‘Devi Durga, after slaying the dreaded demon brothers, Shumbh-Nishumbh, in a fierce battle, threw down her sword (asi), which broke the ground creating a river named Asi. At the confluence of the Asi and Ganga lies this ghat.’ What could be a more auspicious place to perform Ati Rudram and Shata Chandi?
Preparations started right after Sarada Navaratri last year.
Sri Gnanananda Teertha Swamigal has been researching on Tantras, extracting pertinent information on setting the Rudra Mandalam for Ati Rudram. He drew the rudra mandalam himself using his computer skills. He was also working on the precise dimensions of the mandalam for the facility team to build! For Swamigal, age is just a fleeting thought! Our wish was to invite Vedic Ganapathis and Pundits from various parts of India as Ritwiks for the Ati Rudra Parayanam. We had to make travel arrangements and Hotel accommodations for all the Ritwiks coming from far off places.
To arrange for train tickets and manage Hotel accommodations for the 130 plus Ritwiks most of them coming from far off places from the extreme Southern part of India was a truly challenging task. We would like to mention a few names here who helped us to coordinate this task.
Sri Sunda Vadhyar from Chennai and Sri Seetharaman Ghanapati from Cochin helped us immensely in getting the Ritwiks from different places in South India and also coordinating all the Vedic rituals for the entire event. Sri Subramanian from Chicago was a great help in managing the complexity of allocating close to 80 hotel rooms from different hotels for the outstation Ritwiks. Sri Chandrashekhar Dravid from Varanasi helped us in organizing the 40 Veda pandits from Kashi. Our gratitude to each one of them for all their efforts.
We decided to bring the cooking team from our home town as that will allow us to provide familiar recipes for all attendees especially for Ritwiks for Ati Rudram. Lot of facilities related work like identifying the place to conduct the event, getting all the official clearances, identify contractors to build the Yagasala, work with them on the various dimensions etc., needed to be done. Generators were hired for electricity as the venue was just an open ground and the Yaagasala with 11 Homa kundams had to be erected after clean up and leveling of the uneven land.
Last but not least, we also wanted to document the Shiva Pooja with anushangam that is rarely used for Rudra japan in South India including the Mahanysam texts conforming to Bodhyanana tradition, in the major Indian languages like we normally have been doing for all the texts we publish.
A few of our Ashram disciples made multiple trips to Varanasi, to make sure that preparations are going at full speed. All hotels around the venue were blocked and booked for Ritwiks,
About 130+ priests from different cities of Tamilnadu and around 30 cooks from Trichy started their journey to Varanasi to serve us food starting March 26th! Idli grinders and other big utensils were being sent through train parcel service. Since we had an open invitation for all like minded people to join this event, we needed to get an expected headcount to help our logistics. A small team of volunteers quickly got into action, reaching out on the phone to all registered participants of 200+ people to confirm! Smt Meera and Sri Kannan from Chicago took care of the coordinating food distribution. Sri Sivakumar and Sri Balaji from Kanakadharini Catering took care of every minute details regarding Ritwik food and general food preparation and distribution. Smt Subhasri Kartik was available right from start to finish to support us in every way. We are immensely thankful to all the volunteers and donors for their selfless efforts. We are also grateful for the extensive support given by Koviloor Mutt and Udupi Mutt of Assi Ghat, Varanasi.
On one of our early trips to Kashi, we went to watch Ganga Aarti in Assi Ghat. At the end of the Aarti, we met with the organizers and the chief (Dr. Jha, Ph.D in Iconography) was very much impressed hearing about our parampara when we explained to him that we follow Sri Bhaskararaya who was challenged by Pundits in Kashi to describe the Chatush Shashti yoginis and Devi sat on his shoulder to whisper in his ears each of their names and description. We also told him that this all happened in Chausati Ghat in Kashi and the chief was very happy we knew about the 64 yoginis as he said “nobody in Kashi knows about these yoginis'' - he went on to explain how Kashi was formed by these yoginis as per wishes of Devi. He said they will support us in every way. We requested them to allow us to recite Lalitha Sahasranamam and Trishati at Assi Ghat right in front of Ganga after Ganga Aarti in the evening at about 7:30 pm during our event and he immediately obliged!
It was just wonderful to see a lot of work that was started months back, reaching their logical closure : Framing for tents got complete, Ground is getting prepared for 11 homakundams, About 160 kalasams and kamandalams arrived from Kumbhakonam, flowers, dhotis, asanas, bags, Homa articles like vasordharas and ahuti items arrived from Madurai, New Delhi, Hyderabad etc in the days leading to the event. Banners were printed and erected, Sound systems, Speakers, Lighting, Networks were being set up for the event! The reception team also set up a front desk with volunteers taking turns to help with questions and with tasks that needed to be done.
The publications and the review team were in full swing going through the Shiva Pooja documents carefully, fixing errors/typos with such speed and we got the documents printed as books, just in time for the event!
For effective communication, the reception team set up WhatsApp communities for attendees with daily updates. We reminded ourselves, all our disciples as well as attendees, to come, stay with an open heart and love into this ancient holy city to absorb all the positive vibrations the Vedic chants are going to emit!
We performed Sri Chakra Navavarana Puja and Devi Mahatmya Parayanam at Sri Chakra Lingeswarar sannidhi at Hanuman Ghat on March 24th. This is the Jeeva Samadhi Adhishtanam of Sri Chidambaranatha Yogi, Guru of one of the Carnatic Music Trinities Sri Muthuswamy Deekshidar. Sri Deekshidar lived in Kashi to learn music, esoterics, philosophy and Yoga from his Guru and erected Sri Chakralingeswara on top of his Guru’s samadhi. A Srichakram is inscribed on top of the lingam. It is a great blessing for us to do the Navavarana puja and Devi Mahatmyam parayanam here on the auspicious Pournami day. It is purely our Gurunathar's anugraham to be able to offer our prayers at the same place where Sri Muthuswamy Deekshidar offered his prayers.
And, a great coincidence is that day was Sri Deekshidar's Jayanti day (birth anniversary) - he was born on March 24, 1776!
On March 25th 2024, the first batch of priests and the entire cooking team arrived safely on time So we started service breakfast/lunch/dinner that morning at the Food tent that was set up adjacent to Udupi Mutt right opposite the Yagasala. Disciples and Registered participants also started to trickle in for the event. Our reception/facilities volunteer team did an awesome job in making sure their accommodation needs are taken care of, and also handed them food coupons to use throughout the event for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The 8 day event got kicked off with Vastu homam and Raakshoghna homam on Mar 25th! Through these days, our youth volunteers were busy, unpacking all the transported items, getting the bags for the Ritwiks, arranging materials for the Pooja. We were particularly moved by our Youth Disciples who had come from various cities, leaving their academic/work pursuits, to participate in this event.
By the end of 25th, the tent for the event was beautifully set up in the area adjacent to Koviloor Mutt, with carpets covering the ground. On the stage, Swamigal worked tirelessly with the Vedic Pandits, in setting up the Pooja Areas. On the left was the Samba Parameshwara setup with the Lingam for which we were performing daily Rudrabhishekam and the monthly Ekadasa Rudra Parayanam and Abhishekam for the last one year and on the right side was set up the Pooja area for Chandika Mahalakshmi. In front of the main stage, 200 Bana lingams, brought in from Narmada by an Ashram devotee were consecrated and more than 10,000 Vilva Archana was performed every day.
In the middle, the Rudra Mandalam was majestically set up for the Ati Rudram -- visualizing a lotus flower. In the The Rudra Padma’s center, the 10 syllables of the mantra ‘OM Namo Bhagavate Rudraya’ reside. Around this center, there are 5 circles of petals. The circle closest to the center has 8 petals, the next circle has 16, the third circle has 24 petals, the fourth circle has 32 petals and the fifth circle has 40 petals. All the petals add to 120. Including the center, the total number of petals comes to 121! This Rudra padma was built into 6 increasingly bigger rectangular cubes with precise dimensions based on guidance from Sri Swamigal. While the top 5 cubes correspond to 5 circles in the Rudra Padma, the lowest cube has 22 devatas — 8 Naga linga, 10 Digpala and 4 Parivara Devatas for a total of 143 Devatas. Sri Swagimal also extracted the Pancha Rudra Avarna pooja texts from the Scriptures.
The Ati Rudram finally kicked off on Mar 27th, with the auspicious Go (Cow) pooja, followed by Ganga Pooja done in Assi Ghat standing on the Holy Ganges where all the kalasam were filled with the Ganga water and brought in procession by all our disciples to the venue. Devotees also brought in close to 200 litres of teertham(Holy waters) from the Holy Prayaga for filling up the Kalasams.
This was followed by Ganapathi Puja, Maha Sankalpam, Punyahavachanam, Ankurarpanam, Pratisara Bandham, Matruka, Yogini, Kshetrapala Puja, Ganapati Homam, Navagraha Homam, Nakshatra Homam and Shanti Homam followed by Purnahuti and Deeparadhana.
In the evening, we welcomed all the Ritviks and performed Yagashala Pravesam, Kumbha Sthapanam and Aavaahanaadi Puja. We concluded the day with the Deeparadhana, Chaturveda Parayanam and Mangalaarati.
We also released the Shiva Puja book in Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu - thanks to the very hard work by the Publications team. At 338 pages, it has turned out to be a very comprehensive book, very handy for doing Shiva Aradhana by anyone.
From Mar 28th till April 1st, the events happened with such precision on time! We started the day around 6:30 AM with Guru Vandanam and Bodhayana Mahanyasam and the first round of Ekadasa Rudra Japam. While there was a breakfast break for Ritwiks, we had the Ashram Disciples chant Devi Mahatmyam with such finesse and precision that they completed in time for the 2nd round of Ekadasa Rudra Japam! This was followed by Rudrarchana & Deeparadhana and concluded with Samaradhana for all Ritwiks and lunch for the rest. Evenings started with the Rudram/Chamakam, Ghana Parayanam and concluded with the Deeparadhana, Chaturveda Parayanam and Mangalaarati. Every evening, there was also Anugraha Bhashanam by our father Brahmasri Yagnarathna Dikshidar.
We were so blessed, just to be listening to the Rudra Namaka and Chamaka Parayanam. A few of Salakshana Ghanapathis also introduced a lot of us to the Varna krama for the word “Namah Shivaya”. The detailed explanation for each syllable in the Panchakshari mantra Namahsshivaya was a treat to listen to. Very few Ghanapathis are currently in India who can describe the qualities and attributes for every syllable or Varna. We were fortunate to have a few of them participate in the Ati Rdram, With the Chatur Veda Parayanam,the Veda Ghanapathis offered Rig Veda, Shukla and Krishna Yajur Veda and Jaimini and Koutuma Sakha from Sama Veda. Just listening to their rendition was a divine experience and the chantings are still ringing in our ears.
At the conclusion of 14641 Rudra Japams on April 1st, the Ganga Aarti team was invited to offer the famous Aarti to the Kalasams on the stage. It was a treat to watch them perform in unison perfectly synchronised with the music. The same evening Annadanam for more than 1000 people was offered at the gates of the Yagasala.
On Apr 2nd, it was a sight to behold with eleven Rudra yagnas going concurrently. About 160 Ritwiks performed the Rudra Homa 11 times to complete the sankalpa of a minimum total of 1331Rudra Homas. First 10 times, the Homa was done with Shodha Vibhaga and the concluding 11th Rudra Homa was done using the Eka Navati Dwi Shatadha (291) Vibhaga.
On Apr 3rd, we performed the Satha Chandi homam as a final offering for this event. It was so heartening to see so many Ashram Disciples participate so enthusiastically.
As I always say, we are like the body or the frame of a chariot. For the chariot to move and to serve its purpose, it needs the wheels. Our disciples are those wheels who move us forward. As we look back, our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who took as this your own family event. We are especially proud of our youth disciples. With the hot weather, when some of the devotees fell sick, our Youth Volunteers sprung to action, dropping the food, medicines promptly to them. We are so grateful and thankful to each one of the attendees for travelling this far just to be with us to support!
They say it takes a village to raise a kid. It takes a community of villages to do Ati Rudram that too in Varanasi! Each one of us could feel the anugraha of Kasi Viswanatha, Visalakshi, Annapoorani and all the thirty three crores of Devatas residing in Kashi bestowing their grace on us. May the blessings of Guru Mandalam, Samba Parameshwara and Devi continue to be with us every moment. May the vibrant power of mantras protect and inspire us. May our sadhana keep us on the Dharmic path!
Sharing a few glimpses from the event here, more will be uploaded shortly.
