Basant Utsav
11th – 13th February 2016
Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad.
11th February 2016
It was the morning of the 11th of February, and the atmosphere of the bhandara was already light and joyous at Kanha Shanti Vanam. Kamlesh bhai conducted satsangh at 11 a.m. in preparation, as abhyasi sisters and brothers flocked to the site and settled themselves in eager anticipation.
At lunchtime, Kamlesh bhai heartily welcomed a family of abhyasis who had recently come back into the Mission after a gap of over fifteen years. They were one family of many who have found their way back to the Mission in recent months. During an informal talk, he mentioned that Kanha will be unrecognisable the next time we come, due to the rapid progress of the project at hand.
The inaugural sitting of the bhandara of Basant Panchami was at 5 p.m. After this, two books were officially released: Complete Works of Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh, Volume III and Designing Destiny.
Designing Destiny sold out by 7 p.m. the same evening. It is a compilation of material from some of the talks of Kamlesh bhai, highlighting those of the All-India Youth Seminar in November 2014 on this theme. The third volume of the Complete Works of Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh contains letters of Lalaji Saheb to his associates between 1924 and 1931, and also sold out during the bhandara. Both books are currently being reprinted to cater for the demand.
The stage in the meditation hall was set, with the backdrop's grand colour scheme and tapestry of quotations from Lalaji Saheb's letters. This stage, which was "the talk" of the meditation hall, itself was a symbol of Sahaj Marg.
The first day of the bhandara, filled with utter joy and a homely feeling, concluded after the evening satsangh.
12th February 2016
Starting the day with a refreshing and cool morning atmosphere, around 18,000 abhyasis made their way to the meditation hall for the 6:30 a.m. satsangh. After the sitting, Kamlesh bhai spoke about an encounter Babuji Maharaj had with an abhyasi who had mixed feelings for the Mission. He compared Babuji to a "humble servant" who served one and all. As abhyasis, we can take this advice and consider ourselves insignificant in our service remaining ever grateful for the opportunity provided.
On this main day of the bhandara, abhyasis could finally see Kanha in full swing. Right opposite the meditation hall was the bookstall, where abhyasis flocked to buy the new releases of the previous day. And right next to the registration desk, was the Heartfulness booth, the jewel of the bhandara. All of these places were easy to find due to the wonderful signs that displayed the stalls.
At 10 a.m., Secretary U.S. Bajpai conducted the sitting, and gave a talk afterwards. In his talk, he gave a summary of the progress of the Heartfulness programs in India. He went on to discuss how many people in schools, villages, and companies in India had been introduced to Sahaj Marg via the Heartfulness programs.
Between 11a.m. and 2:30 p.m, during the heat of the day, volunteers made sure that all abhyasis were well hydrated by handing out water bottles filled from the water stations within the grounds. During this heat, all 351 newly prepared preceptors assembled at the cottage to personally receive their framed certificates from Kamlesh bhai. All the certificates that were handed out were prepared within a couple of hours by hardworking volunteers.
At 5:30 p.m., Kamlesh bhai conducted satsangh. Afterwards, he mentioned that Lalaji had told Babuji, "You are the first soul in the history of creation to have direct initiation by the Ultimate." Kamlesh bhai explained that Lalaji had discovered this method, but instead of using it for himself, he waited until Babuji was ready to receive it. He stressed upon Lalaji's nobility and greatness of character, wanting Babuji, his disciple, to be number one. We can learn from this: the need for putting others first, as competition between our own brothers and sisters is futile.
13th February 2016
We started the last day of the bhandara with a 6:30 morning satsangh conducted by Kamlesh bhai. Afterwards, he thanked all the volunteers involved in the bhandara, the participants present, and the participants around the world, many of whom tuned in via the Internet to listen to his talks and watch the proceedings.
He specifically mentioned how many of the volunteers had been inhaling dust for many months to prepare the site, while the majority of the abhyasis were inhaling dust for only a few days! With this message, all were encouraged to continue their practice with enthusiasm and intensity.
In the evening, Kamlesh bhai invited all the youth to the cottage. Everyone sat outside under the stars, witness to the lush greenery and gorgeous orange marigolds that dotted the borders of the lawns in the accommodation area.
Kamlesh bhai started the session with a question: "How would you describe the celebrations?" One young woman said that the atmosphere was very subtle and she needed to be sensitive to feel the transmission. Kamlesh bhai mentioned that the bhandaras are a time for preparation, so sensitivity and subtlety are needed. The talk covered a few topics, including ‘egregore' that could be positive or negative in its impact.
14th February 2016
The next morning, after the 6:30 a.m. satsangh, Kamlesh bhai conducted a record-breaking thirty-six marriages and three engagements. They were celebrated with much joy, and the faces of all the participants and guests simply shone.
In the evening, Kamlesh bhai gave a sitting to the remaining abhyasis to end the day.
This bhandara was a preparation, or perhaps even a prelude, to the upcoming bhandara for Babuji Maharaj's birth anniversary in April. Preparations are going on around the clock to make sure that Kanha will be able to welcome a greater number of abhyasis with open arms.
The meditation hall will remain standing in the meantime. As time passes, the hall itself and surrounding structures will expand greatly to accommodate the demand for more abhyasis. All the volunteers who made Basant Panchami such a great success, as well as new volunteers, will surely be doing their part to prepare for April.
