My spouse, Sreelakshmi, and I deeply take pleasure in visiting temples and ashrams throughout Bharat. Our pilgrimages aren’t simply non secular journeys – additionally they carry us nose to nose with the wealthy cultural tapestry of historic India. Final 12 months, we undertook a soulful journey to a number of sacred locations in Andhra Pradesh – an expertise that left an indelible mark on our non secular reminiscence. Amongst them was our go to to Devipuram. A singular and highly effective non secular centre nestled within the tranquil hills 35 km away from Visakhapatnam.
Lap of the Divine Mom: Our Pilgrimage to Devipuram
Greater than a pilgrimage, it turned an encounter with the Divine Female. A journey into the center of Shakti worship and a private transformation formed by highly effective chants, sacred structure, and sudden human connections. Being a devotee of the Mom Divine, Parashakti, I used to be deeply moved by the palpable presence of Her power at each step. Awakening inside me a profound sense of reverence, internal stillness, and renewed devotion.
Our first cease inside the huge complicated was the Dattatreya Guru Peetam, a temple devoted to Lord Dattatreya, the embodiment of the Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara – in a single type. As we entered, a wave of peace enveloped us. The serene murti of Dattatreya, with His calm gaze and mild smile, radiated a way of timeless knowledge and compassion. It felt as if the Guru precept itself was welcoming us, making ready our hearts to obtain the Mom’s presence that pervades the holy place.
Standing earlier than the sanctum, we have been reminded that each non secular journey begins with the blessings of the Guru, the dispeller of darkness. Providing our prayers there first crammed us with humility and gratitude, as if Lord Dattatreya Himself was silently guiding us in the direction of the deeper experiences awaiting us within the temples forward.
The Temple of the Divine Mom
Devipuram is not any atypical temple. At its core lies the magnificent Sri Meru Nilaya, a three-storied, pyramid-shaped temple constructed within the form of the Sri Chakra, the paranormal diagram of the Goddess Lalita Tripura Sundari. In contrast to standard temples, the place devotees stand exterior sanctums, right here one walks into the very geometry of the Sri Chakra. A revolutionary idea that makes Devipuram deeply experiential. Every of the 108 Devis – goddesses representing varied features of cosmic power – resides in a delegated nook of the Meru construction. Devotees cannot solely see but additionally contact and carry out puja to those deities, which provides a uncommon intimacy to the darshan.
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We have been struck by the peaceable and welcoming environment – not one in every of inflexible orthodoxy, however of internal give up and joyous worship. Right here, ladies carry out puja, youngsters chant slokas, and even foreigners, a lot of whom are drawn by the common embrace of Devi worship, are welcomed with open arms.
The Visionary Behind Devipuram
This sacred imaginative and prescient was manifested by Sri Amritananda Natha Saraswati (born in 1934), previously Dr. N. Prahlada Sastry, a nuclear physicist turned non secular visionary. His transformation from scientist to Sri Vidya Upasaka (practitioner) is itself a profound story. Following a collection of mystical experiences and internal revelations, he was guided by the Divine Mom to construct Devipuram as a dwelling Sri Chakra, the place seekers from all walks of life might reconnect with their supply.
Sri Amritananda was not only a builder of temples, however a builder of individuals. Empowering ladies, simplifying complicated rituals, and opening the doorways of esoteric practices to honest seekers. His teachings emphasised direct expertise, bypassing caste or gender restrictions, thus reviving Sri Vidya as a strong, egalitarian path of self-realization.
Learn Extra About Guruji – Devipuram: Goddess and the Guru by Michael M Bowden
For the reason that passing of Guruji in October 2015 on the age of 81, the non secular legacy of Devipuram has been lovingly carried ahead by his spouse, Srimati Annapurnamba – affectionately generally known as Guruji Amma. With unwavering devotion and quiet power, she has upheld Guruji’s imaginative and prescient and continues to information the Sri Vidya Belief with outstanding dedication and competence. She is usually described because the “spinal twine” of Devipuram – effectively managing each element within the temple. Along with their daughters Anantalakshmi, Radha, and Rama, she continues to open Devipuram’s doorways to honest seekers worldwide. Fostering the founder’s dream of creating Sri Vidya accessible with out boundaries of caste or creed.
Assembly the Deities
Strolling by way of the Meru Nilaya was like getting into one other dimension. Every step upward by way of the 108 deities of the Sri Chakra took us deeper – bodily and spiritually. We provided flowers on the ft of Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, and lots of extra. Every Devi represents a definite layer of consciousness. The silence of the temple, punctuated by the gentle murmur of chants and the perfume of incense, created a palpable power area.
What deeply moved us was the liberty of participation. In contrast to temples the place rituals are reserved for monks, right here devotees, particularly ladies, are inspired to do archana and abhishekam themselves. Sreelakshmi was overwhelmed with pleasure and gratitude to supply puja on to the Divine Mom together with her personal arms. A second of profound empowerment.
Smt. Nagamani: The Residing Voice of the Devi
As we approached the Kamakhya temple nestled inside the campus, a resonant, melodious voice reached our ears. A younger girl was chanting the Sri Lalitha Sahasranama, the thousand sacred names of the Divine Mom. It wasn’t simply the phrases that drew us in, however the rhythm, readability, and deep devotion with which she provided every identify. We stood there, awestruck and reverent. Utterly absorbed within the sacred vibrations that crammed the air.
The chanter was Smt. Nagamani. Her recitation flowed like a sacred river – flawlessly memorized, sincerely felt, and provided with unwavering bhakti. Moved by the depth of the second, we stood silently, letting the sacred sounds wash over us. Sensing our devotion, she gently signaled for 3 of us to enter the sanctum sanctorum. All of the whereas persevering with her chanting with out pause. We have been completely mesmerized by her voice. Every syllable appeared to rise from the depths of her soul, carrying the presence of the Divine Mom into each nook of the temple. It was not mere chanting – it was as if the Mom Herself was respiration by way of her, enfolding us in waves of grace, till time itself stood nonetheless.
Do learn: Kamakhya Temple Shatipeeta close to Guwahati
We sat there quietly, eyes closed. Mentally becoming a member of her within the recitation of the Sahasranama. In that small, sacred house, time appeared to dissolve. The presence of the Divine was tangible, and the expertise bathed in sound, silence, and beauty was actually otherworldly.
Purity & Transformative Power
We discovered that she had been raised within the non secular environment of Devipuram. Having absorbed the highly effective mantras and practices from a younger age. Touched by her purity and the transformative power her chanting woke up inside us. We felt compelled to spend the complete day on the ashram. Listening to her recite the sacred names felt like being gently immersed within the celestial waters of the Saraswati. Each calming and deeply illuminating.
Later, she graciously guided us to the Meru temple. With quiet devotion, she organized flowers and different puja objects and invited us to carry out the worship by chanting the Sri Lalitha Sahasranama ourselves. Immersed within the sacred environment, we provided our prayers with a full coronary heart. On the conclusion of the puja, she carried out the Arati with grace and reverence, then lovingly positioned flower garlands round every of us. As Prasad, she provided sacred objects, together with a fantastic saree that had adorned the deity, which she gifted to Sreelakshmi – an act that touched us deeply and stays etched in our hearts.
Our reference to Nagamani ji continues past the ashram. She stays in contact with us by way of WhatsApp, warmly exchanging messages, images, and blessings, protecting the bond of devotion and friendship alive.
Our Brother in Disguise: Sri Durga Prasad
This sacred day wouldn’t have unfolded with out the quiet dedication of Sri Durga Prasad, our cab driver-brother. Initially only a transport contact, he shortly turned rather more. A caring companion, information, and by the tip of the day, a brother. He knew each flip, each story of the temple and the environment. Most significantly, he shared a reverence for the place that was contagious.
He patiently accompanied us all through our go to – not merely ready, however becoming a member of us at each temple, guiding us by way of close by shrines, sharing meals with us, and supporting us in small rituals. Greater than a information, he felt like a caring member of the family, strolling with us each step of the best way.
But it surely was his light demeanor and familial heat that really received our hearts. In an age the place industrial transactions usually shade pilgrimages, his selflessness stood out. On our return, he continued to communicate, sharing non secular messages and images, changing into a reminder that the Divine usually hides in human type.
Devipuram as an Ashram and Group
Devipuram is a dwelling ashram. A hub of non secular studying, ritual follow, neighborhood life, and ladies’s empowerment. It homes residential sadhakas, visiting devotees, and volunteers. They have interaction in each day homas, Sri Chakra puja, Devi upasana, chanting, gardening, and seva.
We additionally visited the Sahaja Vidyalayam, the native faculty that emphasizes value-based training. And the Stree Shakti Belief, an initiative that empowers rural ladies by involving them in non secular and livelihood actions. The sense of neighborhood right here is vibrant, but relaxed. Even an informal customer can really feel at house, guided not by guidelines, however by internal calling.
A Journey Inside
Because the solar started to set over the quiet hills surrounding the place, we sat in silent gratitude. This journey had introduced us nose to nose with the Divine Mom. Not as a distant power, however as an intimately current, dwelling actuality. The echoes of Smt. Nagamani’s chants nonetheless rang in our ears. The picture of the 108 deities stayed imprinted on our hearts. The heat of Sri Durga Prasad reminded us that non secular journeys are additionally human ones.
Devipuram is not only a temple. It’s a portal, a neighborhood, a imaginative and prescient, and a motion. It stands as a beacon for all those that search the Divine in a type that’s accessible, loving, and highly effective.
We returned not simply with prasad in hand, however with a deeper understanding. That the Goddess just isn’t exterior, however inside. When one steps into the sacred geometry of the Sri Chakra, one additionally steps into the sacred geometry of 1’s personal soul.
For extra particulars, please Devipuram web site.
It is a Visitor Publish by Pradeep Krishnan ji.
Pradeep Krishnan is a Commerce and Legislation graduate with a post-graduate diploma in journalism. He served in an Indian Authorities Division for 36 years. A passionate author. He has been contributing articles for the previous a number of years to a number of periodicals and on-line portals of reputation, revealed in English, Hindi, and Malayalam.
