Guru Purnima

The full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashad (July-August) is observed as the auspicious day of Guru Purnima, a day dedicated to the memory of the great sage Vyasa. 

It is said that Guru Vyasa edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the epic Mahabharata, and the Srimad Bhagavatam and even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the 'Guru of Gurus.'

Hindus attach great importance to spiritual Gurus. Gurus are equated with God and always regarded as a link between the individual and the supreme. This day is dedicated to the Gurus and people irrespective of caste or creed offer their prayers to their gurus thanking them for the knowledge they have provided to the learner.

Gurur Brahmma Gurur Vishnu
Gurur Deva Maheshwara
Gurur Saakshaat ParaBrahma
Tasmayi Shree Guruve namaha

Guru is the creator, Guru is the preserver 
Guru is the destroyer
Guru is the Lord himself, the highest consciousness
Salutations to the Guru

The magnificent Chattarpur Temple

At the risk of writing another review of another traveler,  I would still write to jot my experiences of  Chattarpur Temple visit. I have been wanting to visit it since a long time and the wait was definitely worth it! Every step I took in the hot summer month of July was a step of faith. 

Located in Delhi, the temple is dedicated to Goddess Katyani, the sixth of the Nava Durgas or nine forms of the Goddess Durga.  The complex is supposed to be the second largest complex after Akshardham in Delhi. 

The main temple complex contains the temple of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati, the idol of Hanuman jee, Shree Krishna-Radha jee and the main deity Maa Katyayani. The feeling on offering Puja here was of pure bliss and one could feel the presence of the energy. 

As one walked out of the temple, one could see the long line of red threads tied. Each thread, layer upon layer, contains stories of faith, of healing probably, of wishes and desires. It is like most other temples in India. It is this faith that makes this country so special, that makes each of the rituals so unique.

Next was the Laxmi Vinayak temple, the architecture speaks for itself and as you enter you know how much meticulous planning has gone in building this structure. You would just want to sit there and soak in the grace.

Laxmi Vinayak Temple

Cross the road and as you enter the third complex, the Trishul greets you, standing tall on the back of the tortoise symbolizing the solidarity of the earth.

The Trishul in the Hindu religion represents the trinity of creation, maintenance and destruction  - Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswar; of past, present and future,

The Chhatarpur Mandir was founded by Sant Shree Nagpal Ji in 1974. He left the world in 1998 and his samadhi shrine lies inside  the premises of the Shiv-Gauri Nageshwar Mandir within the temple complex. 

The nine forms of the Goddess are depicted inside, each with her beauty, grace and strength. You would almost want time to stand still there and bathe in the energy. 
The idol of Dakshineshwar Kali Maa radiated strength and energy amidst a certain calm.

Next stop was the huge Hanuman idol. My first brush of knowing about this idol was years back when someone had clicked this pic from a plane and was not sure where it was! I had googled up based on the specifications and assumed it was in Chattarpur. Someone else did confirm this and ever since then I had the desire to visit this place.  One feels protected under his grace in this vast world by just looking at the so calm features of his face in this idol. 

The sun, the heat did nothing, the energy and the peace was everywhere...the temple is easily reachable if you want to feel the way I did;  all you have to do is board the Delhi Metro!

The Power of Udi

Udi or Vibhuti is the ash from the sacred fire which Sai Baba had lit. The Udi is supposed to have great power and has been able to cure diseases of the mind and the body.

I was in Higher Secondary when I had suddenly developed an intense pain somewhere in the neck,  behind the ears. The pain would suddenly rise to the extent that I would scream, take my pillows and hold them tight, want to pull the iron rods off the window and cry. Some pain killers would help but again the pain would come unannounced somewhere in the middle of a classroom or while in sleep. On one occasion my tuition teacher's wife had to apply some hot compression for some relief much to my embarrassment.

I saw a doctor, he said the cause was excess accumulation of wax, prescribed some pain killers again and ear drops. This only ensured temporary relief...

This went on for some days when one day my father had gone to meet one of his seniors and probably mentioned that he had to rush home to take his daughter to the doctor. It was then that he handed him a packet of 'Udi' and asked it to be applied to the affected area.

The same day, one of my father's friends mentioned another doctor whom we immediately went to see. He dismissed the wax theory and said this was a nerve dislocation. He knew the exact spot where the trouble was and demonstrated how it brought relief on applying some pressure there.

It would take days of message by my father, morn and night, and some homeopathic medicines to get rid of that pain. Needless to mention that I would also apply Udi sans doubt or disbelief.

Till today I attribute the discovery of that doctor to the 'Udi' and have been applying it ever since as a daily ritual.  I don't question nor do I look for results as to when it worked and when it didn't and why.  I know the power of 'Udi' has benefited my overall well being, body and mind!

Friends visiting Shirdi do not escape my request to get a packet of 'Udi'...