The Kali Temple in Laguna Beach, Kali Mandir in Laguna Beach

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Hymalayan Yatra ~ A letter from Swami Ambikananda Saraswati

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

Greetings to everyone…by Mother’s grace, Guruji Swami Bhajanananda and I are in good health and are now in Delhi at the Ramakrishna Mission. We’ve returned here after having a wondrous adventure in the Himalayas!

After a pleasant morning train ride to Haridwar on the 22nd, we spent some days at the Kankhal Ashram. A day trip to Rishikesh was very nice (despite the massive development–hotels popping up like mushrooms)…complete with Ganga bath and even my favorite street-vendor fresh butter cookies!

A chance/pre-destined encounter with our friend Victoria was fortuitous. Among other things she introduced us to lemon ginger mint honey tea at a tiny makeshift cafe on the footpath on the swarg ashram side. We sipped tea with an eccentric westerner–not unlike our Russian friend Igor, except this fellow had an unplaceable accent…he’s been in Rishikesh since 1974, and has seen a lot…”The world needs more storytellers and shamans…there’s enough clever people in the world.”We returned to Haridwar. The next morning I inquired about a car to Ukhimath, not far from our beloved Kedarnath. Within ten minutes it was all arranged, and we had the best driver we’ve had in the Himalayas, a young, sweet devotee named Harish.We left Kankhal a little after 6:00am, and before 8:00am we were having hot alu parathas andchai for breakfast in the little village of Byasi….(which, you’d be surprised, boasts one of the cleanest public bathrooms I’ve seen—even in America!)

We continued on, and I was struck by how clear the weather was…I’ve never seen the air so clear…even from Haridwar you could see the snow peaks peeking through….But there were some low clouds snaking through some of the valleys, far from us on the road, but very beautiful.

But at around 9:00am Harish pulled over and we got out looked out to the vast canyon—actually three canyons meet here…they call it “Tin Dhara”….and right at this moment, at 9am the clouds and fog were burning off and being driven by the wind…the effect was like nothing I’ve ever witnessed: in the valley below, the Ganga snaked its way, but above that was this river of clouds, swirling, swelling, rising and falling….like a time lapse film, only happening in real time. All the clouds were glowing white in the morning sun, and when they would dance their way apart and reveal the Ganga below, she was catching the sun like a sunlit ribbon of sliver and gold….absolutely breath-taking! I took some pictures and some video…hopefully it will convey something of what we witnessed. So rare are these moments….to be there at that point, at that time….such grace!

And then we got back in the car…and within ten minutes we had our first glimpse of the Kedarnath peak! I’ve never seen him below Devprayag….that’s how clear it was! We didn’t stop at Devprayag…we decided to stop at Rudraprayag on the way up and Devprayag on the way down.

We had a wonderful bath at Rudraprayag before noon, and thought of everyone with each dip.

By 2:30pm we had reached Ukhimath and were eating lunch at the GMVN gust house….

Our little cottage, number 3, has its own little porch, and little open space next to it….and there, right there, framed perfectly in the hills….is our Kedarnath Mountain! Such a stunning view….that was our television…the moods of this mountain at morning, afternoon, in evening alpine glow….even by the light of the full moon (our first night)….I took I don’t know how many pictures and videos….but mostly we sat and did japa and drank in the darshan!….after eight years, I cannot describe what it was like to see this mountain…my eyes are tearing up just thinking of it….and from our little GMVN cottage, He looks so close! So clear…the play of shadows on snow and rock….and a form that has nothing to do with shadows or snow or rock. Truly amazing….such grace.

On the second evening Guruji and I put a cloth down on the lawn…and with cymbals and a mini dholak drum, we sang kirtan to Lord Kedar, to the mountain…the manager of the GMVN sat nearby and joined in…it was so incredibly lovely…at some point during the kirtan, a flock of emerald-green birds flew up and over….at this point Kedar peak was crowned with clouds.

And though the mornings and nights were cold…the days were quite warm. The food was simple, lovingly prepared…the best chai we’ve had in India so far…and many interesting people….That morning, a young Bengali man approached….and after some talking, he said that he knew Guruji Haradhanji! “Oh Haru-da! Yes…I knew him…there was no pujari like him!” Very sweet man, named Asshim. We gave pictures of Ma Dakshineswari, and took down info.

In the morning we visited the Ukhimath temple…had a puja performed on behalf of all the devotees. Very nice darshan!

That night after dinner Asshim introduced us to the man he and a lady friend were traveling with: a Dr. Sen, a Bengali doctor who has spent the last forty years walking the paths of Garwhal, and is considered one of the main experts of the Panch Kedar…the five mountain shrines to Siva. Dr. Sen has written many books on the region, and published books of his photographs….one of them is being sent to Kali Mandir….Dr. Sen is quite a trip…he connects on a mystical level to the nature and spirit of this region…he says this place is like the crucible used by alchemists to turn base metals into gold….those who come here are changed, transformed….the same person does not return…He has seen these peaks from every angle at all times of the year….he’s walked to the Panch Kedar shrines many many times. He also gave some good points about traveling, and encouraged us to one day see the panch kedar shrines. Very unique person. He quoted a Baul song: “Those who have seen Radha and Krishna in a red hibiscus have seen Them…..those who haven’t, haven’t.”

The next morning, the mountain was hidden in clouds and they sky dark….yet another mood!

After breakfast we left Ukhimath.

At noon we took our bath at Devprayag, where the Bagirathi and Alaknanda rivers meet, and Ganga officially begins. We walked up to Raghuvir temple and saw arati.

We made it back safely, and were back in the Kankhal Ramakrishna Mission before evening arati.

Now we’re resting in Delhi. Soon it will be on to the next adventure. And Swami Shantatmananda Ji told us that tomorrow Swami Chetanananda Ji will be visiting the Delhi center, so we’ll be able to see him!

We’re thinking of you all and missing you…and with every holy dip and every temple darshan, you are there with us. We hope all is well, and we’ll write again when we can…

Jai Jai Ma!
Jai Kedar!

Yours in Mother,
Baba Ambikananda

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Navaratri / Durga Puja

Tuesday, November 20th, 2012

The Divine Mother Comes Home

A sweet Bengali legend holds that every autumn Mother Durga takes leave from Her husband, Lord Shiva. She leaves Mount Kailash high in the Himalayas to visit Her ancestral home to spend time with Her family. Ma gets a fervent welcome-home party with blowing conches, drum rolls, bells, chants and prayers. Kolkata comes to a standstill for four days. All of Kolkata pays homage to Ma Durga. People dressed in their finest new clothes are out in the streets to receive the Goddess in their homes and in their hearts. Ma has come to kill all the demons that lurk even in the darkest corners of our hearts. The battle rages for nine days and nights (Navaratri). On the tenth day, Ma Durga emerges victoriously. All Her children are happy and lovingly exchange gifts and feed one another.

At Kali Mandir, we observed Devi Navaratri, with special homa fires & nightly talks on the Chandi, celebrating the Divine Power’s victory over the forces of darkness. We worshipped Ma Durga with full hearts along with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya. A crowd of devotees attended this elaborate ritual which included Kumari Puja, in which the Goddess is worshiped in the form of young girls.

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New Shyama Sangeet CD

Tuesday, November 20th, 2012

We are excited to announce the release of Naren’s (our Kamalakanta) beautiful first CD of Shyama Sangeet.

The land of Bengal in eastern India can truly be called “Motherland.” It is here that for millennium, and unbroken tradition of worshiping God as the Divine Mother Kali has given strength and solace to its people. Over the centuries many great mystics took birth in Bengal, leaving a timeless legacy of wisdom-teachings, tear-soaked poetry, and ecstatic communion with the Mother. From this legacy a new form of sacred music was born, called Shyama Sangeet, “Music to the Dark Mother”, The most famous of these poet-saints were Ramprashad Sen and Kamalakanta Bhattacharya of the 18^th -19^th centuries. They cried directly to the Mother, often reprimanding their own restless minds or revealing esoteric experiences of yogic awakening. Soaring in unparalleled joy or crashing to earth in great despair, these songs reveal the often-winding road traveled by the devotee.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa often sang Shyama Sangeet, weaving this sacred music into his teachings that sparked India’s spiritual renaissance. When his heart overflowed in a ecstatic moond at he Dakshineswar Kali temple, his songs enthralled those seated nearby. When his disciples, such as Swami Vivekananda, would sing, Ramakrishna often danced or wept before entering blissful Samadhi. Decades later, Paramahamsa Yogananda was born into this spiritual revival. He sang Shyama Sangeet as a child and continued to do so throughout his life in America where he adapted much of it into his English poems and songs for the West.

Eso Ma is the first recording by a westerner of India’s most enthralling love songs to Mother Kali. Naren K. Schreiner sings vocals and plays harmonium and is accompanied by Pankaj Mishra on sarangi and Adikeshava on khol mridanga. Proceeds from the sale of this CD go to support the worship of the Divine Mother at Kali Mandir.

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Ramakrishna and Sodashi Puja

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

It was the new moon night (5 June 1887), an auspicious occasion for Phalaharani Kali Puja. This special festival is also observed in the Kali temple of Dakshineswar. The Master made a special arrangement for privately worshiping the Divine Mother as Shodashi in his room rather than performing it in the temple. At the right side of the worshiper’s seat, a low wooden sear, beautifully painted with rice powder pigment, was placed for the goddess to sit on during worship. The sun had set and the new moon night arrived in a veil of deep darkness. It was 9:00 in the evening when the preparation s for the mystical worship were complete. The Master had sent a message to Sarada beforehand to be present during the worship, and now she arrived in the Master’s room. The Master sat for worship.

The Master finished the preliminaries and sanctified the articles of worship by repeating the mantras. He then beckoned for Sarada to sit on the decorated wooden seat. While she was watching the worship, Sarada had already entered a semiconscious spiritual state. So without fully knowing what she was doing, she moved like one who is spellbound and sat facing north on the right side of the Master, who was seated facing east. According to the scriptural injunctions, he repeatedly sprinkled sanctified water on her from the pitcher placed in front of him. He then uttered mantras and invoked the deity with the following prayer:

“O Divine Mother Tripurasundari! O Eternal Virgin, possessor of all power! Please open the gate of perfection. Purify her body and mind, and manifest Yourself through her for the welfare of all.”

Then he performed the ceremony of nyasa in accordance with the injunction of the scriptures, and worshiped Sarada with sixteen items as a veritable manifestation of the Devi. After offering food, he took some of it and put in in her mouth. Sarada lost outer consciousness and went into samadhi. While uttering mantras in a semiconscious state, the Master also wend into deep samadhi. Thus, the worshiper and the worshiped became fully united and unified in the Atman, the Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.

Some time passed in this way. It was long after midnight when the Master gradually regained partial consciousness of the world. In that semiconscious state he offered himself to the Devi manifested in the person of Sarada, and then forever surrendered at her feet himself, the result of his sadhana, his rosary, and everything else. He then bowed to her with this prayer:

“O Consort of Shiva, the most auspicious of all auspicious beings! O Doer of all actions! O Refuge of all! O three-eyed goddess of golden complexion! O Power of Narayana, I salute You again and again.”

The worship was completed. The Master’s sadhana culminated in this worship of the Divine Mother in the body of a woman who was an embodiment of spiritual wisdom. Both his divine and human aspects had archived ultimate perfection.
~
Ramakrishna and His Divine Play by Swami Saradananda (Translation by Swami Chetanananda)

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Dakshineswar

Friday, March 26th, 2010

This classic book by Usha Harding gives an intimate and detailed description of Kolkata’s famous Dakshineswar temple and Ma Bhavatarini, the Kali worshiped by Sri Ramakrishna.

Go to gift shop>>

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P.O. 4700, Laguna Beach, CA 92652 U.S.
Telephone: 949-494-1906, e-mail: devotees@kalimandir.org