(Click here to read Poonum Ahluwalia's personal reflection on the event)

The town of Epping has witnessed an event which has not happened in North America before. It was the Maha Gayatri Saraswati Maha Yagna organized by the Saraswati Mandiram, an institute of Holistic Health, Music, Yoga, Science and Philosophy. This Yagna, the Vedic rituals of offering to the fire of transformation was organized to bring peace and harmony.

The 100 acre picturesque landscape was decorated with fire altars as prescribed by the ancient texts. 108 altars were placed in a design called the ‘Gayatri Yantra’ a design prescribed in the ancient sacred texts from India. Small tents were set up around the altars which made this landscape, especially at night lit by small lights a heavenly place.

The event started on Friday afternoon with chanting from various sacred texts. Later 108 altars were lit with fire and chanting of Gayatri and other Vedic mantras. Smoke from the altars filled the air with the smell of herbs and other offerings. There were talks and musical programs in the evening. The evening concluded with devotional songs sung by Pandit Rabideen Ramsamooj of New York.

Saturday morning started with Yoga. The Vedic hymns were chanted throughout the day. Special pujas were arranged for a cow, a horse and also an elephant. A procession of these animals took place afterwards. There were two laghu-ahuti (short offerings) on Saturday. There was a cultural program in the afternoon filled with devotional songs and dances. The main attraction was the Hindustani classical songs offered by Anurag Harsh.

Keeping with rich Indian traditions, special Arti and homage was offered to guru, father, mother, married women, young girls and boys. The event concluded on Sunday with the purna-ahuti (complete offerings) according to the Vedic texts. At the conclusion of the event, Pandit Ramsamooj gave a passionate spiritual discourse. “For any success one needs knowledge. Therefore the worship of Gayatri and Saraswati must be part of everyone’s daily life” said Panditji.  People from all over the country attended this event. Many came from Trinidad and Canada. Local residents had for the first time the rare opportunity to experience the Vedic Hindu culture and tradition.

There was an art exhibition by famous painter Lucilda Dasarrado-Cooper. She spoke on her experience of spirituality and art. An exhibition on the past and future of the Saraswati Mandiram was prepared by the students of the institute lead by Hema and Seema Mahase.

The priest of the temple Pandit Sampat Kumar, was overwhelmed by the experience. ‘I’ve never experienced such an event in my life’ said Pandit Kumar who is a native Andra Pradesh in India . Ayodhya Prasad Upadhyay a teacher at the Institute who has come from Nepal expressed his gratitude to Pandit Ramsamooj for undertaking such a great event. ‘My whole being has changed after attending this event. The whole place has become more peaceful and harmonious’ said Shanta Srivastav, a professor from Montreal.  Indrani Persad who came from Trinidad expressed her experience thus -  â€˜One has to be very fortunate to be able to attend such great event. This was truly a once in a life time event.’

A stone carved image of Saraswati, brought from India and was placed in-front of the current temple. Pt. Ramsamooj plans to have a grand temple on the complex along with where the image will be placed. There are not too many temples in the world which are dedicated to the Goddess of learning – mother Saraswati. Pandit Ramsamooj dreams to see Saraswati temples all over the world. He already has established one temple in Trinidad and another in India.

In addition to the temple Panditji also wants to establish a school and college, ayurvedic center, dormitory, meditation huts along the river, shelter for abused people, housing for elderly and a crematorium to have the first place in America where cremation will be done according to the Hindu tradition.

For more information please visit the web-site: www.saraswatimandiram.org or call 603-679-1126

My Guru…bestowing Unity, Grace, Love and Generosity... 

By Poonum Ahluwalia

Maha Gayatri Yagna September 19 – 21, 2005– was a magical weekend of prayer and learning borne of the generosity and love of Pandit Ramsamoojji of  Saraswati Mandiram of Epping, NH.   Imagine this…108 Yajmans with 108 fired up Havan kunds, sitting inside 29 tents set up in the form of Gayatri Yantra, on more than two acres of land...chanting the Gayatri Mantra 251 times...watching the sun set, and the full moon come up!  A truly mesmerizing moment...we did this yagna four times - Friday evening, Saturday morning and evening and Sunday afternoon and the Gayatri mantra is embedded in our being...!

Panditji is a force of nature, generous beyond grace, with a unique ability to transform all that he touches.  All of us can talk about unity, grace, love and generosity; Panditji showed us the way through action… 

The head priest of the Yagna was from Sri Lakshmi temple, the supporting priest was from Chinmaya Maruti Center  - unity in action; when swamis from one sect of the Swaminarayana temple came and requested Panditji to remove all the women from the Yagya shala so that they could enter…he respectfully turned down the request – grace in action; when devotees flocked to the Yagna and wanted to perform the Yagna without paying he agreed – love in action; everyone who came to the Yagna was treated with love and respect, if they wanted to stay they were given a place to sleep, fed from morning to night, and welcomed personally by Panditji – generosity in action.

In one weekend Panditji ever the Karmayogi taught us the meaning of unity, grace, love and generosity not through his words but through his action and in doing so challenged and transformed us all. 

Panditji has created a spiritual retreat which is also a temple invoking Ma Saraswati.  It is my prayer to you to please visit the temple and participate in the visionary dream of Pandit Ramsamoojji.  It is my hope that Panditji decides to do this Yagna again and all of you reading this get the opportunity to participate…

|