Day 88 – August 3, 2015

Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Shamshabad

In the morning, Gurudev visited Chinmaya Vidyalaya Shamshabad which is very close to the new Hyderabad Airport. Being Sadhana day, the staff and students were extremely fortunate to have Him come to their school and bless them in their Sadhana. They enthusiastically received Him and an elaborate paduka pooja was performed.

Chinmaya Vidyalaya Kundanbagh Begumpet:
In December 1951, a sadhu knocked at the door of one of the homes in Hyderabad. The Sadhu asked the young girl who answered the knock for her father to which she replied, “No. Not yet home.” and banged the door on the Sadhus face. The Sadhu went away. After some time, when the father returned the girl told him about the sadhu. The father immediately rushed to the railway station and handed over a ticket to the the sadhu, who was heading to Poona.
The sadhu is none other than our Pujya Gurudev, the young girl was Lakshmi Reddy and her father Sri Raja Gopal Reddy. His journey started from Hyderabad and His last yagna in India was also in Hyderabad. From 1956, Gurudev’s yagnas where organized regularly and if any of His yagnas where cancelled in other places, He would give the dates for Hyderabad and they would organize them successfully.

Smt Lakshmi Reddy played a major role in Hyderabad where the Tyagi magazine was published. For many years, she was the editor of the Tyagi magazine which would give information about Gurudev’s programs. From 1956 – 1993, she traveled in and outside the country to chant the Geeta during Gurudev’s yagnas. Gurudev would call her as the ‘Subba Lakshmi of Chinmaya Mission’.
CM Hyderabad & CV Begumpet had the privilege and good fortune to receive Him and perform paduka pooja on Sadhana day. The students led Him in procession bearing orange flags right up to the ashram. He first visited the Parameshwara temple and then went to meet the students. The rendered melodious bhajans for Him and put up a dance-drama for Him titled ‘Chinmayashtakam’. Sri R.V.Chandravadan (IAS, Commissioner, Prohibition and Excise, Telangana) was the chief guest of the function. He recollected few memories with Pujya Gurudev during his address.