How much or how well do we know Chinmaya Jagadeeshwara Temple and Chinmaya Pradeep was the question raised in the study groups of Chinmaya Narayan Zone. In fact, this question extended to ‘How well do we know the temples in the city we live in’. These groups headed by Sri Prasad Deole and Sri Nandkishore decided to explore these ideas by undertaking a day-long visit to Sandeepany Sadhanalaya and six other major spots in the city. The tour was specially organized by Surekha and Radhakrishnan of Atma Darshan Tours, who personally led the day trip. The visit started in the morning with a group of 45 highly enthusiastic participants from Narayan zone. The first visit was to Sandeepany Sadhanalaya. There the mood was set with an invigorating satsang and question-answer session with Swami Bodhatmanandaji in the morning. This was followed by a visit to Jagadeeshwara Temple at the ashram. As the 50th year celebrations are due, special attention was given to communicate the history of the temple, its relevance with Pujya Gurudev’s early years in the ashram, the Vedantic concept behind its architecture and how all of us can help make this Sahasra Kalasha Abhishek a truly grand event. As the group had people who were associated with the mission from its very early days, the members could get a perspective of the temple’s features as well as its special significance in Gurudev’s memory.
The visit to Chinmaya Pradeep was particularly significant. For many, it was a repeat visit and the full intent of this multimedia Vedantic theme park was fully appreciated by members. The synergy of Gurudev’s life juxtaposed with the teachings of Vedanta was a unique learning for all. The group left for Sri Ramakrishna Mission Ashram where a glimpse of its activities and the details of their complex was appreciated. People recalled Gurudev being told by Swami Shivananda to continue in the lines of Swami Vivekananda.
A visit to Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram at Mani Bhavan was the next one where the non-violent struggle for freedom fight of Mahatma Gandhi has been graphically captured. The visit to the ISKCON centre was delightful. The darshan of Radha Gopinathji was a treat for eyes. A small bhajan and parikrama at Brindavan mini forest was a spiritual experience worth remembering.
Babulnath Mandir is a place of great importance. The group continued with visits to Sri Venkateshwar Devalay at Phanaswadi and Sri Mumbadevi Mandir. The former was a representative temple for Sri Balaji of Tirupati and people who could not go to Tirupati are happy to visit here and seek the blessings of the Lord. The group returned home fully satisfied that it was a day well spent.
