Is Yoga Religious?

As I mentioned in my previous blog that I was very much fascinated by the discourses of Osho because of the clarity of his speech and wisdom. Being a student of Yoga, one would like to know many things about the ocean called yoga. So many things are told and written on yoga but still somewhere in the mind you would have unanswered questions and the quest goes on. The very source of yoga is “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali“ written by the great sage Patanjali sometime around 200 – 500 BC. Many great authors and yogis presented their commentaries on The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Each person understands Yoga differently according to his experience, knowledge and wisdom. The same is with Patanjali. He is been understood differently by different people.

 
Unfortunately Yoga is projected, presented and understood in a wrong way among many sections of the society in India and across the Globe. Yoga is wrongly associated with religion and region. The fact is that Yoga is above the Space, Time and the Creed. Yoga can be followed and practiced anywhere, anytime and by anybody. Yoga was practiced thousands of years ago in the past, it is practiced in the present and will be practiced in the thousands of years to come. It can be practiced in any part of the world whether it may be India, America, Australia, Europe, Africa or any other place. And can also be practiced by a Hindu, Christian, Mohammadian, Buddhist, or any one else. There is no discrimination to practice yoga. It is an ancient art and science of humanity.

 
My understanding about Yoga and Patanjali got a clarity when I read a book called 'Yoga: Alpha and Omega vol-1' by Osho. It was beautifully explained in a very clear and simple manner that even a layman can understand without any difficulty. In the context of the above, I decided to share the commentary of Osho on Yoga and Patanjali with the medium of my blog hoping this will focus some light on Yoga and bring clarity, understanding and wisdom on Yoga.

 
Osho-Yoga is not a religion-remember that. Yoga is not Hindu, it is not Mohammedan. Yoga is a pure science just like mathematics, physics or chemistry. Physics is not Christian physics is not Buddhist. If Christians have discovered the laws of physics, then too physics is not Christian. It is just accidental that Christians have come to discover the laws of physics. But physics remains just a science. Yoga is a science -- it is just an accident that Hindus discovered it. It is not Hindu. It is a pure mathematics of the inner being. So a Mohammedan can be a yogi, a Christian can be a yogi, a Jain, a bauddha can be a yogi.

 
Yoga is pure science, and Patanjali is the greatest name as far as the world of yoga is concerned. This man is rare. There is no other name comparable to Patanjali. For the first time in the history of humanity, this man brought religion to the state of a science: he made religion a science, bare laws; no belief is needed.

 
Because so-called religions need beliefs. There is no other difference between one religion and another; the difference is only of beliefs. A Mohammedan has certain beliefs, a Hindu certain others, a Christian certain others. The difference is of beliefs. Yoga has nothing as far as belief is concerned; yoga doesn't say to believe in anything. Yoga says experience. Just like science says experiment, yoga says experience. Experiment and experience are both the same, their directions are different. Experiment means something you can do outside; experience means something you can do inside. Experience is an inside experiment.

 
Science says: Don't believe, doubt as much as you can. But also, don't disbelieve, because disbelief is again a sort of belief. You can believe in God, you can believe in the concept of no-God. You can say God is, with a fanatic attitude; you can say the quite reverse, that God is not with the same fanaticism. Atheists, theists, are all believers, and belief is not the realm for science. Science means experience something, that which is; no belief is needed. So the second thing to remember: Yoga is existential, experiential, experimental. No belief is required, no faith is needed -- only courage to experience. And that's what's lacking. You can believe easily because in belief you are not going to be transformed. Belief is something added to you, something superficial. Your being is not changed; you are not passing through some mutation. You may be a Hindu, you can become Christian the next day. Simply, you change: you change Gita for a Bible. You can change it for a Koran, but the man who was holding Gita and is now holding the Bible, remains the same. He has changed his beliefs.
 

Beliefs are like clothes. Nothing substantial is transformed; you remain the same. Dissect a Hindu, dissect a Mohammedan, inside they are the same. He goes to a temple; the Mohammedan hates the temple. The Mohammedan goes to the mosque and the Hindu hates the mosque, but inside they are the same human beings.

 
Belief is easy because you are not required really to do anything -- just a superficial dressing, a decoration, something which you can put aside any moment you like. Yoga is not belief. That's why it is difficult, arduous, and sometimes it seems impossible. It is an existential approach. You will come to the truth, but not through belief, but through your own experience, through your own realization. That means you will have to be totally changed. Your viewpoints, your way of life, your mind, your psyche has to be shattered completely as it is. Something new has to be created. Only with that new will you come in contact with the reality.

 
So yoga is both a death and a new life. As you are you will have to die, and unless you die the new cannot be born. The new is hidden in you. You are just a seed for it, and the seed must fall down, absorbed by the earth. The seed must die; only then the new will arise out of you. Your death will become your new life. Yoga is both a death and a new birth. Unless you are ready to die, you cannot be reborn. So it is not a question of changing beliefs.

 
Yoga is not a philosophy. I say it is not a religion, I say it is not a philosophy. It is not something you can think about. It is something you will have to be; thinking won't do. Thinking goes on in your head. It is not really deep into the roots of your being; it is not your totality. It is just a part, a functional part; it can be trained. And you can argue logically, you can think rationally, but your heart will remain the same. Your heart is your deepest center, your head is just a branch. You can be without the head, but you cannot be without the heart. Your head is not basic.

 
Yoga is concerned with your total being, with your roots. It is not philosophical. So with Patanjali we will not be thinking, speculating. With Patanjali we will be trying to know the ultimate laws of being: the laws of its transformation, the laws of how to die and how to be reborn again, the laws of a new order of being. That is why I call it a science.

 
Patanjali is rare. He is an enlightened person like Buddha, like Krishna, like Christ, like Mahavira, Mohammed, Zarathustra, but he is different in one way. Buddha, Krishna, Mahavira, Zarathustra, Mohammed no one has a scientific attitude. They are great founders of religions. They have changed the whole pattern of human mind and its structure, but their approach is not scientific.
Patanjali is like an Einstein in the word of Buddhas. He is a phenomenon. He could have easily been a Nobel Prize winner like an Einstein or Bohr or Max Planck, Heisenberg. He has the same attitude, the same approach of a rigorous scientific mind. He is not a poet; Krishna is a poet. He is not a moralist; Mahavira is a moralist. He is basically a scientist, thinking in terms of laws. And he has come to deduce absolute laws of human being, the ultimate working structure of human mind and reality.

 
And if you follow Patanjali, you will come to know that he is as exact as any mathematical formula. Simply do what he says and the result will happen. The result is bound to happen; it is just like two plus two, they become four. It is just like you heat water up to one hundred degrees and it evaporates. No belief is needed: you simply do it and know. It is something to be done and known. That's why I say there is no comparison. On this earth, never a man has existed like Patanjali.

 
You can find in Buddha's utterances, poetry -- bound to be there. Many times while Buddha is expressing himself, he becomes poetic. The realm of ecstasy, the realm of ultimate knowing, is so beautiful, the temptation is so much to become poetic, the beauty is such, the benediction is such, the bliss is such, one starts talking in poetic language.

 
But Patanjali resists that. It is very difficult. No one has been able to resist. Jesus, Krishna, Buddha they all become poetic. The splendor, the beauty, when it explodes within you, you will start dancing, you will start singing. In that state you are just like a lover who has fallen in love with the whole universe.

 
Patanjali resists that. He will not use poetry; he will not use a single poetic symbol even. He will not do anything with poetry; he will not talk in terms of beauty. He will talk in terms of mathematics. He will be exact, and he will give you maxims. Those maxims are just indications what is to be done. He will not explode into ecstasy; he will not say things that cannot be said; he will not try the impossible. He will just put down the foundation, and if you follow the foundation you will reach the peak which is beyond. He is a rigorous mathematician -- remember this.

Yogah Chitta Vrrtti Nirodhaha

Yoga is the ancient art and science offered to the humanity by the great Indian saints and sages of the past. It is the greatest blessing and boon to the mankind. Yoga is above time, place and race. Millions of people are practicing yoga in India and across the world and its importance is growing every day. Yoga was there from the time the human first tried to know the unknown. In ancient India, the path of Yoga used to be taught, practiced and followed by specific groups among the saints and sages at different parts of India. It was sage Patanjali who collated, coordinated and systematized yoga, in his classical work, The Yoga Sutras, which consists of 185 terse aphorisms. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is considered to be prime source material for the study of Yoga even today.

Yoga has been defined by many in different ways. Some say, Yoga is the Union of the Individual Soul and the Supreme Universal Soul. Some others call it the process of knowing the unknown with the known. Sage Patanjali defined it as «Yogah Chitta Vrrtti Nirodhah» which means «Yoga is the Cessation of Mind».

Many Yoga greats have presented commentaries on Patanjali Yoga Sutras. If you look out for a book on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, you will find a great list of commentaries written by different yogis. I have gone through some of the commentaries on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Rama of Himalayas, BKS Iyengar and few more. They are quite impressive. Though the essence of the yoga sutras remain the same, slight differences are noticed in the commentaries as they are based on individual knowledge, understanding and their experiences.

One day, I came across a book called «Yoga: The alpha and omega» written by Osho. Osho's literatutre always excited me for two reasons 1) he hits straight on the heart and mind of the readers and 2) he never afraid to raise the question on whatever and wherever there is a question to be raised.

When I read or listen something on Yoga Philosophy I could hardly recollect in my memory for long. But I don't know why Osho's commentary on the definition of Yoga by Patanjali stuck in my mind for very long. He made it look so simple and so clear that I have no words to explain. I therefore decided to share this beautiful commentary on Patanjali's definition of Yoga by Osho. The next lines are the words of Osho on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali from «Yoga: alpha and Omega – vol.1»

Osho on Patanjali Yoga Sutra - "Yoga is the Cessation of Mind"

Osho - This is the definition of yoga, the best. In many ways yoga has been defined; there are many definitions. Some say yoga is the meeting of the mind with the divine; hence, it is called yoga -- yoga means meeting, joining together. Some say that yoga means dropping the ego: ego is the barrier; the moment you drop the ego you are joined to the divine. You were already joined, only because of the ego it appeared that you were disjoined. And there are many, but Patanjali's is the most scientific. He says,

YOGA IS THE CESSATION OF MIND.

Yoga is the state of no-mind. The word "mind" covers all -- your egos, your desires, your hopes, your philosophies, your religions, your scriptures. "Mind" covers all. Whatsoever you can think is mind. All that is known, all that can be known, all that is knowable, is within mind. Cessation of the mind means cessation of the known, cessation of the knowable. It is a jump into the unknown. When there is no mind, you are in the unknown. Yoga is a jump into the unknown. It will not be right to say "unknown"; rather, "unknowable".

What is the mind? What the mind is doing there? What it is? Ordinarily we think that mind is something substantial there inside the head. Patanjali doesn't agree -- and no one who has ever known the insides of the mind will agree. Modern science also doesn't agree. Mind is not something substantial inside the head. Mind is just a function, just an activity.

You walk and I say you are walking. What is walking? If you stop, where is walking? If you sit down, where the walking has gone? Walking is nothing substantial; it is an activity. So while you are sitting, no one can ask, "Where you have put your walking? Just now you were walking, so where the walking has gone?" You will laugh. You will say, "Walking is not something substantial, it is just an activity. I can walk. I can again walk and I can stop. It is activity."

Mind is also activity, but because of the word "mind", it appears as if something substantial is there. It is better to call it "minding" -- just like "walking". Mind means "minding", mind means thinking. It is an activity."

I have been quoting again and again Bodhidharma.

He went to China, and the emperor of China went to see him. And the emperor said, "My mind is very uneasy, very disturbed. You are a great sage, and I have been waiting for you. Tell me what I should do to put my mind at peace."

Bodhidharma said, "You don't do anything. First you bring your mind to me." The emperor could not follow he said, "What do you mean?" He said, "Come in the morning at four o'clock when nobody is there. Come alone, and remember to bring your mind with you."

The emperor couldn't sleep the whole night. Many times he cancelled the whole idea: "This man seems to be mad. What does he mean, 'Come with your mind; don't forget?'" The man was so enchanting, so charismatic that he couldn't cancel the appointment. As if a magnet was pulling him, at four o'clock he jumped out of the bed and said, "Whatsoever happens, I must go. This man may have something; his eyes say that he has something. Looks a little crazy, but still I must go and see what can happen."

So he reached, and Bodhidharma was sitting with his big staff. He said, "So you have come? Where is your mind? Have you brought it or not?"

The emperor said, "You talk nonsense. When I am here my mind is here, and it is not something which I can forget somewhere. It is in me." So Bodhidharma said, "Okay. So the first thing is decided -- that the mind is within you." The emperor said, "Okay, the mind is within me." Bodhidharma said, "Now close your eyes and find out where it is. And if you can find out where it is, immediately indicate to me. I will put it at peace."

So the emperor closed his eyes, tried and tried, looked and looked. The more he looked, the more he became aware there is no mind, mind is an activity. It is not something there so you can pinpoint it. But the moment he realized that it is not something, then the absurdity of his quest became exposed to himself. If it is not something, nothing can be done about it. If it is an activity, then don't do the activity; that's all. If it is like walking, don't walk.

He opened his eyes. He bowed down to Bodhidharma and said, "There is no mind to be found." Bodhidharma said, "Then I have put it at peace. And whenever you feel that you are uneasy, just look within, where that uneasiness is." The very look is anti-mind, because look is not a thinking. And if you look intensely your whole energy becomes a look, and the same energy becomes movement and thinking.

YOGA IS THE CESSATION OF MIND.

This is Patanjali's definition. When there is no mind, you are in yoga; when there is mind you are not in yoga. So you may do all the postures, but if the mind goes on functioning, if you go on thinking, you are not in yoga. Yoga is the state of no-mind. If you can be without the mind without doing any posture, you have become a perfect yogi. It has happened to many without doing any postures, and it has not happened to many who have been doing postures for many lives.

Because the basic thing to be understood is: when the activity of thinking is not there, you are there; when the activity of the mind is not there, when thoughts have disappeared, they are just like clouds, when they have disappeared, your being, just like the sky, is uncovered. It is always there -- only covered with the clouds, covered with thoughts.

YOGA IS THE CESSATION OF MIND.

In the West now, there is much appeal for Zen -- a Japanese method of yoga. The word "zen" comes from dhyana. Bodhidharma introduced this word dhyana in China. In China the word dhyana became jhan and then chan and then the word traveled to Japan and became zen.

The root is dhyana. Dhyana means no-mind, so the whole training of Zen in Japan is of nothing but how to stop minding, how to be a no-mind, how to be simply without thinking. Try it! When I say try it, it will look contradictory, because there is no other way to say it. Because if you try, the very try, the effort is coming from the mind. You can sit in a posture and you can try some japa chanting, mantra -- or you can just try to sit silently, not to think. But then not to think becomes a thinking. Then you go on saying, "I am not to think; don't think; stop thinking," but this is all thinking.

Try to understand. When Patanjali says, no-mind, cessation of mind, he means complete cessation. He will not allow you to make a japa, "Ram-Ram-Ram." He will say that this is not cessation; you are using the mind. He will say, "Simply stop!" but you will ask, "How? How to simply stop?" The mind continues. Even if you sit, the mind continues. Even if you don't do, it goes on doing.

Patanjali says just look. Let mind go, let mind do whatsoever it is doing. You just look. You don't interfere. You just be a witness, you just be an onlooker not concerned, as if the mind doesn't belong to you, as if it is not your business, not your concern. Don't be concerned! Just look and let the mind flow. It is flowing because of past momentum, because you have always helped it to flow. The activity has taken its own momentum, so it is flowing. You just don't cooperate Look, and let the mind flow.

For many, many lives, million lives maybe, you have cooperated with it, you have helped it, you have given your energy to it. The river will flow awhile. If you don't cooperate, if you just look unconcerned -- Buddha's word is indifference, upeksha: looking without any concern, just looking, not doing anything in any way -- the mind will flow for a while and it will stop by itself When the momentum is lost, when the energy has flowed, the mind will stop. When the mind stops, you are in yoga: you have attained the discipline. This is the definition: YOGA IS THE CESSATION OF MIND. THEN THE WITNESS IS ESTABLISHED IN ITSELF.

When the mind ceases, the witness is established in itself. When you can simply look without being identified with the mind, without judging, without appreciating, condemning, without choosing -- you simply look and the mind flows, a time comes when by itself, of itself, the mind stops.

When there is no mind, you are established in your witnessing. Then you have become a witness -- just a seer-a drashta, a sakchhi. Then you are not a doer, then you are not a thinker. Then you are simply being pure being, purest of being. Then the witness is established in itself.

Yoga Pilgrimage to Bellur

The Iyengar Yoga students of Hyderabad have got an opportunity to visit Bellur village of Karnataka where Guruji BKS Iyengar was born. Guruji has spent his childhood and teenage at this village. At the age of 18, destiny took Guruji to Pune to teach Yoga and take Yoga to greater heights internationally.

Though Guruji stayed away from Bellur, he never forgotten his village and always had a special concern for his birth place. With all the hard work Guruji earned place in the hearts of millions across the Globe by serving Yoga at his best and became so popular that he was named the 13^th most influential Indian of the Century on the World map. But he never forgot his roots where he belongs to. Bellur always has a special importance in Guruji’s life. At first, Guruji took the name of the village on the internal map through his knowledge and wisdom on yoga and now he is taking the village on international map again by serving the village of his birth place. 

BKSSNT at a Glance:
 

 

Guruji established Bellur Krishnamachar and Sheshamma Smaraka Nidhi Trust (BKSSNT) with a vision to serve the Village Bellur with all the necessities. The prime motto of the Trust is to promote Rural Education, Social Welfare and Health as well as to safeguard the cultural activities of the village. 

BKSSNT is built up in an area of around 15 acres at a picturesque location of Bellur village surrounded by rocky hills across. Work is under progress in an area of around 18 acres where many prestigious projects are under taken.

Under the roof of BKSSNT Smt. Ramamani Sundararaja Iyengar High School is built up providing pre university level education to the children of Bellur. A proposed college for higher studies is under construction at the new site. Complete care is taken to provide all sorts of facilities for the studying children in all aspects of study and sports. A Yoga hall is being constructed above the school building with all the necessary props and infrastructure.

 

The roots of Smt. Ramamani Sundararaja Iyengar High School were laid on 27/01/2005. The plant has now grown and started yielding the fruits. The children of the school are not only excelling in the field of education but also gaining great recognition in the field of yoga at state level. We hadn’t got much opportunity to watch the students practicing yoga as they were preparing for their exams. But we had a glimpse of what they can do during our practice. A girl just came into the hall and we asked her to demonstrate a couple of asanas. She without any hesitation demonstrated Natrajasana and Chakrasana which I shot in my camera. She really amazed us with her grace and elegance.

 

Smt. Ramamani Sundararaja Hospital is another institution under the roof of BKSSNT that is doing priceless service to the people of Bellur. There is hardly any hospital miles across Bellur Village. The other day of our visit we noticed an emergency case being admitted and treated in the hospital.

 

For the past couple of years BKSSNT has become a pilgrimage center for Iyengar Yogis. Students and teachers of Iyengar Yoga from different parts of the world are regularly visiting the place as a part of their heritage tour to the village of Guruji. It is learned that an accommodation capacity of 60 people is available at present in the premises. Arrangements are being made to increase the number as more people are supposed to come in the upcoming years. 

Journey to Bellur:

   

Unlike our previous trip to Pune in July 2011 for Guru Poornima, this trip was quite pleasant and comfortable as we boarded the train on time and no problems with trains this time. We boarded Garibh Rath at Secunderabad Station on 16^th Feb’ 2012 at around 8-30 PM and safely arrived Yesvantpur Station at around 8-45 AM next morning. Bellur Village is around 85 kilometers away from Bangalore. All thanks to Guruji’s son-in-law and Managing Trustee of BKSSNT Sri B. Raghu who arranged a transport from Yesvantpur to Bellur. On reaching Bellur we had our breakfast at Kamat Restaurant which is the main source of food for visitors to Guruji’s institute at Bellur. BKSSNT is couple of kilometers away from Kamat. We reached BKSSNT at around 11-45 AM. Mr. Govindaraju the Manager of the Trust has received and provided some decent rooms of accommodation for all of us. The cottages are clean and neat with all the necessary facilities. We then had shower followed by Lunch. At around 3PM we had a walk to the village where Guruji was born. The moment we stepped into the village we were welcomed and followed by kids of the village shouting and yelling. English Lady Michelle was the star attraction for the kids amongst us. The kids had a great time talking to her and followed her all the way back to our cottage. This remind me of Guruji’s childhood where I read that Guruji was the only person who could speak little English and it is this reason he was sent to teach Yoga in Pune by his Guruji Sri. Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Watching those village kids speak fluent English with Michelle, we realized that Guruji’s efforts began to payoff. 

Our Yoga Practice at BKSSNT:

 

The prime objective of our visit to Bellur was to pay homage to the birth place of Guruji and to understand the usage of yoga props in a better way. We initially decided to have 3 sessions of yoga each day. Morning and evening sessions to practice the asanas and pranayamas and the afternoon session is for Q&A on Yoga. Due to so many happenings in the village out there we ended up practicing extended sessions in the morning and evening leaving the afternoon session for other activities.

 Yoga Props:

 

When Guruji introduced Yoga Props in his early days many criticized him for using props in yoga. People even called the Iyengar method of Yoga as Furniture Yoga. But today the World has recognized Guruji’s idea of introducing props in Yoga and everyone is using the props irrespective of the style of yoga they are being practicing.

 

When we were in Pune last July’ 2011 on Guru Poornima; Guruji during his convention revealed the secret of introducing props for the first time. Guruji said, “People ask me why you introduced props? Some even called Furniture Yoga. I never revealed this before. I am telling it for the first time. Props are of tamas guna (The dark and restraining qualities). You might ask; in that case, why you recommend something that has tamas guna. It is because your body is of tamas guna too. Your body understands tamas guna better. I used these props to convert your tamas guna into rajas guna (the quality of mobility or activity) and finally transform into satva guna (the illuminating quality). Once the satva guna is achieved you don’t need any prop.”

Though it appeared as if I understood what Guruji has told on that day on the outset, but it is only after practicing with these props I realized and truly understood what Guruji expects us to achieve in a given posture.

For the last one year I have been studying yoga with my teacher Smt. Zarna Mohan at Hyderabad. She has been continuously explaining each and every minute and subtle alignment and adjacent of the body in each and every given posture. Honestly, only after practicing with props in Bellur, I realized what extent of alignment and adjacent she was expecting from us. I realized why Guruji has said that our bodies are of tamas guna and how the props of tamas guna hold you from going into a wrong posture.

People basically understand that yoga props are used to support the people who cannot go into a given posture or to increase the strength and flexibility of an individual. But it is actually like a child who walks holding the finger of his father. He needs the finger of his father till he learns walking and once he starts walking on his own he do not need his father anymore. Similarly, you need props only till you understand and try and achieve the correct alignment of a given posture. Once you understand the technique and requirement of the asana you don’t need prop anymore.

We enjoyed all the three days of stay in BKSSNT practicing Yoga, going around the village and attending ceremonies etc.  

Lord Patanjali Temple:

 

It’s not only the Village; Guruji hasn’t failed to pay tribute to the Lord Patanjali. Guruji inaugurated the world’s first Patanjali Temple at Bellur Village on 31/10/2004. Sage Patanjali Temple is a part of the Temple Complex which consists of 800 year old Lord Hanuman and Sita-Ram Temple along with Lord Shiva Temple adjacent to it. The Temple Complex is located in a beautiful place surrounded by lush green trees and agricultural fields across and there is a lake adjacent to it.

The temple remained closed on day one as we have visited in the mid afternoon hours of the day. We revisited the temple on next morning after our breakfast at around 9-30AM. The village is around 15 minutes walk from BKSSNT. The temple remained open this time. A wonderfully carved, black stone Idol of Lord Patanjali was installed in the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Temple. Sage Patanjali was beautifully decorated with flowers and garlands. We had Lord Patanjali’s darshan and offered prayers amidst the mantra chanting of the priest Ramanujam.  

Lord Shiva Temple:

 

After seeking the blessings of Patanjali we visited the adjacent temple which is said to be a 1000 year old Shiva Temple. The temple appeared to be in a deserted condition. Renovation work was at full swing on that day as they were preparing to reinstall the Shiva Linga before the auspicious day of Maha Shiva Ratri. As a part of cultural promotion BKSSNT has played a vital role in the renovation of the temple and reinstallation of the Shiva Linga in this 1000 year old heritage structure. Efforts are made to renovate and rebuild the remaining parts of the temple complex. One would not be surprised to see a complete new picture of the temple in the days to come.A day before Shiva Ratri they arranged a Homam (Hindu traditional ritual) at the temple premises. Guruji’s daughter and son-in-law Smt. Savita B Raghu and Sri B. Raghu cordially invited us to take part in the ceremony. 

Guruji’s House:

 

While returning from the temple we stopped at the place where Guruji was born and led his childhood. It is very near to the temple. We stopped there for a while and had some photographs at the place of his birth. By going through the village one could easily imagine the hardships Guruji has gone through during his initial days. He very well understands the problems of the villagers. Therefore he established BKSSNT with a sole purpose of uplifting the lives of rural people by providing assistance in education, health, sanitation, agriculture and handicrafts etc. There is plenty of talent in the rural areas of India. If a proper platform is provided they will definitely prosper in various fields. The students of Smt. Ramamani Sundararaja Iyengar High School have already started to prove this fact. Guruji is planting the trees of the future through various projects under BKSSNT. 

Festive Atmosphere:

 

 

Our trip to Bellur was coincided with Maha Shiva Ratri; as a result the atmosphere was quite festive all over. On 18/02/2012 we were invited to the Saraswati Puja ceremony (the deity of wisdom and knowledge) where Smt. and Sri B. Raghu were the chief guests. After the puja, the school authorities organized a cultural event where we got an opportunity to listen some of the kannada folk renditions of a very talented local folk singer called Ramchandran. He mesmerized one and all present in the auditorium with his Golden voice. Though we did not understand Kannada we couldn’t resist ourselves from applauding the talent of Ramchandran. Ramchandran was later honored by the chief guests present on the podium and the students who qualified the Pre University College (PUC) examinations were awarded certificates by the dignitaries. We later got the honor to have a joint lunch session with all the chief guests present on the occasion and got an opportunity to interact one on one with Mr. Ramchandran. He obliged our request by singing few songs for us which we recorded in our cameras with zeal. At the end of the session I just stood up and hugged that guy in appreciation. One of the videos is embedded here below. You can follow rest of the links on Youtube.

 

We were later invited by Smt. and Sri B. Raghu to take part in the Shiva Linga reinstallation ceremony to be held next morning at 11AM. We visited the temple on early hours of the next morning. The Shiva Linga was already reinstalled in the sanctum sanctorum. We were blessed with an opportunity to see the decoration and abhisehka of the Linga. The temple was beautifully decorated with flowers and banana leaves all over. People all over the village thronged into the temple on the occasion. Some of the VIP’s like the Local MLA, Chairman of Grama Panchayat and others were present on the occasion as chief guests apart from Smt. and Sri. B. Raghu.

 

We finally came at the end of our pilgrimage to Bellur. We reserved our return tickets on 20/02/2012 which was also the auspicious day of Shiv Ratri. All of us unanimously decided to pay a visit to the famous Manjunatha (Shiva) Kotilingeshwara (crore lingas) Temple which is situated 45 kilometers away from BKSSNT in kollar district of Karnataka. The temple has a fascinating view of a giant Linga at the outset of the temple compound and countless number of Lingas within the compound of the Temple. 

We finally ended our pilgrimage to Bellur with a final darshan of Lord Krishna at a very famous ISKON temple of Bangalore very close to Yesvantpur Railway Station. We boarded the same train back home and safely arrived Hyderabad in the next morning at 9AM. 

Hospitality:

 

 

A special mention has to be made about the hospitality we received in BKSSNT. We are thankful to Smt. Savita B. Raghu and Sri. B. Raghu for their kind hospitality. They made our journey comfortable by arranging vehicle to and fro Bangalore. We got an honor of having lunch with them and also the opportunity of having traditional South Indian feast at the house of Gram Panchayat chairman along with them on the eve of Shiva Linga Punah Pratisthapana. How can we forget the hospitality of Mr. Govindaraju – the person in charge of BKSSNT? He took utmost care in providing the basic needs for us. I take this opportunity to thank one and all associated with BKSSNT on behalf my teacher Smt. Zarna Mohan and all other students of Iyengar Yoga, Hyderabad.  

Special Regards: 

On behalf of all the students of Iyengar Yoga, Hyderabad, I take this opportunity to thank Guruji Sri BKS Iyengar and Smt. Zarna Mohan. Without the blessings of Guruji the trip wouldn’t have become possible and without the support, guidance and teaching of our madam Smt. Zarna Mohan the journey wouldn’t have become fruitful. The trip to Bellur was quite educative and informative for all the students of Hyderabad. We hope and wish for more such educative programs in future too. Thanks again for everything.