[We were discussing that very day’s(25th December, 1990) incidents.]
…. At last the next morning came ! But which morning was that ?? In other years, on 25th December_ there would be how much preparation of the ‘Ashramiks’ (the inhabitants of the ashram) from early morning, how much organised works – how much encouragement of the young devotees ! But in that year ??? It was heavy rain-stream in the morning also– like all night ! The devotees somehow, after finishing their morning routine by getting wet in that heavy rain, they again were compelled to sit in their own places wrapping the half-wet blanket ! There was no way to know where and how Guru Maharaj’s puja or aarti, the rituals of worship, (as the day was His birthday celebration) took place in the morning and who were present there ! But I could remember that tiffin was reached at everyone within 8 am to 8-30 am. There was extreme shortage of drinking water, but in the cold atmosphere and in that heavy rain, we had a little attempt to drink water.
When it was 12 o’clock at noon, suddenly we (those who were on the verandah of Charibeti house surrounded by the sacks) heard someone saying- “Who are you here? Remove the sack a little and take some food for lunch !” Slightly removing the sack we saw a great scene !! In that pouring rain, Murari Maharaj was bare-chested, but he clothed the lower part of his body in a special way. He stood by holding a huge brass bowl – full of hot khichuri i.e hotchpotch on his head, and ladles and some saal (a kind of tree) leaves were in the other two devotees’ hand. Even today, still I am amazed to think how Murari Maharaj had been standing with such a heavy and hot khichuri in the bowl on his head for so long time!!!
He said to us_ “Hold the saal leaf like a container – and they(the other two devotees) will give some khichuri there. And listen__ after eating, you throw away the leaves outside and wash your hands in the rain water. No one needs to move or go anywhere !”
That day I saw the lion like body and strength of Murari Maharaj !! Now Murari Maharaj’s body has become bent but at that time Murari Maharaj could carry a quintal of sugar sack on his own head and could walk from one end of the Ashram to the other easily.
On that day, after 2pm-to-2-30pm, the rain decreased. After a while, people rushed to their own house as soon as they could ! Many of the devotees left Ashram after taking the permission from Guru Maharaj, many left without it . What to do !! They all were getting wet from the previous day ! Moreover there were children with them also, some babies were so small that they were in their parent’s lap !!
It started drizzling again after the evening. The depression(cyclone) did not subside, so the rain did not stop.
As the devotees dwindled, so the rest of the devotees got a place inside the room. But what if everything was wet or damp ! And at that time there was not enough stock of winter clothes in Banagram Ashram. I can remember that blankets and beds had to be rented during the festival time. It was less in number of blankets then at Ashram although there was a lot of demand for blankets also . But in that crisis period__a young man named ‘Pierre’ from Norway had soaked 8/10 blankets(as the bundle of blanket was in that room, where Pierre used to stay) for stopping the rain water from the window !
Murari Maharaj first noticed it and became extremely worried seeing this ! But what the embarrassing situation was ! Murari Maharaj wanted to make him understand about the matter but he couldn’t . On the other hand Pierre’s words could not be understood well (as English is their second language, so they didn’t know English well.), he did not want to understand anything also. Only Guru Maharaj could tackle him that time. ‘Pierre’ then ate raw vegetables, he could not eat cooked food at all.
However, a great event took place that night which we would not have known__ if Guru Maharaj didn’t tell. That will be told the next day….!!
[Translated by Rajarsi Basak, a student of class Ten and corrected by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
*BANAGRAM MEMORIES*_(48)
