Shriji's Birthday Celebrations
The events connected with Shriji's life have been sequentially recorded by me for years, but to describe his birthday celebration which is so very special among the festivals celebrated in Venu Vinod Kunj, came very late to my mind. What was
initially a mere ripple in the hearts of Shriji's parikar for
celebrating his birthday gradually assumed the vastness of an ocean.
Devotees waited
the whole year to enjoy this festivity.
Bhaktmaal
bhakti, bhakta, bhagwant, guru - naam chatur bapu ek |
inke pad-vandan kiye, naashain vighna anek ||
which means:
'The body is an entity with four designations: devotion, devotee,
the Divine and guru. Many obstacles are removed by worshipping the feet of saints.'
According to this statement saints are inseparable svarupas of God. They take birth on earth and propagate religious devotion to God to facilitate the path of salvaging human souls.
The path shown by them brings about a sattvik ambiance and a joyous abandon pervades everywhere. As
soon as they manifest not only human beings but our pitras or paternal ancestors also experience great peaceful happiness and dance
with shouts of 'jai jai.' They enthuse that a great devotee of God has taken birth in our family, and this will certainly bring salvation to us now.
Shri Manohar Bhaiya(left)in the Refuge of Shri Balkrishna Das ji Maharaj
Attaining the refuge of saintly feet, inquisitive sadhakas are overwhelmed with joy and express it in the form of birthday celebrations. Saints bathe innumerable devotees in the river of godly love and bestowing
bhakti as well as the right path of deliverance on them make these devotees reach God's
lotus feet. Gratified on relishing saintly grace,
human beings express happiness in the form of birthday celebrations.
That joy, that flood tide of delight compels them to celebrate the saint's janamotsav.
A saint's birthday is a great call for all living beings. Whosoever is fortunate enough to hear this call reaches the saint's feet through the medium of this festival, easily crossing over this intimidating mundane world which is so very difficult to cross.
Faithful devotees
enthusiastically celebrate the saint's birthday for the sake of looting this joyous delight. Even to think of it as recreational entertainment would be a great sin. If readers understand its importance and read this topic sincerely only then will they be able to absorb it in their hearts.
Shriji's Madhur Bhava
A rasik saint of the madhur bhava, where the devotee relates to Krishna as
a beloved, Shri Maharaji was a priceless treasure of Shri Vrindavan Dham. However, he always kept a low profile while living in Vrindavan. So much so that he did not tell anything in particular about his former stage of life, not even to his parikar or inner circle of
associates.
Rameshwaram
Shriji once met members of his family on a pilgrimage to Rameshwaram by sheer coincidence. We too got a chance to meet his family members. We had got Shri Maharajji's horoscope from his elder sister Shri Yadugiri on coming back from there. It was enough for us to get the hint of celebrating Shriji's birthday. We had been celebrating Guru Purnima till 1955 on a small scale.
Gita Jayanti
Shri Banwari Sharanji had once said, “ We will celebrate Shriji's birthday. As per his horscope when Margashirsha Mokshada Ekadashi (Gita Jayanti) came,
Gulab Jamuns
Shri Banwari Sharanji bought about a kilogram of gulabjamuns and offered it as bhoga to the chitrapat or picture of Shriji, because Shriji was residing in an unknown place at this time. By merely doing pranam and offering bhoga the first celebration of Shriji's birthday was performed. Next year Shri Banwari Sharanji followed the same procedure as Shriji had not yet returned.
Flower Garland
In 1957
Shriji's birthday was celebrated on
a small scale in the presence of Shriji. Offering bloga-prasad and flower garlands, a sankirtan was held for the whole night.
The same form of celebration prevailed when we were living at the Gopal Mandir. Venu Vinod Kunj had been built in 1963. Maghi Purnima of 1963 was the day when we all came to live in
the Kunj with Shriji who named this new home 'Venu Vinod Kunj.'
Aghan Shukla Ekadashi
In December 1964, Shriji's birthday was celebrated enthusiastically with merely ten to fifteen members of the parikar on Aghan Shukla Ekadashi. Buntings and banana pillars were used for decoration. Making Shriji wear new garments and worshipping him with sandalwood etc., he was garlanded. Arti of Shriji was done, and fruits and sweets were offered as bhoga by associates as per their tastes. Ghanshyamji sang the auspicious padas.
Thakur Vinod Bihari
The idol of Thakur Vinod Bihariji was presented with special bhoga. Everyone feasted on the prasad along with Shriji, and non-stop sankirtan went on for the whole night.
Well, ever since that year the outline of Shriji's birthday celebrations was etched, which went on expanding every year. Devotees of the parikar increased next year but the form of celebration remained the same. From 1964 to 1974 the festival was celebrated in this manner in the lower room of Venu Vinod Kunj. Members of the parikar of Shriji's devotees increased further as people residing in Delhi and other places started coming to take part in the festivities. Relatives of Shri Deviji began arriving as all of them had implicit faith in Shriji. It had become a regime for Deviji's brother Shiv Kumar and his wife Madhavi to come along with their family for Guru Purnima and Shriji's birthday. They would actively contribute in making arrangements for this utsav.
The lower room was not spacious enough to accommodate the increased number of devotees hence the festival was shifted to the upper hall of Venu Vinod Kunj.
Ashoka Leaves & Marigolds
We began decorating the upper hall extravagantly with buntings of Ashoka leaves, mango leaves and colourful flowers. The flower decoration was
further decked and highlighted by
attractive paper flags. Bamboo frames were tied in the shape of a mandap and decked with marigold flowers. Around this time Swami Shri Ramji and renowned musician Harivallabhji began attending the celebration. The night-long sankirtan began being celebrated with greater joyous abandon due to their co-operation.
As the number of followers went on increasing every month the festival began to be held in the courtyard on the ground floor of Venu Vinod Kunj. The festival had been a one day affair till then but it comprised of two days since 1984. A bhandara or grand feast began to be organised on the second day.
Nimar Region
The festival's fame reached devotees of the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh. Every year hordes of devotees began pouring in from this region to enjoy the festival. In fact, a bus load of devotees used to come from Barwani.
In this manner the festival acquired a gigantic form, slowly and gradually. The spirit of the members of Shriji's parika knew no bounds. Preparations for the occasion would begin fifteen days in advance.
Guptaji's daughter Radha from Bhopal, Manoramaji's mother from Indore, Shri Om Prakashji and his wife from Gwalior, and Rajkumar-Archana would come to Shri Dham well in time, much before the festival. Two days
earlier, the entire courtyard would be decorated with artistic designs of beautiful flowers.
Thakur Venu Vinod Bihari, Decked in the Fest of Finery
The pedestal of Thakur Venu Vinod Bihari would be adorned with a canopy and an umbrella of flowers. All this would be done with our own hands. The decoration would be so attractive that spectators would be enraptured and spellbound. The joyous abandon of devotees seemed to reflect from this entire decor.
In this manner the festival would arrive with a certain novelty every year. Since 1987 expert flower decorators began being called to deck up the place.
Flower Chandelier
These people would devise new designs with carvings, creepers, plants, and chandeliers made of flowers and banana pillars, and decorate the
courtyard in a heart-stealing mode. Banana pillars, mango buntings and auspicious pitchers on which 'Ali Janamotsav' would be written in beautiful letters, would be posited all about the place. The number of singers who would devotedly do the kirtan increased. In the presence of Swami Shri Ramji, Swami Fateh Krishnaji, and noted tabla player Hare Krishnaji, the night long kirtan would carry on with great joyous abandon. 'Rasa-Lila' began to be organised three days earlier and became a part of the festival.
Shri Maharaj Seated on a Square Seat
When highly revered Maharajji who was the life and soul of this function, would come and sit resplendently on the square seat decorated in a special manner, his radiant beauty was worth seeing. Hordes of spectators gazing steadily at Shriji, would admire their great good fortune and be overwhelmed with joy on beholding him. The courtyard of Venu Vinod Kunj would resound with the sweet sound of shehnai, right from the morning.
Inmates of Venu Vinod Kunj
Thereafter, would begin the worship of Shriji. The chief inmates of Venu Vinod Kunj, who were associates of Shriji's inner circle, would first offer their worship. Wishing Shriji a very long life they would garland him, apply sandalwood to him and touch his feet. Later on each devotee would come turn wise and worship Shriji, and offer fruits, sweetmeats and other articles to him. An inimitable smile would play on revered Maharajji's lovely face. Seeing the devotees' love he would be teary-eyed in appreciation.
Shriji would invariably lift up the most simple of devotees' gifts with his hand and look at it enthusiastically. Even if someone presented an ordinary garment he would
instantly open and wear it. Ghanshyamji would constantly take off the garlands which had been put around Shriji's neck by devotees and stack them on one side. In this manner a
huge heap of such garlands would pile up.
Shri Deviji
This sequence would go on for about one and a half to two hours. Thereafter, pancharti
would be kept in a platter decorated with various kinds of pearls. Shri Deviji would do Shriji's arti which would be decorated by Shri Shashikant Mule in a very attractive manner. The scene at the time of arti can’t be expressed in words.
Arti Arti Haran Ali Ki
The words 'arti arti haran Ali ki' which means that 'This arti is being performed for Shriji who is the alleviator of agony,' would reverberate throughout the courtyard. In this manner the procedure of worship would rest with 'jai jai' or shouts of
cheerful hail. During this entire programme Shriji would be in such a mood as if this worship and 'arti' was not being done for him but for someone else and he was also one of the people participating in this
festival. So be it.
Everyone would take their respective seats. Shriji would be offered tea along with some sweetmeats and dry fruits. All the devotees would be given refreshments.
Gopis Envy the Flute's Good Fortune 
The Herdgirls of Vraja Romantically Dall with Krishna
