November 9th, Day 22nd of the Yatra

We took off after an early breakfast to Chinmaya Mission Kolhapur.  Bus trip was full of jokes and laughter.  The weather was perfect and we passed lush fields of sugarcane as we sped along the top class highway. As we approached Kolhapur, Chinmaya Ganadhish was visible from miles away, smiling at us and welcoming us to Chinmaya Sandeepany. 

Chnmaya Ganadhish is an 85 ft tall Ganesha idol made of  concrete which can be seen from the Pune-Bangalore highway, located about 13 km away from Kolhapur, in Chinmaya Sandeepany ashram.  We received a warm welcome by Swami Puruthottamananda, Swami Atmadevananda, and the Brahmacharis.  Mother nature also welcomed Pujya Guruji with her light drizzle.

The whole structure consists of a 61 ft Ganapati seated on a 24 ft tall Meditation hall. The circular structure has a diameter of about 60 ft and weighs about 800 tonnes. 24 pillars support the Ganesha idol. Fifty skilled workers, specially called up from Shimoga, Karnataka, toiled for about a year to complete the structure.
It was inaugurated in November 2001 by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda. Chinmaya Seva Trust, Maharashtra, accomplished this under the able guidance of Pujya Swami Purushottamananda, regional head for Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa (West Zone).

Chinmaya Ganadhish has become a holy place of pilgrimage. Thousands of people visit this place especially on Sankashti Chaturthi. Every morning worship to the Lord is offered with Vedic chanting. In the evening Aarathi is performed.

In addition there is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Pujya Swami Chinamayananda suggested the name ‘ Kailasnath’ for the temple, since Kolhapur is famous as Dakshin Kashi (Kashi of the South). The deity is in the form of a Shiva Linga made of black stone and adorned with Sphatika Linga given by Pujya Gurudev.  Swami Purushottamanandaji told us the story of that Spatika linga, how it was gifted to Swamiji by Gurudev.
In a letter of blessings, on the occasion of the consecration of the temple Pujya Gurudev had written to Swami Purushottamananda, “Go Ahead! You will find me just besides the Shiv Linga.”

Swami Atmadevananda talked about the history of the Ashram and current activities.  Brahmachari Atri Chaitanya gave us a tour of the facility and we had a sumptuous lunch and snacks from there before we took off from there.

There was the small model of Chinmaya Ganadhish idol made by Purushottam Kale sitting behind the Swamijis during satsang, it looked divinely beautiful.  Purushottam Kale is the artist whose company “New Ganesh Arts”, makes beautiful idols including the Ram Parivar which adorns in Guruji’s Kutia in Vibhooti.  I felt like I hit the jackpot when Guruji presented that idol to Kishore and me at the end of the satsang.

In the bus back, Guruji was in our bus and while I was showing him the video clip, my laptop decided to shutdown because the battery was totally drained.  Everyone around wanted to watch that video clip and we sat in that same formation and started talking, it turned out to be the best Satsang for all of us.  Guruji advised us all to follow “Conscious Living” and “Right Thinking”.  He wanted us all to work towards 2015-2016 as our goal when we will celebrate Gurudev’s birth centenary.
We arrived back in Kolwan, got busy packing for return home in the morning. This dream-like yatra is coming to an end.

I will update with some more pictures and information once I get back home and get to edit them.  It will take a while since I am still in transit for the next week.  So stay tuned.
I enjoyed blogging, and hope you enjoyed reading too…  There were many moments and experiences that words and pictures cannot do justice to. I wish all of you will get many chances to enjoy the grace that we Yatris were fortunate enough to revel in.
I will read all your comments once I have stable connectivity.  Thank you all…..
Love,
Subha