With curiosity in our hearts, we set out to meet devotees we had never encountered before. We posed our first question to an elderly gentleman, whose face lit up with gratitude and devotion. “My happiness knows no bounds being here,” he began with a serene smile. He shared how the rains had made it impossible to construct roads or toilets, leaving rainwater everywhere. Despite these challenges, the turnout of devotees has been overwhelming, with many finding shelter and rest in the main pandal. Yet, even amidst these inconveniences, his faith remained unshaken.
“This life, this moment—standing here before you, speaking to you—is solely by the grace of Sri Sri Thakur,” he declared with deep conviction. Reflecting on his journey, he narrated a life-altering incident from 1996, when he was posted in Srinagar. A heart attack had left him at the edge of death. Miraculously, a doctor from the USA was flown in, who performed a critical operation. By Thakur’s grace, he not only survived but regained his health within six months.
“Even after the operation, my legs became infected. Yet, I lived. Thakur saved me, time and again. Today, I dedicate this body and every breath to fulfilling his will.” His words echoed the unwavering faith and devotion that sustains him through every challenge
As I walked alongside another devotee, a man whose health was visibly fragile—his kidneys damaged, his body weighed down with illness—I was struck by his devotion. Despite his ailing body, he was devastated that he couldn’t offer his help in the arrangements. He had a dialysis session scheduled for the next day and would have to return to Bhubaneswar. “If only my health permitted, I would have wanted nothing more than to become dust in this soil,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
But what truly took my breath away was another devotee, who undergoing treatment for cancer, with unshakable strength, was running from one end to the other, helping in every way she could. She accompanied Sri Sri Thakur’s procession, blowing the conch with grace and devotion, her spirit unwavering. Whether attending the sabha, singing bhajans, or assisting with any task, she radiated the purest form of divine grace, an example of strength and devotion.
We approached an elderly lady seated in a wheelchair, her serene countenance drawing us closer. As we posed our question, her eyes sparkled with a quiet intensity, and she began to speak, her voice steady and filled with reverence.
“My uncle and aunt were blessed to be initiated by Sri Sri Thakur himself,” she shared. “My parents received initiation from Chidananda Maharaj, and I was fortunate to be initiated by Sri Birajananda Saraswati. Since my earliest days, my world has revolved around Sri Sri Thakur and the sacred mantra ‘Jayaguru.’ In every temple I’ve ever visited, I have bowed before my Guru, for nothing in my life is as dear to me as ‘Jayaguru.’”
She paused for a moment, her face reflecting a lifetime of memories. “Through all the storms of life and every difficult moment, it is only Thakur’s blessings that have carried me through. His grace has always been my guiding light. My parents had fervently wished for me to receive ‘diksha’ from Chidananda Maharaj, but life had other plans. By the time I became a mother of two, my mother had passed away before her wish could be fulfilled. I wasn’t even aware of her desire then.”
Her voice softened, imbued with awe. “Yet, by the boundless grace of Sri Sri Thakur, I received my ‘diksha mantra' in the very same ashram, twenty-two years after my mother’s passing. It was as though Thakur himself ensured her wish was fulfilled, even after all those years. Such is the infinite compassion and grace of Thakur.”
Then, we met a young boy who stood out in the crowd, his youthful energy an anomaly in the midst of the older, seasoned devotees. As we pondered what could draw him to the Sammilani instead of indulging in year-end celebrations with his friends, we asked him what he found so compelling here. With a smile, he replied simply, "I love it here." He spoke of the sheer joy that pulls him to the Sammilani every year, even though the conditions weren’t always ideal. "Yes, it’s not comfortable. There are disturbances," he acknowledged. "But the circumstances were beyond anyone’s control. Nature tests the spirit of people in its own way." The unpredictable weather, the rain, the mud—it only seemed to bring the devotees closer, strengthening their resolve and their connection to one another.
The next day, on the 27th of December, the first day of the Sammilani, I returned to find a transformation. The sun shone brightly, its warmth pulling the last droplets of water from the earth. The ground, now dry, had been transformed into a vibrant marketplace with colorful shops lining the pathways. Some devotees sat near the dias, listening intently to the speeches, while others had joined the nama sankirtan, their voices harmonizing in devotion. Many wandered through the shops, exploring the books and offerings displayed, each one drawn to something different, yet all united by a shared purpose.
That day, the Annapurna Bhandar opened four doors to welcome the devotees, ensuring that no one had to wait long for prasad. Everything unfolded with the utmost discipline. Even those who couldn’t find a seat near the mandap found a place around the large screens set up throughout the area, ensuring they didn’t miss a moment of the divine proceedings.
It was a day of unparalleled harmony, where faith and devotion flowed freely, and the grace of Sri Sri Thakur touched every heart present. My heart swelled with joy when I was asked to perform in front of Sri Sri Thakur on the first evening of the Sammilani. It was a moment I had longed for, and the honour of being part of such a sacred occasion filled me with gratitude. Yet, what truly stirred my soul was the sight of the young students of Bansi Bilas, dressed as Nimai, Nitai, Vishnupriya, Kanchana, and Sachi Mata, ready to take the stage for the ballet ‘Nimai Sanyas.’ Their costumes brought a flood of nostalgia, transporting me back to my own days in the role of Vishnupriya.
I began to hum the songs, each note resonating deeply within me. The memories of traveling with Sri Dhiren Das, the legendary theatre director, and Sangeet Sudhakar Balkrishna Das, whose music and soul-stirring voice had brought to life the heart-wrenching song of Nimai bidding farewell to Vishnupriya, came rushing back. Every dialogue, every song, had touched the deepest core of everyone’s heart back then—and now, as I watched the ballet unfold, those same emotions stirred once again.
As the performance began, the area slowly filled with devotees, and what a crowd it was! The air was thick with devotion, and as the ballet unfolded, every eye glistened with tears. The raw emotion was palpable, and the sighs of the devotees echoed through the space. It was an unforgettable collective experience, one that bound us all together in a shared moment.
The days that followed seemed to blur into one another as the Sammilani unfolded, its magic growing with every passing hour. The number of attendees swelled each day, and soon the three days of the gathering had flown by, leaving us with hearts full of divine grace.
As the final day arrived, the mood was buoyant, yet there was a sense of reluctant farewell in the air. The time had come for the devotees to prepare to return to their homes, to carry the light of these precious days back with them. But the joy they had experienced during these three days would stay with them, a constant source of inspiration and peace. For they knew that soon, the time would come once again to gather, to bask in the collective devotion, and to be enveloped by Sri Sri Thakur’s grace. The next Sammilani would be in Khadakusuma, and the anticipation for that reunion would carry them through the year, until they could once again be together in the divine presence.
110th Sarvabhouma Bhakta Sammilani at Balighai, 27th to 29th December, 2024
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