The Beginning of the Guru Puja Celebration
Saturday morning, the group went to Simhachalam to visit the temple on the top of the hill. Before the journey, Sri Kumar explained that it is the only temple in India where Varaha, the avatar in the form of a boar is worshipped, together with Narasimha, the avatar in the form of a man-lion. The occult meaning is, the divine energy lifts us up from being blocked in the matter, the base centre, first to the heart and then to the head centre. Varaha, the boar, is symbolised as giving this lift-up through his brilliant tusks, and Narasimha opens the pillar of the vertebral column, so that we can enter from the heart centre and ascend via the throat and the brow to the top of the head.
We got the darshan of the embodiment of the divine in form of a lingam in the innermost of the temple. There the Lord is established together with the World Mother called Sri. The ambiance was vibrating while the rhythmic sounds of the mantric chants reverberated through the air.
Afterwards we descended into the valley via the long stairway. Many pilgrims were around – some groups were chanting and clasping cymbals, while some men were pushing up the stairs a “holy cow” which seemed to be not enjoying this ascent. They were massaging its legs before with a push the cow was further drawn up the stairway.
In Simhachalam the preparations for the Guru Pujas were going on. This year the site is at a new place near the pond. Many volunteers were setting up the hall and the area for the dining hall. It was impressing to see how within a few hours they transformed the whole site into a beautiful festival group.
At 5.30 Master Kumar came to inaugurate the 54 celebrations of Master CVV Guru Pujas. Vedic chantings were intonated while he saluted the Masters of Wisdom present through their images on the altar and garlanded a statue of Master CVV. Then the evening prayer started. Afterwards, he gave an introduction to the group living. Group members from many groups all over India and the West have come together to stay here for three days and nights with the aspiration to reorient and to lift themselves up to the Light with the help of the energy of the divine Presence.
The Sunday morning celebrations started with the Ganesha ritual conducted by Kumari-Garu, followed by the intonation of other worship songs. After the morning prayer the Master presented some new book releases: a small booklet by Master EK, “Good Luck”, with thoughts about spiritual astrology. A book on “Sun”, a lecture given in 1990 at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam. Sri Kumar also wrote books on Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Mercury and Uranus. He mentioned that in 4 colleges in the United States these books have been included in their syllabus. A reprint of the book on Uranus and also Saturn Regulations of Master CVV were also released, together with a book on “The teachings of Lord Maitreya”, published during December Call – 108 statements taken from the Vaisakh Newsletter. Further some Telugu books – a book on Lalitha Sahasranama Stotra and on Gurupaduka Stotra.
The talks of the Guru Puja continue the series of the previous years on the Labours of Hercules. This time, Sri Kumar started with the lesson on the 8th Labour of Hercules relating to Scorpio, telling the story about the killing of the Hydra and giving explanations. The other labours till the 12th labour will be the content of the next lessons.
After breakfast, a group of small children was introduced into first writing and the intonation of OM Namah Sivaya, the mantram for developing an enlightened will. Later the fire ritual was conducted invoking the presence of the devas for the upliftment of the beings. Later there was the new releases of books by Master EK by the team of Kulapati Editions until noon.
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- Inside the old bus: Taking pictures
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- At the entrance of Simhachalam temple – no photos allowed inside
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- Leaving the temple: in the courtyard
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- The huge banyan tree: now the whole place is covered by asphalt, and some new buildings around
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- Descending towards the valley
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- The beautiful statue of Lord Ganesha overgrown by the roots of the tree.
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- The holy cow forced to ascend the stairways
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- View of the valley: explosion of buildings
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- Group members on the stairways
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- Entering the premises of the International Group Living
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- Women preparing spices for the food
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- Preparing the assembly hall
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- Setting up the altar
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- A tuk-tuk with an advertisement of the Balabhanu school
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- Siesta sitting at the pond
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- With Meinrad in the palm grove – the whole forest is destroyed by the cyclone
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- Sri Kumar inaugurating the group living
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- Decorating the statue of Master CVV
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- Kumari-Garu at the Ganesha ritual
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- Typing
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- the Ganehs ritual Sunday morning
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- Before morning prayer
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- The assembly hall at morning prayer
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- Bringing lights to the dias
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- Morning lecture
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- Fire ritual
January 11th, 2015 at 9:26 am
Impressive photographs. Covered the whole journey throughout. Enjoyed each and every aspect of this Guru Puja Celebrations. Thanks to Ludger Philips for bringing this to all.
January 12th, 2015 at 6:18 am
NAMASKARAMS MASTERS
January 12th, 2015 at 4:00 pm
We are feeling that we are at Gurupujas with the photographs. Thanks for the covering of Gurupuja celeberations. Namaskarams Master to your lotus feet.