Day 102 – August 17, 2015
God minded, unassuming, simple, humble, well read, propagator of Lord Jagannatha Tattva is what Gajapati Maharaja Sri Dibyasingh Deb is all about. Being a disciple of Sw. Chidananda ji (Divine Life Society), he has great regard for Pujya Gurudev. The Maharaja first met Pujya Gurudev in the mid eighties and has also attended the entire Vivekachoodamani Marathon camp. Later on, he was instrumental in organising two gyana yagnas in Dehradun in the early nineties.
Pujya Gurudev in one His letters writes to the Bhubaneswar CM devotees to seek the Maharajas help while organizing His yagnas. The Maharaja holds Gurudev & the Chinmaya Mission in such high regard that the wedding of his daughter took place in our Jagadeeswara Temple at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai.
Today, He visited Sri Jagannath Temple and also Sri Nahar, the residence of Gajapati Maharaja in Puri. The Maharani & Maharaja performed paduka pooja in the presence of other eminent acharyas of Puri viz. Swami Jagannathananda (Divine Life Society, Puri), Baba Satchitananda Das (Jhanja Pitha Matha, Puri) and Swami Samarpanananda (Kriya Yoga Ashram, Puri).
In the evening, Gurudev visited the ashram of His guru-bhai, Swami Chidananda ji. The devotees were exuberant that Gurudev had come to bless them at the Chidananda Hermitage Shanti Ashram (The Divine Life Society, Baliguali, Puri). Incidentally, 2015-2016 is also the Birth Centenary Year of Swami Chidananda.
After performing Aarti in the Dhyana Mandir, Swami Sarvapriyananda & Br. Niladri Chaitanya addressed the devotees on the significance and purpose of the Chinmaya Jyoti Yatra.
Later in the evening, a public function was organised at the Puri Town Hall. Eminent acharyas from various maths in Puri were present for the function and shared their memories of Gurudev.
Baba Ramcharan Das (Radhavallabha Math, Puri)
Baba Satchitananda Das (Jhanja Pitha Matha, Puri)
Swami Samarpanananda (Kriya Yoga Ashram, Puri)
Swami Jagannathananda (Divine Life Society, Puri)
Baba Brajabandhu Das (Bhagawat Ashram, Puri)
Swami Shankarananda (Nigamananda Ashram, Puri)
Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingh Deb (Chief Sevak of Sri Jagannath Temple, Puri)
The night halt was organised at Hariharananda Gurukulam – Kriya Yoga Ashram, Balighai, Puri. The 50 acre ashram is situated in a serene & picturesque location near the sea. Despite the team reaching very late into the night, the acharyas, brahmacharis and residents of the ashram enthusiastically received Him and took Him in procession around the ashram.
His padukas, jyoti and vastram was taken to the Guru Mandir which is the samadhi shrine of Sri Paramahamsa Hariharananda.