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Pramukh Swami
Maharaj
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Swamishri has visited Khandesh nine times.
He performed vicharan to please the devotees amidst great physical
hardships. He has traveled on dusty, rough roads in bullock cart and
scorching sun. He has also traveled in the cold wintery season, resided
in mud huts and bathed in open frigid conditions. He has cooked on
smoky stoves fueled with wood. There was no electricity and the villages
had lots of bedbugs.
- Releasing Rajaram Patil
During Swamishri's first visit with Mota Swami he traveled by bullock
cart for 2½ months, from December 1953 to February 1954.
When Mota Swami and Swamishri arrived in Japi they stayed in the
small Swaminarayan mandir. Then Mota Swami came to know that Rajaram
Patil, a devotee, had been locked up for two days without food and
water by his drunken and rowdy son. On hearing the screams of Rajaram,
he took Pramukh Swami with him to the house and reproached Rajaram's
son and had him locked up. Then he freed Rajaram from his son's
persecution.
- Swamishri's 8 visits to Khandesh
In subsequent visits, Swamishri toured
the Khandesh region after Yogiji Maharaj passed away in 1971. From
1976 to 2003, Swamishri has visited Khandesh eight times.
- 19-01-1976 to 31-01-1976
- 02-12-1976 to 04-12-1976
- 13-05-1979 to 17-05-1979
- 02-05-1982 to 08-05-1982
- 16-01-1988 to 20-01-1988
- 04-01-1996 to 10-01-1996
- 18-06-1998 to 19-06-1998
- 12-02-2003 to 21-02-2003
- Three youths became satsangis
On 30 January 1976, Swamishri arrived
at the house of Shaligram Maganbhai Patil in Sakore. While meeting
the devotees, three youths came up to Swamishri. On asking their
names, the first replied, "Narayan Patel." The second
said, "Narayan Vitthal Patel." And the third replied,
"Narayan Bhau Patel."
On hearing their names Swamishri laughed and amusingly said, "See,
here with me is Narayan Bhagat. Then the sadhu sitting over there
is Narayanprasad. And I am Narayanswarup. Today we have Narayans
here and they will hold a meeting and talk about what's happening
in their universes!"
The three youths were impressed by Swamishri's simple and candid
personality. They took initiation into Satsang and are very devout
followers today.
- Hardships of satsang tour in Khandesh
Immediately after his satsang tour abroad in 1982, Swamishri had
scheduled a 3-day visit in mid-summer to Khandesh. Swamishri arrived
in the village of Varkheda and performed home-visits in the burning
heat. Then Swamishri visited the neighboring village of Japi and
went to the house of a devotee, Madhubhai Gajmal Patel. On entering
his house Swamishri told him, "I have come to fulfill your
wish." Madhubhai was immensely happy because at the instruction
of Swamishri he had dug a well on the spot where there was an incline,
and he had decided not to use the water from the well till Swamishri
arrived personally to sanctify it. Even though he had received the
sanctified water, in which Swamishri had bathed Harikrishna Maharaj
a year or so ago, he did not use the well water. Swamishri sanctified
his well water and returned back to Varkheda in the evening. The
lights were off because there was no electricity. So the evening
satsang assembly was conducted in the light of oil lamps. Thereafter
Swamishri said the chesta and went to sleep. But Swamishri could
not sleep in the stifling heat. At 2.00 a.m. the attendant sadhu
took his mattress to the terrace. But there was no wind and the
mosquitoes did not allow Swamishri to catch a wink. Swamishri got
up quietly and went by himself with a pot of water to the village
outskirts. After a while when the attendant sadhu saw that Swamishri
had not returned he became upset. The accompanying sadhus searched
the whole village but Swamishri was nowhere to be found. After some
time Swamishri arrived with the pot in his hand. The attendant sadhus
frantically enquired, "Where have you been? You should have
taken one of us with you. If something would have happened to you!
There are snakes around here…"
Swamishri smiled and said, "I went to the outskirts with this
pot of water. I felt why should I trouble you by spoiling your sleep.
I know this village like the back of my hand, so I went by myself."
Thereafter Swamishri had a bath and performed his puja. Swamishri
did not complain or utter a single word about the discomforts and
hardships of his travellings in Khandesh.
- Murti-pratishtha of murtis for
Khandesh mandirs,
23 December 2001
On 23 December 2001, on the day of Swamishri's 81st birthday celebration
in Sankari, Swamishri performed the murti-pratishtha rituals of
the deities beneath the mandir dome for five Hari mandirs in Khandesh,
namely, Mohadi, Japi, Songir, Kusumbe and Galvada. Despite ill health,
Swamishri then addressed the devotees of Khandesh, "You have
all arrived from Khandesh. The land is very holy and sacred. Shastriji
Maharaj had visited it a number of times. Nirgun Swami, too, had
visited it often. And they talked about the supreme creed of Akshar
Purushottam. Jogi Maharaj had also visited Khandesh.
"You have preserved your satsang in such a holy land. Mahant
Swami, Kothari Swami and other sadhus have inspired a lot of spiritual
strength too. From small mandirs large mandirs have now been constructed.
The marble murtis of Akshar Purushottam are very beautiful. Shastriji
Maharaj had left Vartal to inspire faith in people for Maharaj and
Swami, Akshar and Purushottam. It is a matter of great joy that
the murtis of Akshar and Purushottam will be installed in the mandirs."
Then Swamishri recited the names of villages and veteran devotees
of Khandesh. "I used to enjoy being in Khandesh. We used to
go to Songir, get off at Nardana station. First you come across
Songir. We used to reside at the Radha Krishna mandir in Songir.
There, Dolat Patil and his son-in-law Ghanshyam, and others resided
in Songir. Then a little further away from Songir you come to Dhanur.
From Dhanur you come to Dhule, then Dhule to Varkheda, Varkheda
to Japi, Japi to Mohadi, Mohadi to Amalner, Amalner to Galvada,
then to Kusumbe and from Kusumbe to Sakar (Sakore). We used to travel
to all these places and then return back to Gujarat.
"So, today it is a day of joy. By God's grace the pratishtha
has been done. With the installation of the deities in all the villages,
there will be good times, harmony, unity and an increase in devotion.
May you foster the Bal Mandal, Yuvak Mandal and Satsang Mandal so
that the region of Khandesh becomes inspired and happy.
"You have all come here and taken this opportunity of the murti-pratishtha.
You have experienced joy and I too am happy. May you all remain
happy."
- Chhabildas Master
After accomplishing the pratishtha rituals of murtis for the five
mandirs of Khandesh on 23 December 2001 in Sankari, Swamishri went
to perform his morning puja on the celebration stage. On coming
out from his car, he saw a person far away amongst the crowd of
devotees.
"Chhabildas is here!" Swamishri said while craning his
neck to see him.
"Where is he?" the attendant sadhu inquired.
"That person, wearing a topee," Swamishri pointed.
Then a sadhu weaved through the crowd of devotees and brought Chhabildas
to Swamishri. Chhabildas bowed and touched Swamishri's feet.
Swamishri held his hand and lovingly asked, "Why weren't you
present in the pratishtha? I remembered you..."
Chhabildas Ratandas Master was a native of Galvada. He was filled
with emotion by the love of Swamishri. He was touched by the fact
that though he was an ordinary devotee, Swamishri, a world renowned
saint, called him from thousands of devotees and blessed him.
Swamishri cares, loves and respects even the most ordinary of devotees.
- Naming five generations
In 2001, Amol, a young satsangi boy of village Varkheda, went to
Navsari for Swamishri's darshan. On meeting Swamishri he asked,
"I come from Varkheda, do you know me?"
Swamishri asked him his grandfather's name.
"Vasant," replied the boy.
Immediately Swamishri said, "Oh, Vasant's son's name is Narendra.
Vasant's father was Roopchand, then his father was Shyamlal and
then Shyamlal Daga."
In a flash Swamishri recited the names of five generations. Amol
was impressed by Swamishri's memory of and profound acquaintance
with his forefathers.
Swamishri, out of love and appreciation for the devotees, remembers
their names and that of their forefathers.
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