Chapter 51: Concluding Ceremony of the Barwani Akhand Sankirtan

The eight month long non-stop sankirtan was supposed to end in March 1983 but teachers could not get leave as the annual examinations of children were to be held this month. 

Puroshottam Masa, Lord Vishnu's Favourite Month

The other specific reason was that it was not proper to end the kirtan  as it was the Purushottam Masa[2]. Shriji was thus requested to extend the date of winding up the sankirtan which was advanced by two and a half months on getting his sanction. 23rd May was fixed as the day for concluding the sankirtan. This decision did not lessen the people's passionate fervour. Children, as well as men and women of all age groups began to join the sankirtan. Parents would scold children at home. They were worried about their passing the examinations as they were insanely obsessed with the kirtan. However, the children continued to be passionately drawn by the kirtan.

Delhi

Examinations got over and holidays began. Time of the sankirtan coming to an end was drawing close. Shriji wanted to reach Barwani a month before but because of pain in his molar tooth the dentist had called him to Delhi for a silver filling. Shriji went to Delhi along with Shri Ghanshyamji, Kusumji and Bhagwan Das.

Shri Radha Baba with Shriji & Ghanshyamji

Staying there for ten days he went to Gorakhpur as Shri Baba had urged him to come for inauguration of a newly built kutiya for Shriji. A small hut for Ghanshyamji Thakur in which a small takhat (simple wooden bed) could be laid out, had been built earlier in Gita Vatika. Whenever Shriji came to Gorakhpur he would stay in this hut because it was in seclusion.

At the insistence of Shri Radha Baba Shri Phogalaji had got an airy hut, having a big room, built for Shriji in 1982 and one for Ghanshyamji with a verandah in front, an attached bathroom cum toilet and other facilities. Shri Baba would himself go to inspect the kutiya when it was under construction.

Shri Radha Baba was delighted on the arrival of Shriji. When Shri Maharajji reached the Vatika Shri Baba led Shriji personally, taking him to the newly built hut. He made Shriji enter first, followed by Ghanshyamji, Kusumji, and stepped in last of all. Thereafter, everyone else gained entry.

Shri Baba was of a very humorous nature.

 “Welcome Maharajji! When did you arrive?” he joked.

Everyone burst out laughing. Shriji stayed here for about a week.

Shri Vishnu Hari Dalima

Shri Vishnu Hari Dalmia had also come to Gorakhpur during this period. He urged Shriji to stay in Delhi for a day on his way back.

 “I have no time as of now,” said Shriji  as he had to reach the Barwani kirtan in time  .

“In any case it will take you two days to reach Barwani by train. When arrangements to travel by plane will be made from Delhi it will save you a day,” suggested Dalmiaji.

On his insistence, Shriji went for a day to Delhi from Gorakhpur, and from there he went to Indore via Bhopal by air.

Bhopal Airport

The aeroplane stops for only half an hour in Bhopal. This information was given to Hiralalji. Along with their families, Shri Hiralalji Gupta and Ramesh Saraf came to the airport and Shriji was lovingly served homemade coffee.

Indore Airport

At the Indore aerodrome Radheshyam Gupta and Rajnath Shukla had come with their families. Guptaji took Shriji home by jeep. The next day on 2^nd May 1983 Shriji reached the sankirtan programme in Barwani by car. An unmatched ripple of joy pervaded the place with his arrival.

Barwani

People gathered in large numbers as soon as they heard that Shriji had arrived. Talking to everyone for a short while and inspiring them to participate in the kirtan, he sent them off. The date of the sankirtan’s conclusion had already been conveyed to devotees living in distant provinces. So devotees were pouring in from here and there and taking part in the sankirtan.

Several people had arrived along with their families from Dakor, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bhopal, Delhi, Rajkot, Ambala and other places. Kusumji, Manoramaji, Prabhakar Joshi etc., of Shriji's parikar had come from Vrindavan. Deviji's brother Shiv Kumar Goyal had already reached with his family from Khurja. I too had arrived via Mandleshwar about twenty days back. Hordes of devotees who had come from villages of Khargone and Mandleshwar were thronging the place. Nearly half of village Lonara was present for the kirtan.

It is beyond words to talk about the magnitude of the kirtan now ! People of Barwani, right from children to the elders, were taking part. 

 

Vibrations of the Mahamantra

Every corner of Barwani resounded with vibrations of the 'Mahamantra.' The sound of the 'Hare Rama' Mahamantra could be heard from the mouths of Bheel[3] children living in hamlets located around Barwani. There is a tiny village named Narmadanagar which is very close to Barwani. Shri Damubhai, an affluent resident of that place, would cultivate his own land with well-developed methods of farming.  Along with him his entire family was exclusively devoted to Shriji. Damubhai got a separate room built in his house with all the possible amenities for Shriji. Whenver Shriji would go to Barwani he would definitely go to his place. There is a small Ram Mandir in the village. Here too Shriji got the daily 'kirtan' begun which continues till date.

There was a large baoli or step well near Damubhai's house but it had very scant water. As per Shriji's orders, Damubhai got a motor fitted in it for a convenient supply of water to the villagers. Ever since, so much of water was available in the step well that not only did the villagers begin taking potable water for drinking but the irrigation of nearby fields was done with this supply of water.

Shri Balkrishna Das ji Mahjaraj

Shriji would take out time from his busy schedule and visit neighbouring villages on the insistence of devotees. When Shriji would go for a morning walk in Barwani people would pour out from every house and touch his feet. Everyone considered him to be their own and persisted that he visit their respective houses. Therefore he would go to someone or the other's house and bestow happiness on them. It appeared as if a high tide had flooded the kirtan's ocean of joy for twenty to twenty-two days. Dharamshalas and devotees' homes had become places of stay for persons coming from outside. Groups of the inner circle of devotees of this place rendered service with enthusiasm and attended to the needs of these visiting people.

The Garba Dance

People had an intense desire to do kirtan, day in and day out. There were so many expert singers who could lead the kirtan in different melodious ragas and raginis that it was becoming difficult to give everyone a chance. However, Shri Maharajji had his eyes on them and made them take part due to his power of memory. Shri Shobharamji who had come from Piplad along with his kirtan mandali would get the kirtan done in such an extraordinary manner that the entire audience would be spellbound. He had trained some boys and girls in the 'Garba[4]' and 'Tipari' dance forms.

Lord Krishna's Daan Lila

Adorned beautifully as gopis, young girls balancing small pitchers on their heads would do kirtan by adopting the same mannerisms as if they were selling dahi or yoghurt. One girl guised as Lord Krishna would dance and act as if she was forcibly extracting dahi and taking daan from these gopis. Exhibiting various gestures and postures, young girls danced the garba and depicted various lilas  of Lord Krishna.

The Tipari Dance

The boys dressed as cowherds would do kirtan with the 'Tipari' [5]dance form. Shri Shobharamji would hold the musical instrument and passionately dance in their midst.

Shri Vidhyadhar Saraf (extreme right) Facing Shriji

Shri Vidyadhar Saraf was the chief of all these kirtan mandalis. Everyone would be spellbound by his beautifully charming, sweet kirtan. The immense participation of Vrindavan Das of village Lonara in this eight month long sankirtan festival was praiseworthy. He stayed here for its entire duration and taking the refuge of Shriji came to Shri Dham after the sankirtan ended.

Shri Ramesh Saraf had also come from Bhopal. Being specially interested in classical music he charmed everyone by his melodious rendering of religious hymns and got carried away by spiritual emotion. He too along with his family had implicit faith in Shriji. Sangeetacharya Shri Jagdish Chandraji, a great favourite of Shriji, had come from Dahod. He delighted one and all with his mellifluous devotional hymns. Shri Bhagwandasji's group which sang bhajans and several other devotees lent much support to the kirtan.