Guru Purnima Mahotsava 2014

In May the countryside turned yellow and parched, dotted with some isolated piece of green. In the great plain the temperature was far more than 40°C.

The wind blowing during the day was hot and any activity generated tiredness and copious sweat.
The school was closed for summer holidays but the hospital was open as usual as there are many health emergencies in this season, especially heatstroke and fevers afflicting adults and even more children. The children play carelessly outdoors without worrying about sheltering from the sun or drinking enough.

Sometimes they came to the first-aid station almost completely dehydrated or feverish. Our medical staff is always ready to intervene promptly. Heat-wave certainly threatens the elderly, as well, especially if their health condition is unstable.

For more than a month the temperature varied from 44 °C to 46°C. Only shortly before Marcello and Adelio arrived from Italy, it started to go down. With the first rains the thermometer went down to more acceptable levels but humidity reached maximum levels.

The days before Guru Purnima we rushed to prepare the centre for welcoming the guests. The residents and the friends of the association were busy sanitating, decorating and preparing the area. This year the celebration was on Saturday and we expected a large crowd.

Early in the morning we performed a Havan for the Guru Puja followed by Aghor Digbandhan. The raising of the flag of the association started the public day off, then we started welcoming guests. In the afternoon a shower lightly cooled the beginning of the meeting. Doctors, members and friends explained the activities of the centre and the meaning of this day. In the end Guru Baba and Anil Baba addressed the guests and gave a speech for the occasion.

The chants and dances of the girls of the school enraptured the children. Mythological plays of a theatrical company from Varanasi enchanted the adults. Groups of musicians followed one another on the stage entertaining the guests until late in the night with bajans and chants. Thousands of people went to pay homage. More than four thousand meals were served during the day. Hundreds of people come from away spent the night in the ashram and left the following morning.

An intense and serene day where we could feel Shri Aghoreshwar’s sweet presence.