Mahashivaratri 2013

You are invited to celebrate Mahashivaratri in Adivarapupeta.

Mahashivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva, falls on March 10 this year. It is the main annual function at the Shivabalayogi ashram in Adivarapupeta, the sacred place where the great Yogi of Yogis sat for almost all of his twelve-year tapas — meditation in samadhi, the state of enlightenment.

Mahashivaratri is the most auspicious time of year for the presence of Lord Shiva, Shivabalayogi's Divine Guru, God in the form of a yogi. It is also a celebration of the presence of Shivabalayogi, a manifestation of Lord Shiva Himself.

Those who visit the Mother Ashram know his presence there can be felt physically, just like his own physical body. That presence is even more profound during the Great Night of Shiva.

Before Shri Swamiji dropped his own physical form, he always returned to his native village of Adivarapupeta to celebrate Mahashivaratri. His presence in that ashram is as important as it is powerful.

Now that Shivabalayogi is in mahasamadhi — the great or ultimate samadhi — he gives even more experiences to assure us that he is ever present. "You need experiences. That is what I give."

Photo taken on March 13, 1994, when Shivabalayogi took devotees

bathing in the ocean at Kakinada, near Adivarapupeta. Knowing

Shri Swamiji's love of boat rides, local devotees borrowed a

fishing boat. You can see video taken on this same occasion

at YouTube, Shivabalayogi Kakinada Sea Bath.

The trustees of the Adivarapupeta Ashram Trust and the trustees of the Shivabalayogi International Trust warmly invite you to experience and celebrate the profound blessings of the Great Night of Shiva in Adivarapupeta.

Guests can be assured of hospitable accommodations. There is never any charge for His blessings!

Shivabalayogi is a great ship, an ark of unlimited capacity, carrying one and all across the ocean of existence.

Celebrating Mahashivaratri in Adivarapupeta reminds us that the journey of life can be blissful.

Swamiji's Treasure

A young man of 23 here in Fairfield, Iowa, contacted me about a month ago asking to receive Shivabalayogi's initiation.  He had come to Fairfield about five years ago, took the TM initiation, and also the siddhas (an advanced TM initiation), which he had been practicing until . . .

About a year ago he was at the Fairfield library and saw this big book called "Swamiji's Treasure." He took it home and read it very quickly.  Within a very short time, he was doing Swamiji's meditation took Swamiji as his Guru. He has watched all the videos of Shivabalayogi on YouTube and read everything about Swamiji available online.

He knew Swamiji was his Guru, but wanted to "seal the contract" by receiving the actual initiation from one of Swamiji's devotees. He looked online and saw my name in Fairfied and made the contact. The initiation took place at my home on January 25, 2013.

He lives a very simple, reclusive life here, meditating at least 4 hours daily.

Birthday Darshan

I spent the day of Swamiji's Birthday (January 24, 2013) quietly at home.  Late afternoon I sat to meditate and I asked Swamiji if Swamiji would come to me in a dream that night for Birthday Darshan.  It then came to my mind so clearly, that I DID receive Swamiji's Darshan early morning of the 24th in a deep sleep  . . .

"I was in the back of a huge auditorium with a large stage, waiting for Swamiji to appear on the stage where Swamiji's Darshan would begin.  There were thousands of people lined up waiting to go up for Darshan.  I was standing by myself in the back with no one else around.  I turned my head and there Swamiji was standing by himself.  I went to Swamiji and Swamiji said "Namaste Sally" and I replied "Namaste Swamiji".  I then went to my knees and placed my hands and forehead on Swamiji's feet (Swamiji was wearing some type of red bootie socks.  Swamiji then slipped off these socks and put His bare feet back under my forehead.  I continued on my knees holding Swamiji's Holy Feet with my hands for a very long time.  My mind was without thought, and my heart filled with the most incredible joy . . . "

After remembering this dream and Swamiji's darshan, it was so clear to me that this truly was Shivabalayogi physically coming to me.  Why:  Since meeting Swamiji in 1987.....and to this day, all I have ever truly wanted was to always and forever be at His Holy Feet of Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaji....to hold on and never let go.  What else is important in this life

— Sally

Birthday Invitation Adivarapupeta

Adivarapupeta trustees and devotees cordially invite you to attend Shivabalayogi's 78th birthday celebration this January 24, 2013.

The festivities include puja worship and mass feeding, then bhajans in the evening.

[Double-click on any image in this blog and you will get a full-size image on your screen.]

Happy birthday Swamiji!

Swamiji's blessings to all!

Birthday Invitation, Jhansi

This year's invitation to attend the annual function in Jhansi to celebrate Shivabalayogi's birthday on January 24. He would have been 78 this year.

Devotees in Jhansi organize the largest annual mass feeding in honor of Shivabalayogi outside of his established ashrams.

Our thanks to Mr. R. C. Nanda who helps organize these functions and prepare the invitations that are sent to devotee saround India and the world.

Hyderabad Ashram

All are invited to attend free meditation and bhajan programs at the Shivabalayogi ashram in Hyderabad this January 13 to January 14.

Festival of Goda Kalyanam

Goda Kalyanam (the wedding of Goda devi) celebrates the marriage of Goda devi, an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, with Lord Ranganatha, an aspect of Lord Vishnu. Lakshmi and Vishnu are the female-male aspects of God in the form of the Sustainer of creation. The festival is being celebrated in the Adivarapupeta ashram this January 13 to 14. All are invited and welcome.

Goda devi is an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. She was found as a child under a basil tree by a great devotee named Nammalvar who raised her in Sri Villiputturu. Goda devi was very attracted towards Lord Vishnu in the form of Lord Ranganatha Swami. She refused to marry any human being. She used to make garlands for Lord Ranganatha, and before sending them to the temple, she would wear them before a mirror to see whether it would be nice on Lord Ranganatha. One day the father saw her wearing the garland before sending it to the temple and scolded her for it. (Garlands made for deities are not to be worn by another.)

Goda devi felt very sad about what she had done. But Lord Ranganatha appeared in her father's dream and told him that he likes the garlands to be worn by Goda devi. The god instructed the father to bring garlands to the temple every day only after Goda devi had tried them on.

Lord Ranganatha informed the king and the priests of the temple that he would marry Goda devi in Sri Rangam. Goda devi went to Sri Rangam with her father. The Lord appeared in the form of divine light married her. Finally Goda devi merged into Lord Ranganatha.