A Visit to Rajahmundry
Early Wednesday morning after breakfast the group started for a journey to Rajahmundry. On the highway you could see ox-carts or motor rickshaws going on the verges of the road – and sometimes also a rickshaw came driving in the wrong direction – flexibility.
An ox-cart on the highway
In Rajahmundry the World Teacher Trust is constructing a 5 storey building on the banks of the river Godavari – the 2nd longest and a most holy river of India. On the banks of the river the Government has given to 12 spiritual organisations, who are doing service activities, ground to establish buildings there. Since over 20 years the WTT-Rajahmundry is doing substantial service activities and is well-known in the surroundings.
In Rajahmundry all 12 years, when Jupiter is entering Leo, there is a huge gathering of pilgrims from all over to take a bath in the Godavari during the auspicious time of 12 days. Especially around that time the WTT-brotherhood is caring for pilgrims, offering food and shelter, doing transportation etc. The building is still a structural shell, but will be finished during 2008. The brotherhood offered us a warm welcome and showed us the building, explaining the different activities to be held there in future.
After lunch we went to a landing stage and entered a boat, which took us on a 2.5 hours ride up and down the huge river.
The two bridges in Rajahmundry are the most attractive long bridges found in Andhra Pradesh.
We landed on a sandy beach to enter into the river and enjoy the scene. On the way back to the landing stage the group chanted Purusha Sooktam, Sri Sooktam and other mantrams, while a beautiful sunset shed its light over the river.
Afterwards we went to a silent place at the banks of the Godavari River. The river is dedicated to Rishi Gautama, who had been meditating there, and there was a statue of the seer at the river. We sat for a while on the banks for a meditation.
Then we had a short visit to some of the spiritual centres in the immediate vicinity of the WTT-centre: A temple of Lord Dattatreya, where a little pooja was being done, and an ISKON (Hare-Krishna) Temple, where we witnessed singing of Krishna mantrams and an arati (waving camphor light in front of the altar) and returned to the WTT-building for dinner.
The group of Rajamundri had prepared a gift for each of the Western group members, with photo of the future centre in a beautiful golden frame, for the ladies a panjabi dress and a small decorated box and for the men a towel and a little statue of Ganesha.
Later in the evening we returned back to Visakhapatnam, where we arrived after a 4.5 hours drive in the early morning hours.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Hi,
//Afterwards we went to a silent place at the banks of the Godavari River. The river is dedicated to Rishi Gautama, who had been meditating there, and there was a statue of the seer at the river. //
Could please tell me the place where Rishi Gautama’s statue is located?
I need to go and do some pooja for Gautama Rishi.
Can you please give the name of the place (where the statue is located) and the distance to the nearest town (Like Rajamundhry or Yanam)?
My advance thanks to you.
Regards
Anbu Subramanian
February 11th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Dear Andu Subramanian
I was traveling with a group and cannot indicate you the details, but it was directly in Rajahmundry. I have forwarded your e-mail to a person of the WTT-Visakhapatnam, who accompanied us on the journey, and told him to contact you.
Best regards from Switzerland
February 12th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Thank You so much.
February 12th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I got the following answer. I hope this helps you to find the statue:
The Place we visited the river Godavani is in Rajahmundry. The place is called “Gautamu Ghat”, a well noted place. We can reach there from Yanam by road.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Thanks again.
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Hi,
I hope you see this message.
I am especially interested in knowing more details about the Dattatreya temple you visited in Rajahmundry.
Can someone give the exact details of the temple (location etc.) in Rajahmundry?
Best Regards,
-Sarma KV
February 27th, 2009 at 5:26 am
hi can u tel mor abt WTT