One morning in the Akhara while showing work to Swamiji, I came across a tiny piece of paper with a drawing of something that looked like a diamond. Clear crisp lines, really impeccable symmetry. Curiosity stirred in me when I saw this amazing piece of drawing, thinking, 'what could this mean, where is this going to be?' Of course I couldn't keep the thoughts to myself and I asked Swamiji what this drawing meant. Swamiji just looked at the drawing on the paper and smiled. Remembering the smile and forgetting the context all together, I moved on with work and daily routine.
It was only after a few months that I saw some construction work taking place at the old fountain. Still unable to put the pieces of the puzzle together, life kept going in anticipation and excitement of this new masterpiece of the master.
When the mere canopy couldn't cover the presence of this creation I for the first time witnessed the real size, the magnitude of this replica of the drawing I had come across months ago. There was a dramatic design unfolding in time, for which only one was chosen to be the catalyst. It was brilliant to see how every angle, every cut, the alignment and the shape were just so perfect as the master had drawn himself.
As the glass and other fixtures came together, it felt more and more complete and remarkable. Still covered from plain sight of onlookers, no one was allowed near the site. So of course there was no way of finding out what to expect or think.
As we were getting busy and busier with the preparations of Lakshmi-Narayana Mahayajna, with hundreds of guests coming, normal routine was on a roll. We were on a run. It was on 10th, exactly 10th September, that I witnessed something absolutely magical. The magic of gurus was at play. As I was walking towards kutir to return the keys, I came across a sannyasin facing the construction site completely frozen and her eyes awestruck, mesmerized seeing the structure glow. A radiance beyond reality. I joined her, and it felt as if we were in some other place. Words had left us and all that would come out of us was "WOW" with every breath.
Eyes weren't quite done soaking the bigger picture that suddenly my eyes caught the brilliant blue light that was sparkling at the base. This light was just too familiar and it could only mean one thing.
We found out that there would be a special program on 12th celebrating the Sannyasa Diwas of Sri Swamiji. As it is, the day was special and had an air of joy and happiness as we were dancing at the feet of our gurus, but something in me was jumping up and down waiting for the day to move a bit faster so we could witness this event of a lifetime.
And so it did, and what the eyes saw, ears heard and the heart felt is what words cannot explain.
Even with hundreds of people sitting and participating in the program and chanting there was this remarkable silence around, this peace and joy that I felt inside looking at Sri Swamiji who was smiling at all of us from within the Chhaya Samadhi, this beautiful diamond.
When the program finished we were guided for parikrama. As I walked inside the Samadhi, it felt as if time stood still. The parikrama which lasted exactly 10 seconds felt more, much longer. I came out of the Chhaya Samadhi as if I had just walked out of a time capsule. And it indeed took me back to all the memories, photos and satsangs of Sri Swamiji, like a flip book it started: all that my mind could remember and that I had come across these many years. I walked out of the time machine completely stupefied by the striking appearance, with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. Everything felt in place and peaceful. Swamiji had brought Sri Swamiji back...
Every day since then walking on the rose path looking at Sri Swamiji smiling back at us, is most certainly the bestest moment of the day and "a walk to remember"...
Sannyasi Atmamaitri