Day 4 (Varanasi) began with a drive to the Tulsi Manas Mandir temple where we made our offerings and briefly enjoyed the gardens.
Then on to Amandamoy Ma's ashram overlooking the Ganges. We were permitted time on the veranda to meditate, with the Ganges and bathing ghat far below us, and to spend private devotional time at the shrines to Ma and to Shiva. Then together as a group we performed the fire ritual on the same site that Ma had used.
The highpoint of the morning, for me at least, was our journey into the ancient alley-ways of old Bananas. Here the sun couldn't reach us. In places we could touch both sides of the "road" simultaneously with just a slight stretch of outreaching arms. If a bike should want to use the same surface, we would press our bodies to the opposite side. And for each sauntering cow we encountered, and there were many, we had to scramble up the steps of local homes and shops.
Here, we found the dwelling that had been Lahiri Mahasaya's so many years ago, and paid our homage at the front door. The dwelling is private, still in the family, and not open to the public. During the brief time we were there, a priest or local devotee (we never discovered which) came to perform puja. The shop owner across the alleyway had a picture of Lahiri Mahasaya on the wall, so we asked him for directions to LM's shrine which the YSS group had told us was nearby.
Walking on through the narrow alleys, we spotted a guest house, and while huddled in a group speculating on whether or not they might permit us the use their toilets (this being the polite term in India for WC's, restrooms, etc), we were approached by a gentleman with the marks of Shiva across his forehead. He asked if we were in need of something, and we explained that yes, we were hoping to find toilets. He then led us personally directly into a building down a side alley with "Lahiri" over the doorway. Surprise (or maybe not!) we were in the home of Lahiri Mahasaya's great grandson and at our desired destination! We had almost walked past our turn.
The downstairs, besides having very clean toilets, housed shrines dedicated to Lahiri Mahasaya, to Shiva, and to Babaji where we were able to meditate for an extended period of time. Then as we were preparing to leave, a second gentleman gestured for us to come upstairs. There were found a small museum with many of the original photos now reproduced in The Autobiography of a Yogi.
Behind glass was the actual photo of Lahiri Mahasaya, the only one ever successfully taken. And high on the wall was an ink impression of his feet.
What a wonderful morning!
Then on to Amandamoy Ma's ashram overlooking the Ganges. We were permitted time on the veranda to meditate, with the Ganges and bathing ghat far below us, and to spend private devotional time at the shrines to Ma and to Shiva. Then together as a group we performed the fire ritual on the same site that Ma had used.
The highpoint of the morning, for me at least, was our journey into the ancient alley-ways of old Bananas. Here the sun couldn't reach us. In places we could touch both sides of the "road" simultaneously with just a slight stretch of outreaching arms. If a bike should want to use the same surface, we would press our bodies to the opposite side. And for each sauntering cow we encountered, and there were many, we had to scramble up the steps of local homes and shops.
Here, we found the dwelling that had been Lahiri Mahasaya's so many years ago, and paid our homage at the front door. The dwelling is private, still in the family, and not open to the public. During the brief time we were there, a priest or local devotee (we never discovered which) came to perform puja. The shop owner across the alleyway had a picture of Lahiri Mahasaya on the wall, so we asked him for directions to LM's shrine which the YSS group had told us was nearby.
Walking on through the narrow alleys, we spotted a guest house, and while huddled in a group speculating on whether or not they might permit us the use their toilets (this being the polite term in India for WC's, restrooms, etc), we were approached by a gentleman with the marks of Shiva across his forehead. He asked if we were in need of something, and we explained that yes, we were hoping to find toilets. He then led us personally directly into a building down a side alley with "Lahiri" over the doorway. Surprise (or maybe not!) we were in the home of Lahiri Mahasaya's great grandson and at our desired destination! We had almost walked past our turn.
The downstairs, besides having very clean toilets, housed shrines dedicated to Lahiri Mahasaya, to Shiva, and to Babaji where we were able to meditate for an extended period of time. Then as we were preparing to leave, a second gentleman gestured for us to come upstairs. There were found a small museum with many of the original photos now reproduced in The Autobiography of a Yogi.
Behind glass was the actual photo of Lahiri Mahasaya, the only one ever successfully taken. And high on the wall was an ink impression of his feet.
What a wonderful morning!
shat shat naman baba ji
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