Khargone District, Madhya Pradesh
The plan to have a sankirtan
which would go on for eight-months at a
stretch had been made during the four-month satsang held in Lonara village of Khargone District. Bhaktas in
Lonara had held the four month continuous sankirtan with extreme fervour and they were doubly enthusiastic about the coming
eight month sankirtan which would go on round the clock. Letters would keep
pouring in from Lonara after every two to three months to organise the
sankirtan. This sequence of the arrival of letters continued for a span of four
to five years. Gradually the idea began to take root but this time an
inclination to keep the sankirtan in Barwani arose in Shriji's mind.
“The atmosphere for
sankirtan has already been readied in Lornara for the future. By keeping
the sankirtan where it has never been held before people will benefit. We, particularly
I, did not show any zeal in having the sankirtan in Barwani as I was well aware
of the mentality of the people of that region because of being a resident of
that area,” opined Shriji.
Barwani, Madhya Pradesh
According to my estimation
such a programme would not have been held in Barwani for the past hundred
years. Even on being the capital of the former princely state, Barwani was a
very backward city but Shriji stood firm in his decision. Corresponding through
letters and going to Barwani at times he moulded the hearts of the people and
ordered them to have sankirtan[1]. The zeal
of the masses of Barwani was aroused and the Ram Mandir situated in the
premises of the royal palace was chosen as the site of the sankirtan. The
Mandir was small therefore Seth Shri Laxminarayan, Shri Motibhai, Shri
Purushottamji, lawyer Shri Shaligramji
Shri Nigam Sahab, Shri Kailashji and Gopal Bhai got together and had a huge
shed built for the gathering in front of the Mandir.
The date of Shravan Shukla
Ekadashi that is 17.7.82 was decided upon and invitation cards were
distributed. People of several villages were invited.
The Rasa Mandali
Taking the rasa mandali [2]
of Shri Ramji and Shri Fateh Krishnaji, Shriji reached Barwani, fifteen days in
advance. The programme of 'Chaitanya Lila' and 'Rasa' began In the courtyard
facing the Ram Mandir, which attracted all the residents of Barwani. This lila
or enactment went on daily for a span of fifteen days and people would throng
to see it, in thousands. On the concluding day of the 'Rasa Lila' when the
sankirtan was to begin, a grand
procession was taken out.
Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu & Shri Nityanandji
The adorned svarupas of boys dressed as Shri
Chaitanya Maharprabhu and Shri Nityanandji were walking right in front. Shri
Maharajji, Shri Ghanshyamji, Swami Shriramji, Swami Fateh Krishnaji and
emotional bhaktas were walking behind them. Wearing lehangas-sarees and decked
beautifully some minor girls, carrying auspicious pitchers on their heads, were
walking in front of them. Some people of the surging crowd were walking behind.
Tying a Brijbasi fenta
or small turban on his head and getting kirtan done with cymbals and drums,
Swami Fateh Krishnaji was dancing along with the musical troupe. Shri Vidyadhar
Saraf had taken along another group
singing devotional songs behind the swarming crowd. He was getting kirtan done
in a loud voice and swaggering along in joyous abandon. A group of devotees was
walking along with him in unrestrained joy.
People had joined the procession in thousands and many of them stood by the sides of the roads in hundreds. Watching the procession without blinking their eyes, enraptured men and women were delighted. This grand procession came back to the Rama Mandir in about five hours’ time. With tumultuous shouts of rejoicing, the kirtan had its inception. Before it started the svarupas adorned in the best of finery and dressed as Gaura-Nitai [3]were made to sit on high asanas in the sabha mandap used for the gathering.
People had joined the procession in thousands and many of them stood by the sides of the roads in hundreds. Watching the procession without blinking their eyes, enraptured men and women were delighted. This grand procession came back to the Rama Mandir in about five hours’ time. With tumultuous shouts of rejoicing, the kirtan had its inception. Before it started the svarupas adorned in the best of finery and dressed as Gaura-Nitai [3]were made to sit on high asanas in the sabha mandap used for the gathering.
Shri Balkrishna Das ji Maharaj (Shriji)
Shriji was already sitting
on an asana and he began the mangalacharan[4]
with the following shloka:
krite yat dhyato vishnung tretayang
yajate makhoi
dwapare paricharyang
kolou tad harikirtanat |
(Shrimad
Bhagavat 12-3)
which
means:
'Things that are achieved
in Satyayuga by meditation and contemplation, in Tretayuga by performance of
yajna, in Dwaparyuga by service,—can be achieved in Kaliyuga simply by Naam
Sankeertan.'
Lord Vishnu & Narada
naham vasami vaikunthe yoginam hridaye na cha
madbhakta yatra gayanti tatra tishthami narada |
"I do not dwell in Vaikuntha nor in the
hearts of the Yogis, but I dwell where my devotees sing my name, O
Narada!" says Lord Vishnu.
Ghanshyamji
Soon after, Shriji
delivered a spiritual discourse on the importance of chanting God's Name. In
accordance with Shriji's order Shri Thakurji(Ghanshyamji) auspiciously
initiated the Shri 'Mahamantra' sankirtan by singing in a melodious voice.
Akhand Deep
An akhand
deep, an ever burning lamp, was lit up in the kirtan.
The presence of people
present in the initial period of the kirtan was very less. The bhaktas who had
organised the kirtan were worried as to how the akhand[5]
sankirtan would go on, round the clock, for eight months, This matter was
reported to Shriji through a letter. Thereafter Shriji wrote a detailed letter
addressed to the important people in Barwani.
'There is no need to be disappointed. You people keep doing kirtan with a
determined resolve. The glory of God's Name is such that the kirtan will go on
very well with passionate fervour,' was the purport of the letter.
And truly the numbers present in the sankirtan began to grow, day by day.
Shri Vidyadhar Saraf (facing Shriji on extreme right)
Shri Vidyadharji Saraf,
whose introduction I have given earlier, had taken long leave from his service
and come to give active support in the sankirtan. He began getting kirtan done
in varied ragas and raginins[6] in his
melodious voice. The masses were more passionately drawn by his sankirtan.
Anti-social elements who had created impediments in the kirtan had a change of
heart due to Vidyadharji and they co-operated with fervour and goodness till
the very end. The number of devotees began to swell each day.
Some people vowed to attend
the sankirtan for these eight months and stayed on in Barwani. They were Sukhlal
Bhai and Vrindavandas of Lonara, Bhagwandas Kirtaniyan of Khargon, Vishwanath
Joshi of Oon, Narayan Raoji and Ramdas Joshi of Mandleshwar, as well as people
streaming in from other places. So many people began thronging the kirtan that
it became tough for the main singers who would get kirtan done to get a chance
for singing devotional hymns. Women and girls were also inspired to participate
in the kirtan. Women would manage the singing of the kirtan from two o'clock
till five o'clock. Shanta Behan used to lead the sankirtan.
People began participating
in the kirtan with zeal and intentness. Shriji had told the public at the
very onset of this sankirtan,
Chanting Hari's Name
”All the
desires of those who get kirtan done
with their body and soul in this Naam Yagna will be fulfilled by the powerful impact of Hari's Name.”
The Mahamantra
The sound of chanting God's
Name pervaded the whole of Barwani. Children of Muslims and Bohras[7]
also began singing the Mahamantra as they roamed about in the town's lanes.
Villages of Barwani
Kirtan
mandliyan began pouring in from
other villages and gave support to the sankirtan. Hordes of bhaktas began
streaming in to Barwani from Khargone and Lonara and joined the kirtan.
Barwani City
Shri Laxminarayanji,
Shaligram Bhai, Purushottam Bhai, Nigam Sahab, Moti Bhai, Kailash Bhai and
other prominent workers got devotees pouring in to Barwani lodged in dharmshalas and arranged for
excellent meals to be served to them. These workers did not devote much time to
their businesses and occupations for eight months and gave full support to the
kirtan. Motibhai kept his shop closed for the entire period. Shriji along with
his parikar[8]
used to stay at his place in Barwani. Bhaktas would visit him in quick
succession. Motibhhai displayed immense generosity while serving them. His
whole family would be busy attending to their needs at all hours.
Babulalji Nigam used to be
Private Secretary to the Maharaja of Barwani earlier and he was managing his
property even now. A few years back he had been impressed by a Muslim faqir,
and had begun reading the Namaz[9] despite
being a Hindu. Babulalji had developed irreverence for his own Sanatan Dharma
and was a friend of Shri Hiralal Gupta.
Sanatan Dharma
Because of being an organizer of the
sankirtan he came into contact with Shriji and became a staunch adherent of the
Sanatan Dharma, being influenced by Shriji's satsang. Babulalji repented for
his past life and Shriji made him head of the sankirtan mandal.
His car used to always be
at the disposal of Shriji and he wished to drive Shriji around himself. He made
a distinctive contribution in organizing the sankirtan. In those days there was
a shortage of water in Barwani.
Narmada River
Through vehicles of the nagar palika he would get water from river Narmada which
was two miles away, and taking special permission on specific occasions he
would get pumps operated. Babulalji Nigam was solely responsible in arranging
for the grand procession.
Furthermore, the service of
Laxminarayanji was unmatched, as he made arrangements for the boarding and lodging of people who had
come from outside. He remained so busy in personally inquiring about their
needs, a couple of times in a day, making arrangements for the kirtan and kirtan
mandliyan that he did not so much as reach home in time to have meals.
Thali of Food
” Shriji's order has to be
carried out under all circumstances. The question of 'what' and 'why' does not
arise,” he would reply assertively if anyone had an objection to the same.
He had been suffering from
back ache for the past few years but was so engrossed in the work of kirtan
with his physical, mental and material resources that he was not conscious of
the pain.
Day by day, the kirtan
gushed forth and flooded the surroundings. People began to throng the kirtan
from every house and were present for the devotional hymns. It seemed as if Barwani was solely a kirtan town. Its entire ambiance was
steeped in religious devotion.
After the sankirtan was inaugurated
Shriji stayed at Barwani for some days and then returned to Shri Vrindavan
Dham. Spending four months in Vrindavan, Shriji again left for Delhi on 5th
November, 1982 with the idea of going to Barwani.
[1] Sankirtan: congregational glorifying
of God with devotional
songs and calling upon
man to participate in
this glorification.44
[2] Rasa mandali:dance troupe
which performs Krishna's divine
sports and round ance
with the herdgirls of
Braj
[3] Gaura-Nitai: Nityananda
was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's friend and disciple.
They are often mentioned
together as Gaura-Nitai ;Gaura,
'golden one, referring to
Chaitanya, Nitai being a
shortened form of Nityananda
1 comment:
Beautiful pics! Great work! Hum logon ka saubhagya hain ki .Thanks to blogger as we all time connected with Shriji!
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