During the last annual festival(25th December,1990)at Banagram Paramananda Mission, the Ashram authority faced a weather hostility. Then there happened heavy storm (cyclone), rainfall. So, the annual program was interrupted heavily. That’s why, it was decided that the birth- festival of Guru Maharaj would be held in Ajimgunj Ashram, instead of Banagram Paramananda Mission. From that time, thousands of devotees gathered in Ajimgunj Paramananda Mission from 25th December to 1st January. When we visited Ajimgunj Ashram for the first time(1989), then there was only a building. There were four or five rooms in the ground floor. There were a room and a hall also in the first floor. The room in the first floor was arranged for Guru Maharaj. As the many of the devotees of Ajimgunj Ashram were railway employees, they brought wood of the railway and upon these wooden Kari and barga, the roof of the building was concreted. (This kind of building was of old construction and in this kind of building, the roof of the building was concreted upon the Kari and barga.) As a result, the building was not strong but it was to manage the needs. It was difficult to arrange an accommodation for so many devotees. In the west side of Ajimgunj Ashram (i.e in the side of railway), there was a big garden cum field. In the right angle of this garden, there was also a primary school. The ashram authority requested the school committee to use the school for the devotees during the festival. As a result, it was possible to arrange night- stay for 50/100 devotees. But it was not sufficient to accommodate for thousands of devotees. That time, severe cold weather fell during the last week of December in Ajimgunj Ashram. That’s why, the ashram authority built so many huts, made of bamboo and straw. These huts were set up in a row. The door of such a hut was made of straw and the thin pieces of bamboo. On the floor, the straw was set – upon, it the hessian was placed. Each Hut was packed with 15/ 20 devotees, just like the matured seeds stay in a jackfruit. This arrangement was to spend the night somehow. The ashram authority had not the capacity to supply the sufficient blankets to the devotees. The devotees themselves brought the blankets. Later, one of the devotees of Ajimgunj Ashram went to Banagram to bring so many blankets for the devotees – for the purpose of festival just before few days of starting the festival. The devotee sent those blankets back to Banagram Ashram after the end of festival. It was difficult to understand how the thousands of devotees spent the night miserably. After spending the night, the next dawn – the devotees defecated in the shore of the river Ganges and after then they bathed in the Ganges – what a severe cold it was!!! The devotees came to the ashram after bathing in the Ganges, shivering in bitter cold. The devotees faced the cold weather until the sun came out clearly. Guru Maharaj would take His seat in the sitting early – that’s why, the devotees were in hurry. The devotees from north and south India came in groups. Every year, Dr Sudhir Gour came to Ajimgunj Ashram with his full family on the occasion of 25th December. That time they stayed here for 15/20 days. The family of Satyamji and his other family members (Basumati, Srikanta and others) from southern India, the family of Dr. Debnath as well as other devotees came to Ajimgunj Ashram and they also stayed here for 20/25 days. The foreigner devotees also came here that time. The young boy and girl devotees from Europe gathered in Ajimgunj Ashram that time.
[Translated by Ramprasad Das, a former student of Bangaram Paramananda Mission.]