was staying at the same hotel as us. There were a few of us present in the hotel lobby when the Dalai Lama appeared in the lobby early that morning. I was in absolute awe at the sight of him. I approached him, bowed down to him and all the while his gaze was carefully following my hands and eventually my face and eyes. He watched me intensely with his compassionate eyes and he asked me” WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH ME?” In my head I said to myself “OMG- YES”!!! I politely replied “yes”. He put his hand around my shoulders as our group assembled to take a picture with this divine soul.Some six to eight months back I was asked a question, “If I could take one person to lunch in this whole world who would it be?” My answer has been, “I would like to have lunch with his divine Holiness the Dalai Lama”. Bhriguji made possible the darshan of Dalai Lama!!! The occasion of Guru Purnima was celebrated by Guruji and Gurumaa in Delhi with the devotees before our journey back to the USA. And here ends yet another spiritual trip india 2016.
*** Om tat sat Om ***

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