MIRACLE OF PANDHAPUR

We are prone to think that miracles take place only in ancient times and in the pages of a book. But the fact is that miracles take place all the time if only we had the eyes to see them. As long as you think that you are in total control of your life you will find that you are living in a dualistic world where you will be thrown from pillar to post, up and down from one situation to another – some good, some bad! Before you find time to solve one problem, another ten will arise. This is the life of 99 % of human beings. But the moment you realise that there is only one power that operates in this world, one energy, one authority, beyond which nothing else exists, you will find that miracles keep occurring all the time! These are not really miracles. This is the way that Life operates if you allow That power to manage everything. It is only when we poke our personalities into the working of that divine machinery that problems arise! Every time I’ve gone on a pilgrimage this fact has been brought home to me especially in the Himalayan yatras to remote places where there are absolutely no modern facilities. We are so conditioned to rely on external artefacts that give us the comforts that we cannot do without, we forget that there is another dimension to life which the ancients knew since they did not live such a mechanised life.

Pahandapur was a place I had been wanting to go for a very long time. Somehow at the last minute some obstacle used to be put in front of me and I was never able to make it. This year it seemed as if the ban had been lifted and He issued a direct invitation to visit Him. From that moment everything fell into place. This is a miracle that happens the moment you let go and allow that power to take over. I had to visit Mbay for some reason so it seemed best to go via Mbay and not Poone which would have been closer. I did not make any arrangements for our stay in Mbay or onwards but waited for Him to give a hint. One week before we were to start, someone came to the ashram and when she heard I was planning a yatra to Pahandapur, she said she would also love to come and as she was from Mbay and had a car she would be happy to take us to Pahandapur! Next question was where to stay in Mbay. Again, another person solved the problem and promised to book for us at the Iskon temple. Of course, I knew who was behind both these arrangements and gave Him a heartfelt “Thank you!”

We reached Pandharpur only by about 6 pm. With every kilometre my desire to see Him kept mounting. Without waiting to take a bath or examine the room I just dumped the luggage and ran to the temple and stood in the “Mukha Darshan” Q which would give us a view of His divine face from afar. I was so excited at seeing Him even from afar that I couldn’t move from the place until someone prodded me and asked me to go forward. There was a bit of an empty space somewhere so we decided to sit for a while and meditate. Suddenly one sweet devotee who had arranged everything for us, had a call from a friend who said she would come asap and take us for “pada sparshana”. This is the great peculiarity of Vitthal – it is the only Vishnu temple which allows devotees to have both darshan and sparshan. Most Shiva temples allow devotees to enter and do abhishekam and touch the lingam. However, no Vishnu temple allows you to go anywhere near the murti. This was what I had been longing for. So, we followed her eagerly. She used some devious methods and suddenly I found myself in front of this huge murti. Before I could look up at Him, someone nudged me to touch His feet. I crossed my hands and stretched out and clasped His lotus feet, then pushed myself forward and put my head on His feet. I could have stayed on forever but the police-woman from behind nudged me, so I staggered back, unable to take my eyes from His resplendent form. The “makara kundalas” (fish shaped earrings) which are extolled in all descriptions of Vishnu were huge and I was entranced by them. Somehow, I went out and fell prostrate on the granite floor. Tears rolled down my eyes. I couldn’t believe that after so many years my wish had actually come true.

I sat and meditated on the steps for some time soaking in the soft allure of this enchanting place. After that of course we were taken for darshana of Rukmani, Satyabhama and Radha.

I don’t think I slept much that night. I was too excited.

The queues at this place resembled the ones at Tirupathi. You could never know where they began. There were different queues for different things. The next day again a miracle occurred. We stood in the “mukkha darshanam” queue and someone suggested to try an old trick and ask if there was any consideration for “senior citizens”. This trick seemed to work and once again I found myself facing His feet. My face was parallel to His feet. I had to crane my neck to see His face! This time I was more prepared and grabbed his feet as soon as I reached the place and felt an electric shock going up my spine. Was it alive? It felt as if it was! “Jai Hari Vitthal! Jai Hari Vitthal” I kept saying over and over again as tears poured down unheeded down my face.

This time I sat for a long time on the steps outside and meditated. I was wafted away to a different age when Sant Jnaneshwara had come with his siblings and other great bhaktas like Namadev, Ghora and others. They were dancing in ecstasy before Vitthal. I too joined them. Surely, we were in Vaikunda. I could have stayed there the whole night, but the world called and I had to leave.

The third day again we stood for mukha darshan. We tried the previous day’s trick but this time it didn’t work. The queues were too long. We went almost up to the doors but then the crowd started pushing from behind and I knew that I would never make it through the narrow corridor. I was highly claustrophobic and the thought of being pushed from behind with no escape either forwards or backwards was so terrifying that I turned back.

Then I asked the dearest girl who had arranged everything for us whether we could book for the next day's morning darshana. Because we turned back, we discovered a small door which led to the office which did bookings. There we were told that all bookings were done on-line and the quota for the next morning “kakkad darshan” had been filled a year ago!! I was quite numb. What could I say? The man behind the counter suddenly felt sorry and suggested “Would you like to join the Vishnu Sahasranama archana tomorrow evening?” My heart leapt with joy. I had been chanting Vishnu Sahasranama all my life and this seemed like a miracle. I said “Of course we will take that.”

So, we booked our places for the next day. I was of course very happy but also sad since we didn’t get a darshan that day due to my claustrophobia. Again, a miracle - when we came out of the office room, we found that the crowd had dwindled. Before people started pouring in as usual, we ran up the stairs and once again, a fantastic darshan!

The next day we went on a round, to all the other sacred places and arrived at the temple for the 6 o’clock Vishnu Sahasranama. We could chant with the priest and each one could do the puja in their own plates and then take the whole thing up to His holy feet and keep it there and take His blessings. I thought of how everything had been stage managed the previous day so that I would feel claustrophobic and not join the queue which enabled us to see the little door leading to the office which gave us a clue about this puja!

The next day we were supposed to leave. I felt miserable that we had been unable to have “kakkad darshan” which is considered very auspicious in all temples even though I was truly grateful for what we had received.

Then a friend asked if I would like to go for the morning darshan! I was astounded for I thought the bookings were full since people booked years ahead! But she said that was only if we wanted to do the abhishek by ourselves over His feet. However, if we wanted, she would get permission for us to sit and watch the whole thing. I was speechless and could only nod my head.

Next morning I was up at 1.30 am. I had a cold shower and was ready to leave by 3 am since we had been told to reach by 3.30 at least since the function started at 4 am. This was indeed the climax of our whole pilgrimage -the plum on the top of the cake as it were. It was truly a magical experience. For one and a half hours we sat in front of Him watching the entire proceedings. First of all, the previous day’s decorations had to be removed. Only then could we see the gigantic figure. Was it granite? Perhaps laterite. Anyway, many types of abhishekams were conducted to the chanting of Vedic mantras. Then the murti was anointed with different unguents and dressed in gorgeous clothes and finally adorned with jewels. I was totally mesmerised by the whole thing. The chanting and the perfume of the incense and His benign gaze looking at me with love, was so enthralling that my heart welled up with tears of gratitude and joy. Even when it was all over, I was in such a daze of delight that I had to be nudged to get up and go in front. Once again, we were allowed to go forward and clasp His holy feet. Once again, I kept my head on His perfumed feet. As I turned to go, the pujari placed a flower in my hands. I knew it was His gift to me. Again, the flood of tears at this miracle of love. I turned back at the corner for a last look but my eyes were so blurred with tears I couldn’t see His beloved face!

I couldn’t say a word as we left the temple. Somehow, I stumbled down the granite steps. My heart was filled with gratitude and words choked my throat. I wondered if I would ever be able to return. I didn’t want to buy a big murti and fill our puja room. However, He had other ideas. The wonderful lady who had taken us had already asked her husband to get a big murti which she presented to me just as we got into the car! Impossible to refuse. It was His parting gift. I knew it was His wish and He wanted me to keep Him in our puja room. There He stands with arms kept on his hips and a benign smile on His lips with the promise of a life of sat-chit and ananda!

JAI HARI VITTHAL! JAI HARI VITTHAL! JAI HARI VITTHAL!

Let me repeat this a million times! May it ring in my ears all the time! May He bless me with unending love for His holy feet!

JAI HARI VITTHAL!