BANAGRAM MEMORIES – (79)

The first centre outside Banagram Paramananda Mission, in which the maharajs staying in it did the activities independently – it was the house adjacent to Morgram(Murshidabad district) Station. Later, a devotee arranged a five cotta land here. Guru Maharaj came here ( He held a sitting also with the devotees) but He rejected the place quickly saying, “This place is not suitable to set up Ashram.” As a result from that time, the initiative was started to search a place for establishing an Ashram. The man who was very much active in the matter of setting up an Ashram in the beginning ( Sushant Sarkar), became less enthusiastic regarding this matter. But his sister Mery Ma( Mery Biswas) brought Guru Maharaj in Ajimgunj for the first time in her house. There held a religious discussion(sitting) with so many devotees. There also happened the contact between Guru Maharaj and the famous ‘3-B’s i.e. Babin, Bijoy, Bishnu of Ajimgunj Ashram. One day Guruji went to visit the side shores of the river ‘Ganges’ and coming to the same spot (the spot in which Ajimgunj Ashram is situated now), He said to the devotees, present there, “Look this place, my dear ones! The Ashram will be set up in this place.” The local inhabitants said to Him, “Swamiji, this place is a waste land. Is not it?” It was the fact that the dead bodies were thrown in that area but at present, Ajimgunj Ashram is established in the place which Guru Maharaj Himself selected. But these matters will be discussed later. We will come back to Rasberulia Ashram again.

Swami Krishnananda Maharaj ran a homeopathy dispensary in Rasberulia Ashram then. He communicated the local people and inspired them to be devoted to Guru Maharaj Swami Paramananda – these were his activities. Then Guru Maharaj went to Rasberulia Ashram one or twice a year. That time the local people gathered there, many pious persons were initiated also ! In this way, a spiritual environment was created gradually centering this Ashram. Usually, Guru Maharaj went to Rasberulia Ashram regularly on the auspicious day of ‘Akshay Tritiya’ – the day in which the Ashram was established. That time the annual festival of Rasberulia Ashram was held. In day time, cooked hotch- potch was served to the 8/10 thousand devotees and in night, Baul songs were sung. Baul Baba Swami Bhagabatananda Maharaj and Ajimgunj Ashram’s Swami Bholananda ( Mona Maharaj who is the in- charge of Rasberulia Ashram now) sang Baul songs with their team. Besides this, the outsider professional Baul artists also performed there.

Once (1994/95), a severe chaos took place centring this night musical function. It was fact that the Muslims lived in the adjacent villages. The young boys of those villages came to listen to Baul songs. That time, perhaps the young boys of those villages threw earthen chunks towards the Hindu young girls or misbehaved something. As a result, the elder brother or father or other relatives of these Hindu young girls hit them severely.

What happened next??? There took place a clash between the two opponent groups. The Muslims from their villages came to the programme site in thousand numbers and they started to throw stones, bricks etc towards the people, present in the programme spot. The crowd were dispersing quickly – they were running away in the directions which they wanted, one was hitting another one – women, children, old age men and women were bursting into cry helplessly – what a severe chaos then!!! Guru Maharaj was very much tired due to ‘pranam’ by the numerous devotees all day long and scorching heat – so He was resting in His room. Swami Krishnananda Maharaj went to Him and told him all these matters. At once Guru Maharaj, dressing His saffron lungi tightly, He Himself appeared in the spot to tackle the situation !

What actually happened that day, no one was able tell exactly. Someone said that 15 to 20 bodies of Guru Maharaj simultaneously acted (or fought) with the trespassers. Someone told that he saw in his own eyes that He hit everyone one or two blows !

Whatever happened that day – it was the fact that there took place a miracle surely, it was no doubt ! Because a severe chaos – it cooled within few minutes after Guru Maharaj confronted the situation. The chaos became calm but the local devotees awoke rest of the night – everyone was thinking that an attack might take place in the dark night – but it did not occur. Rather the next morning, the heads of those villages came to Guru Maharaj or Swami Krishnananda Maharaj and prayed to them to forgive them for the misbehaviour by the young boys of their community the day before.

[Translated by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]