2 Last

Establishment of Gayatri Tirth in Shantikunj, Haridwar[Autobiography of Pujya Gurudev continued from the previous issue]
I returned from the Himalayas in 1972 to Haridwar where I had already got a small building named Shantikunj built earlier. It was sufficient for the stay of Mataji and devkanyas who were living with her. More land was purchased and construction work was started. The idea was to develop it into a RiSHi Âshram. In the beginning living accommodation for myself, my colleagues and guests, along with a kitchen, was built. 
This Âshram symbolizes Devatma Himalaya and hence symbolic temples of Ganga, Uttrakhand and seven RiSHis, and some other pre-eminent RiSHis were built here. Within two years the temple of Âdya-shakti Gayatri, wells and the meeting hall were also built and Shantikunj was turned into a tapasthali (a centre for spiritual pursuits). A small room for installing the idol of Gayatri Mata and the Akhand Dip had already been built earlier. 
Twenty-four purashcarañas of twenty-four lakhs each were to be performed to awaken the dormant energy (sanskars) of this land which was lying barren since long. In the beginning nine virgin girls performed jap for four hours in the day and four hours in the night. Later, the number of these girls was increased to 27. They were all trained and taught by Mataji and after a period of six years they all attained the standards of graduation and post-graduation. All these girls were suitably married between the ages of twenty to twenty-five years. Earlier, all these girls, numbering more than hundred, were trained in music and in delivering religious discourses and were sent throughout the country in batches of five for spreading the message of the mission, especially in awakening of women all over the country. 
The work of moulding and preparing vibrant and brilliant workers was taken in hand at Haridwar and for this Prañ pratyavartan camps, Yug-shilpi camps, Vanprastha camps of duration of one month each were organized. The holy atmosphere of Shantikunj, situated on the banks of the holy Ganga and in the lap of the Himalayas, surcharged with spiritual vibrations, attracted and inspired hundreds of persons who participated in the series of small and big Gayatri-purashcarañas which were started here for general category of sadhaks. Side by side, the training of self- sacrificing vanprasthis, who had dedicated their entire life in the service of this mission, also continued. All these sadhaks were supplied with free food. The number of such sadhaks continued steadily increasing. The services of such self-sacrificing, devout, full-time sadhaks, who were in conscious process of spiritual awakening, were needed to revive RiSHi traditions by engaging them in the spread of this momentous missionary task. 
Two hundred and fifty quarters were built in Gayatri Nagar. A big hall to accommodate about a thousand persons to listen to spiritual discourses and a yagyashala with nine kuñds were also built. Yagya is performed at Shantikunj in the morning for two hours to promote piety. It was so planned that the permanent inmates of the Âshram and the visitors participating in purashcarañas may jointly perform a purashcaraña of twenty-four lakh jap daily. A small press was also installed for urgent work. In the meantime the construction of the grand building of Brahmavarchas Research Institute was taken in hand. The completion of all these works took about four years. In the meantime other works which were necessary for the revival of RiSHi traditions were also taken in hand, according to feasibility. 
Bhagvan Buddha had organised vihars at Nalanda and Taxila as great and world-renowned centres of higher learning and teaching, where inmates were trained and deputed for delivering spiritual discourses throughout the country and also in foreign countries. Bhagvan Adya Shankaracharya had established four dhams in the four corners of the country and he had tried to unite and coordinate different schools of philosophy and paths of spiritual sadhana, which were then prevalent in the country. Both of them had initiated organisation of huge conferences and seminars of Kumbha dimensions so that important messages of the RiSHis could be conveyed far and wide through the participants. Both these activities were taken in hand. It was decided to build and set up temples and working centres in the form of Gayatri SHaktipithas and Prajna sansthans throughout the country to spread the activities and message of the Prajna mission in the surrounding area. 
Although it appeared to be a difficult task, inspired and devoted persons took a pledge and within a short period of two years 2400 SHaktipitha buildings were erected which are being used as centres for spreading the light and message of Yug-cetna from house to house. This work is so vast and marvellous that even the work done by Christian missionaries stands no comparison with it. Churches, temples and other institutions are built by huge donations but our temples have been built by small contributions made by devotees. 
A campaign for running mobile Prajnapithas was also launched. These are run by one worker in a mobile push vehicle in his own city or town and also in the surrounding areas. Besides books, other articles are also kept in it. Within a period of two years, about twelve thousand such mobile Prajnapithas were brought in operation. About one lakh persons are being contacted and inspired every day by these permanent and 
mobile Prajnapithas. 
It was further arranged to celebrate four-day annual functions of all these branches in which at least a thousand persons could participate. A team of four musicians and one speaker was deputed in such celebrations from Haridwar to convey New Year's message to the concerned centre. Jeeps were arranged for this purpose so that the luggage of the workers, musical instruments, loudspeakers etc. could also be taken along with them. The driver of the jeep is a trained mission worker. Every worker is now being trained in the skill of driving so that there may not be any difficulty in this respect. 
Most of the important literature had already been published while I was living at Mathura. After shifting to Haridwar, it was decided to write eighteen volumes of Prajna Puraña in Sanskrit, along with commentary and illustrations and one folder of eight pages daily to acquaint the people with the methods of working of all the RiSHis. Four volumes of Prajna Puraña have already been published. Four hundred folders have also been written. Most of them have been published in Hindi and other important languages. 
In order to make arrangements for the spread of the message in all important languages and prepare trained workers in every region, a school of languages and religious instructions has been started in Shantikunj and it has already started working satisfactorily. The volunteers of this mission undertake countrywide tours and inspire about ten lakh devotees of the mission. The mission's network has been firmly established in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Orissa and Maharashtra. Attempts are being made to extend the field of operation and publicity, within about four years time, to the remaining regions of the country which could not be touched so far due to language problems. 
Indian migrants numbering nearly three crores are staying abroad in about seventy-four foreign countries. A successful scheme has been launched to spread the ideology of the mission amongst these migrants as well as foreigners. It will be possible, in the near future, to spread the light and message of the mission through capable workers in several foreign countries. There is hardly any country inhabited by Indian migrants where a centre/branch of this mission has not been set up. 
In order to vigorously extend RiSHi traditions, about a thousand self- sacrificing workers are constantly engaged in this work. For this, a Gurukul Ârañyak in the tradition of RiSHi Jamadagni works regularly at Shantikunj. In reviving Charak tradition, a garden of rare medicinal herbs has been developed in Shantikunj and research is being conducted with the help of state-of the-art scientific instruments. The theory of treatment by only one medicine at a time is being followed here and the same has proved very efficacious. 
Thousands of persons have been trained so far in light music through Yug-shilpi vidyalaya at Shantikunj and such trained persons are running schools and preparing persons in Yug-sangit in their respective areas. 
The earth is influenced by inter-planetary atmosphere. Information about this is of great importance. It becomes necessary to rectify deviations in astronomical arithmetic after every five thousand years. To revive this science of Aryabhatta, an observatory (Vedhshala) on the lines of ancient instruments has been built in Gayatri Nagar and planetary observations, including those of Neptune, Pluto, Uranus are made and an almanac, unique of its kind, is published from here every year. 
A new project of mass moral education through audio-visual media has been taken up. Earlier, slide projectors were sent to all the branches of the mission. Now the medium of video is being utilized. Inspiring films on the basis of music, poems, etc. and discourses of eminent persons are being prepared and projected through the medium of video sets. A grand scheme of preparing a film to explain the objects, nature and benefits of the programmes of this mission is being taken in hand and is going to materialize shortly. 
The greatest creation of this mission is the Brahmavarchas Research Institute. A laboratory consisting of several valuable scientific instruments and apparatus has been set up here to conduct research on synthesis of science and spirituality. It is being staffed by workers who are graduates and post-graduates in medical sciences, Ayurveda, etc. and other branches of modern sciences and who are also spiritually oriented. Research is being conducted specifically in the science of yagya. Its results have been found to be encouraging with regard to its healing impact on physical and mental diseases, on animals and vegetation and in refining environment and atmosphere. 
The health of all the participants attending various camps at Shantikunj is examined and they are advised to do sadhana accordingly. This is a unique research laboratory, first of its kind in the whole world. People are given inspiration and training in different branches. Other more important projects are going to be taken up in future. 
Millions of people of Gayatri parivar, while going for pilgrimage to Uttarakhand, begin their pilgrimage by paying a visit to Shantikunj and by applying its dust on their foreheads. Considering it a SHaktipitha (a dynamo for generation of spiritual power), they visit Shantikunj and get anna-prashan, namkarañ, muñdan and yajnopavit sanskars of their children performed here. Arrangements have also been made to perform shraddha and tarpañ rituals of pitras (deceased ancestors). People come here in large numbers to celebrate their birthdays and marriage anniversaries. A large number of parijans come to Shantikunj, Haridwar and Tapobhumi Mathura to get marriages of their sons and daughters solemnized here as per vedic rites and without incurring avoidable expenses on dowry, receptions, pomp and show and outmoded customs. 
When I was entrusted with the task of reviving the work of ancient RiSHis, I was in a dilemma, as taking up so stupendous a work in hand needed not only vast sums of money but also thousands of committed workers of high moral and spiritual calibre. All other institutions have paid employees. But those who are working in Shantikunj and Brahmavarchas Research Institute are persons who have come after voluntarily resigning their highly lucrative technical posts. Some of them take meals in Shantikunj kitchen; some pay its cost from the interest of their bank deposits, while some are maintaining themselves on their pension. Several persons swayed by emotions come to join but only those who understand the fundamental objectives of the mission and the ideology of its founder are able to stick and stay here permanently. It is gratifying to note that more and more sincere and devoted persons are getting continuously linked with this mission. 
One will hardly find another instance where so many persons would be working for a mission day and night as volunteers without taking a single paisa for their maintenance. Only Shantikunj is lucky in this respect, where highly qualified persons with undergraduate, post-graduate and doctorate degrees in humanities, science, medical science, Ayurveda, Sanskrit etc. are working as volunteers. Hardly can one find such humility, service-mindedness, industriousness and devotion elsewhere as is found in these dedicated, efficient and intelligent workers. 
There has been no occasion to ask for donations from anyone for undertaking all these works. The mantra given by Malviyaji about collecting handful of grain and ten paisa daily has brought this miracle. This work is bound to go on extending. A full-fledged high school and an intermediate college and a hospital are functioning at my birthplace, village Awalkheda in Agra district, which I left long back. The work at Mathura has increased almost four times after I left it. Slowly and steadily other competent persons have started shouldering my responsibilities. I am confident that this work will go on increasing as time passes. It is the work of Rishis, which will continue spreading like Matsyavatar in this era of incarnation of Prajnavatar. I may or may not choose to remain in this physical frame for long but my invisible astral self will go on accomplishing all the work which RiSHis have entrusted to me.

2 Last