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Archived Events
Tenth anniversary celebrations - January The Life Mission family celebrated the Mission’s tenth anniversary and Muniji’s Diamond Jubilee in January 2007. The Divyayatan Spiritual Center and All Faiths Prayer Hall were also consecrated during the festival. Several facilities along with the permanent residence of the newly built headquarters of the Mission were commissioned.
Thus, the five day celebrations at Rajrajeshardham will be remembered in the annals of the lineage as a watershed year. A new pilgrimage place has come into being. Life Mission has settled down in its new home at Rajrajeshwardham. The institutional infrastructure that Muniji had planned as being minimally necessary to support the service goals of the Mission is substantially in place.
The celebrations began with the start of consecration ceremonies of the idols of the Divyayatan Spiritual Center on the morning of 24th January, 2007 and concluded with the pran prathishta (the establishment of the Lord’s vital energy in the idol) on the 28th. The idols were moved into the spiritual center on the 27th from their place outside where the consecration prayers and ceremonies were conducted, and the final rituals conducted on the 28th. The pratishtha pujas were conducted in the grounds between the Parampad and the Divyayatan, previously sanctified by a full-scale mandap puja. There were entertainment programs on all evenings during this period. (See Photo Gallery)
On the 25th evening, the Maharaja of Jodhpur arrived and stayed two nights as a house guest. He inaugurated the tenth anniversary celebrations early next morning by cutting a ribbon at the impressive Main Gate and unfurled the national flag as a part of ceremonies to mark the country’s Republic Day which falls on this date. He later inaugurated the vanprastha colony in the campus and joined the many Princes of Gujarat who had also gathered at Rajrajeshwardham to witness the closing ceremonies of a special yoga training course for overseas participants and entertainment programs and yogasan demonstrations by children of the Saraswati Vidya Mandir and Lakulish Yoga Vidyalay. The yogasan demonstration was organized as an inaugural function of the Indian Federation of Yoga and Culture sponsored by Life Mission. The Maharaja of Jodhpur also released Muniji’s just published English language work Divine Body Through Yoga and gave away certificates to participants of a special yoga training program organized for overseas participants. There were speeches, of course, and Muniji spoke words of blessing.
On the 27th January, Saints of all major persuasions of the country performed the required spiritual ceremonies for the consecration of the grottos of the respective faiths at the Sarva Dharma Prarthana Hall. Later, the Saints addressed a very large and appreciative as well as receptive audience at the public assembly tent throughout the day. The Saints who attended were: Lalitkishorji Maharaj of Mota Mandir, Limbdi, the Mission’s own Acharya Yogendra Dev, Pir-e-tarikat Sayed Haji Yusufmiyan Bapu of Surendranagar, Gyani Ratansinhji from the Gurudwara Govinddham at Ahmedabad, the Rt. Reverend Stansilaus Fernandez, Archbishop of Gandhinagar, His Holiness Sagarpuruiji Maharaj Saheb of Chotila, Master Huen Prokuang from the Huaen Monastry, Taiwan and Dasturji Kursed Kaikobad Dastur, Vada Dasturji of Udvada.
Sudha Sarovar was the scene of special events. On the morning of the 27th, pranpratishtha prayers were conducted at the Ganga Mandir in the forecourt of Sudha Sarovar, followed by the ritual infusion of the watres of the sacred rivers of India into the Sarovar. A grand and colorful Ganga Avataran and Arti programs were organized in the evening, attended by hundreds of devotees. (See Photo Gallery for pictures of the main events of these two days)
The consecration ceremonies of the idols of the Divyayatan Spiritual Center concluded in the afternoon of this day and the idols were moved from the Vedi in the forecourt of the Divyayatan to the interior of the Divyayatan.
28th January 07 28th January was the concluding day of the celebrations attended by temporal and spiritual heads. The day began with addresses by His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswatiji Maharaj, Shankaracharya of Dwarka, His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya Mahasansthanam Shri Ramchandrapura Mathha Bangalaore Shri Shri Ragheshwar Bhartiji Swami and His Holiness Swayamprakashdasji Swami of the Swaminarayan following. After the addresses, they proceeded to perform the actual pran prathishtha in the temple. They also performed the first Maha Arti. With this, Divyayatan opened as a place of worship for all. In the afternoon on the 28th January, His Excellency, the Honorable Shri Bhaironsinhji Shekhawat, Vice President of India, was the guest of honor. He inaugurated the Yoga gallery and Exhibition Hall and the All Faiths Prayer Hall and performed prayers in the Spiritual Center. Later, the Vice President arrived at the Assembly Tent where he released Muniji’s monumental work Classical Hatha Yoga, to which the Vice President had himself written the Foreword. Presentations were made; Muniji was honored by the Vice President on his Diamond Jubilee. Finally, the Vice President addressed the vast mass of visitors (nearly two hundred thousand persons) gathered there.
When the day ended, Muniji had reason to be much pleased and indeed declared his pleasure to all those who had assembled for the night’s entertainment program. He applauded the principal workers who had steered the development of Rajrajeshwardham and conferred honors and titles on those who had worked hard to make Rajrajeshwardham a reality. (R.V. Chudasama, H.R. Patel, Kiritsinh Jadeja, A.U. Solanki, Natubhai Makwana and Mahendra Kothari). There was joy and satisfaction, indeed also a feeling of blessedness in the hearts of all present.
29 January 07: Muniji Has Darshan of Lord Lakulishji On the 29th of January, at the evening hour, Muniji entered the Spiritual Center to invoke the presiding deities. The two communicated, as they did on the occasion of the first darshan in 1993. The Lord gave to Muniji two objects universally recognized by the Scriptures as His emblems. The content of the communication between Muniji and the Lord as well as the two Divine Objects were unveiled later at the time of the celebrations of Muniji’s birthday at Malav on 11th February 07. Read Darshan 2007.
Darshan 2007 [The consecration ceremonies for the installation of the idols in the Divyayatan* Spiritual Center at Rajrajeshwardham were conducted over a period of five days from 24th to 28th January, 2007.After the dust of the event had settled down and the visitors had mostly departed, Swami Rajarshi Muniji entered the shrines for darshan of the presiding deities, visiting each shrine by turn and in each case closing the door behind him for privacy. In the shrine of Lord Shiva, Lord Lakulish gave darshan again to Muniji (having previously done so in 1993) and the two conversed for some time. This is Muniji’s account of the event. Editor]. First I went to the temple of Lokeshwar Brahma and invoked Lord Brahma to forever reside as energy in the idol in the temple and concluded the yogic procedure for the installation of the energy in the idol. Thereafter I conducted the same procedure in the temple of Lord Jagadeeshwar Vishnu. I went lastly to the temple of Lord Sidhheshwar Mahadev to invoke Lord Shiv. I believed that reverend Dada Gurudev Bhagwan Lakulish would certainly grace me with his darshan on this occasion because he had told me when he gave me darshan in 1993 that he would give me darshan again when he considered it to be the proper time for it. What could be a more proper time than the occasion of the consecration of the idols in the Divyayatan! This is precisely what happened at 5:15 in the evening on 29.1.2007. Lord Lakulish appeared in the inner sanctum of the Shiv temple and I was once again blessed to receive his purifying darshan. The darshan on this occasion was of a shorter duration than the darshan of 1993. Still, I had a significant conversation with Dadaji even in that brief darshan and received his sacred prasadi. I understand that everyone among you would be impatient to know in greater detail about this darshan. Therefore I describe this occasion in brief. I experienced great thrill in every pore of my body the moment Reverend Dadaji appeared. This time my eyes were not blinded because the brilliance of his Divine Form was attenuated and tolerable and I could see Dadaji’s benignly bright form with ease. I prostrated before him to offer obeisance and thereafter feelingly said, “Lord, I am blessed today for I have once again received your Divine darshan. In compliance of your Divine command, all your devotees together have built this Divyayatan. Now I humbly pray to you on behalf of all your devotees that you may ever reside in this sanctum sanctorum in the form of your Divine energy. Dadaji said, “Son! All devotees have together undertaken an excellent endeavor. I am pleased. This temple is most beautiful and grand. From now onwards my subtle energy shall remain established in the center of this Shiv Ling in the form of five idols. Let all know my presence in the following manner: “Sarva kale sthitau madhye, pratah poorvabhimukh sthitah, Madhyahne uttar, pashchime sayan, ratrikale cha dakshinam.”
“I shall be established in the middle at all times. In the morning I am established in the form facing east; north in the afternoon, west in the evening and south in the night.” I said, “Lord, through the construction of this Divyayatan dedicated to the three Lords we have made a humble attempt to reflect the principle of the oneness of God as propounded by You. Please mercifully guide us in case we have made any mistake in this.” Dadaji said, “Since the one and the same Supreme Energy has been established in three forms in this Divyayatan it will become an excellent center depicting the oneness of God. The principle of the oneness of God will be well understood by all who try to understand this holy shrines with a fine subtle vision. Deep mysteries useful for spiritual progress can also be obtained from this shrine. The lives of all those who have darshan here even with their physical eyes and pray with offerings will be made pure and lifted.” I said, “Lord, as commanded by You, for ten years I have adopted the path of external endeavor and worked to the best of my ability for the revival of culture and ethical values. I now wish to revert to the path of renunciation and engage myself in secluded sadhana. Please be so kind as to permit me to do so.” Dadaji said, “Rajarshi! I am satisfied with your service of ten years in the path of external endeavor. After this, you are free to pursue secluded sadhana. Nevertheless, make arrangements so that the work of cultural revival that has been started continues. Provide necessary inspiration and guidance to the devotees of the pravritty marg to carry this task forward.” I said, “Lord, with bowed head, I make a prayer for my own benefit at your holy lotus feet. Please be so merciful as to forgive me if this appears improper. Please be so merciful as to give me your blessing that I may become a complete yogi and attain the Divine Body. If there is any discourtesy in this prayer, please forgive your innocent child.” Dadaji said, “Son! I know that the goal of your life is to complete your yoga and attain the Divine Body. The sadhana for the attainment of the Divine Body is extremely difficult. However, if you remain steadfast in the face of all difficult phases and pursue your sadhana with firm determination, you will attain your goal. My blessings are of course with anyone in my spiritual lineage who faithfully pursues yoga sadhana. As an indicator of my blessings, I give you two mysterious symbols which are associated with my form. Consider these symbols as the identifying symbols of my spiritual lineage.” Saying this, Dadaji gave me the two objects and said, “Son! You will obtain the deep yoga secret hidden in these symbols, which will prove useful to you in your sadhana.” I said, “I am blessed that you have showered upon me so much boundless mercy. All your followers will also experience blessedness by viewing this symbolic holy gift.” Dadaji said, “I shall go now”. I bowed and said, “Lord! Continue to thus bless this servant”. Speaking thus, I raised my head. Dadaji had disappeared within himself.
Lead up to Muniji’s Resumption of Ekantvas, 17th - 19th Feb., 07 After 14th February, Muniji went from Malav to Kayavarohan for the Maha Shivratri celebrations and returned to Rajrajeshwardham in the evening. The Maharaja of Jamnagar awaited him. The next two days were busy days. Naturally there were uncontrollable crowds of devotees who came from far and near for darshan. Muniji remained fully engaged till late night. The Maharaja of Jamnagar, who had come to meet him, stayed till the morning of the eighteenth, which was his birthday. Ever the perfect host, Muniji personally conducted his guest round the Rajrajeshwardham facilities over the two days that he stayed. The Life Mission family briefly but warmly celebrated Jam Sattaji’s birthday on the 18th morning in Muniji’s presence. He took leave thereafter with Muniji’s blessings. Till the end, Muniji was engaged in the affairs of the Mission. He had discussions about the setting up of a University for Yoga and Ayurved. In the afternoon, he had a final meeting with the Apex Project Planning Committee. There was an endless stream of visitors throughout the day. Devotees were permitted to approach for the last darshan that night. It took time. Muniji was patient and loving, blessing all with his characteristic tap on the head or shoulder or back. When all had done, he sat a while listening to th musical rendition by the Valera family. Then Muniji entered his private chambers. When the bolt closed from inside, the door also closed on an era. Tomorrow would be another day. It would be the dawn of the era when Muniji began his final sadhana and attained the ultimate, the Divine Body, un-known, unmentioned, unheard of, certainly unaccomplished since centuries.
22-24 February, 2008. Lakulish World Yogasan Championships were conducted at
Surat from 22 to 24 February 2008. Sponsored by Life Mission, these were
organized by the World Federation of Yoga and Culture and the Indian
Federation of Yoga and Culture, both registered Public Charitable Trusts
sponsored by Life Mission. The event was hosted by Sanskrity and Yoga
Gathan Trust Surat and conducted by the Lakulish Yoga Institute, both
institutions sponsored by Life Mission.
20th April, 2008. The foundation stone laying ceremony for the new complex for the Saraswati Vidya Mandir at Rajrajeshwardham was performed on 20th April, 2008. His Holiness Swami Rajarshi Muniji laid the foundations accompanied by Yuvraj Mandhatta Sinhji of Rajkot and the Yuvrani of Rajkot.
20th April, 2008 The Kripalu Arogya Mandir, a 76-bed multispecialty Hospital in the Rajrajeshwardham Complex was inaugurated by Shri Ashok Bhatt, Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
9th July, 2008 Life Mission received the premises and structures etc. of Swami Pritam Muni’s ashram at Kanjetha on the banks of the Narmada, as a gift from Swami Pritam Muni to his Guru Swami Rajarshi Muniji.
9th October, 2008. Upendracharya and Acharya Chaitanyadev were given sannyas initiation by Swami Rajarshi Muniji at Malav with the new names respectively of Sant Atmanand and Sant Advaitanand.
11th February, 2009.
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