During the birth festival of Guru Maharaj on 25th December, the devotees (family man, sannyasi, brahmachari) from Banagram Ashram also came in Ajimgunj – although the birth festival of Guru Maharaj had been celebrated precisely in Banagram.
That time, the sitting of morning and afternoon surely held as usual in Ajimgunj Ashram. But then the main attraction was the sitting of night. Everyday Guru Maharaj entered a room alternately and there started ‘joy giving camp’. But during the last stage of His staying at Ajimgunj, the devotees increased so much – so, the hall in the 1st floor was fixed for the sitting for night. There held ‘amusement giving camp’. Why was it being called ‘joy giving camp’??? To get the answer, you ask anyone of them who had spent just a night in such a sitting. Then you will get the evidence of the truth of my talking. At the first time, Rasaraj, Rasikshekhar, Rasikchuramani ( Rasaraj, Rasikshekhar, Rasikchuramani – all these words mean king or emperor of amusement.) played seek and hide with the devotees. The night in winter – the bitter cold wind was blowing outside – the doors were tightly closed but the persons who were devoted to Guru Maharaj were not sleeping. When Guruji came down the stairs, His slippers produced such a specific sound that then it was clearly realized that He was coming down. That time immediately the awake devotees, leaving their beds, entered the room with Guru Maharaj which room Guruji entered.
And the devotees who had slept thinking, “the night became so dark – perhaps Guru Maharaj will not come down today. What a bitter cold wind is blowing out side!!! Let’s wrap the blanket.” missed the opportunity to attend the night sitting. They surely blamed themselves next morning.
Usually, He took His seat in the room which was arranged particularly for the devotees coming from north or south India. After then, there started ‘fun giving camp’.
What did not Guru Maharaj do then? 1) He held sitting but this sitting was not like the sitting of Banagram. In this dark night sitting – He was free minded, free, friendly. One could ask any query in a free mind – instantly He answered such query. Then it did not seem that it would be bad to ask a query. It did not seem also that to ask a query was a matter of embarrassment – so to be quiet was the intelligence in this matter. One could ask what he wished, then Guru Maharaj answered the query promptly.
2) He used to sing and He made the devotees, present there, sing. Sometimes it happened that one had not sung a song or he was unable to sing a song. Guru Maharaj ordered him or her to get out of the room. Then He said to the person, “This room is not for the unfunny person. You go and take rest in your room.” The devotee went away, taking no way. It was unfortunate for him or her to leave the sitting. And the next morning, what his or her try to learn by rote music and lyrics by Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Dwijendralal Roy so that he or she could collect a licence to enter the sitting room the next time.
If anyone could sing a song well – then what His joy!!! He clapped like a child and then He said, “One more a song…..one more.” Once Mithu, the daughter of Prabir Babu from Howrah ( Mithu then studied in class seven or eight) sang a song, ” Ore nil Jamunar jal” ( Hey, the water of the blue river Jamuna) so earnestly that after the end of the song Guruji said to her, ” Hey, dear Mithu, you filled my heart.” Mithu also did not give up the opportunity. She said to Guruji, “Guruji, all the devotees must sing the next song. You also must sing the song.” Then Guruji talked first and said, “Yes…yes… Of course, I shall sing. Now you start.” Mithu then started to sing, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare…” Guruji clapped loudly and simultaneously He sang with all the devotees, present there.
Guruji used to dance and He made the devotees, present in the sitting, dance. His song or dance had not been marked by any specific boundary. He sang the songs of different types and features of Bengal, such as Bengal’s folk songs. Besides these, He sang Baul, Jhumur, Goyalparia, Bhaoyai, Sari etc and so many… He not only sang the songs differently but also explained the history, geography, science regarding these songs. After these kinds of song, He sang Assamese songs, South Indian songs, Punjabi songs… In a nutshell, He sang all kinds of songs and He danced in different styles for each song.
Once, requested by kirtaniya (the person who narrates, recites, tells, describes an idea or story, specifically of Indian religion) Bishakha, Guruji performed artificial Ras ( a Hindu festival) dressing up Himself as the Lord Krishna.
[ Translated by Ramprasad Das, a former student of Bangaram Paramananda Mission.]