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OMKARANANDA MAHOTSAVA
2007-2008
Contents:
Guru-Puja, Hawana &
Ganga Arati
During Omkarananda Mahotsava celebrations the 8th celebration
has its special importance. It was celebrated on Tuesday, the very first day of
the new year, at our Omkarananda Public Ghat, Muni-ki-reti, at the holy Ganga
Maa.
 On
this occasion the Chief Priest of Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi Mandir, Shri Suresh
Shastri and his team, put a nicely decorated Altar with Gurudev's photo at the
Ghat. In honour of Gurudev a special Pooja was performed followed by Hawana, in
which Swami Vishveshwarananda also took part. Also Swami Narasimhuluji,
Siddharthaji, Usha Mataji, Col. Sachdevaji and many other devotees and Swamis
from different Ashrams joined this holy celebration.
 After
the Hawana Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda, President of Omkarananda Ashram, and
others, offered Arati to Gurudev Shri Swami Omkarananda and Ganga Maa with great
devotion.
Everybody taking part in this august celebration, in honour of Gurudev, got
beautiful flower-boats with deepas, which were offered to the Ganga along with
prayers. It was indeed wonderful to see the glowing and shining flower-boats
swimming peacefully on the holy Ganga.
Mahila Sankirtan
 During
Omkarananda Mahotsava 2007-2008 Mahila Sankirtan was organised at the
Omkarananda Ashram premises in the evening of 2nd January, 2008. The devotional
singers of Durga Sankirtan Mandal, Dhalwala, presented Ganesh Vandana as first
item in Garhwali tunes. Afterwards Smt. Deveshwari Thapliyal and other ladies
offered traditional Bhajans to other Gods and Goddesses.
 On special
request of these ladies Kumari Somashekhari and her students of Shri Omkarananda
Bhajan Mandali sang a special Bhajan for Bhagawati Kunjapuri Devi in Garhwali
language and filled the audience with devotional feelings. The impact of the
devotional songs was so wonderful that the audience did not care for the chilly
cold but continued to sit with great concentration in the open courtyard of
Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi Mandir.
 It
was a very great joy for all inmates of Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas that during
this auspicious event the honourable Vice-Chancellor of Gurukul Kangri
University, Haridwar, Shri Vedprakash Shastriji paid a surprise visit to our
Ashram along with two other great Professors, a Professor for Vedic Mathematics
and a Professor for Yoga. Prof. Vedprakash Shastri is a rare personality;
besides being a brilliant Sanskrit Scholar and Sanskrit Poet, he has imbibed all
the noble and divine qualities of the immortal Vedic Culture. In spite of
occupying the highest post of the University, Prof. Vedprakash Shastri is of
extremely humble, sweet and kind nature.
 He has
a great love for Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas, and specially for its President,
Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda, whom he invites regularly for giving speeches in
the prestigious Gurukul Kangri University. Swami Vishveshwarananda and others
expressed their deepest and heartfelt joy to have the inspiring presence of such
a wonderful personality like Professor Vedprakash Shastriji on the 9th day of
Omkarananda Mahotsava.
Sitar Concert
 A
series of cultural programmes on the occasion of the 11 days Omkarananda
Mahotsava had ended with a magnificent Indian Classical Music Evening of Sitar
Recital, organized at Omkarananda Ganga Sadan, Muni-ki-reti, Rishikesh. The
Sitar Concert was presented by Shri Jagat Adhikary, a direct disciple of world
renowned Sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar. The evening was inaugurated by H.H. Swami
Vishveshwaranandaji with the lighting of the lamp and with the beautiful Vedic
chanting by the wonderful and mesmerizing voice of Siddhartha Krishna. After
that Siddhartha Krishna welcomed Shri Jagat Adhikary and introduced him to the
distinguished guests.
The concert was unique in its own because Shri Jagat Adhikary had started the
Sitar recital with a Raga, composed by himself. He composed that Raga as an
offering at the Lotus feet of Gurudev Paramahamsa Omkarananda Maharajji on the
occasion of His Jayanti and Mahotsava Celebrations and named it as
“OMKARESHWARA” after His name only. That was a pure sacred Offering from the
guest artist on that evening . “OMKARESHWARA”, is a complete Raga which was
performed as a combination of Alap, Jor, Gat and Jhala. Alap is the unfolding of
a Raga and is a slow rhythmless elaboration upon the Raga. Next part is “Jor”
which is a section that has rhythm but no developed rhythmic cycle (i.e., taal).
The gat is the fully developed piece, while the “Jhala” is a fast rhythmic
interplay between the drone strings and the main playing strings. Maestro
Adhikary had began his concert with this very unique and by him composed Raga
“Omkareshwara” which was fixed at Teen Taal, i.e.16 beats, followed by Ek Taal,
i.e. 12 beats.
Maestro Adhikary continued his concert with a composition, based on mixed Ragas.
He concluded his concert with some devotional compositions, which made all the
listeners to sing along and enjoy themselves, too. Siddhartha Krishna, after
realizing the lyrics, explained them and made others to follow the meaning of
that composition.
Shri Adhikary was accompanied by Mr. Santosh Kumar on Tabla. Mr. Santosh Kumar
is a very talented and dedicated Tabla player. He is a worthy disciple of Pandit
Ramdasji Bhoyer of Pune.
Maestro Adhikary was also accompanied by Mr. Pierre of Canada on Tambura. He
himself is a musician and a very good Guitarist. He is learning Sitar and taking
regular lessons from Shri Jagat Adhikary for more than a year.
 No
celebration could be concluded without the worth listening words from H.H. Swami
Vishveshwaranandaji Maharaj. So, at the end of the concert he spoke about the
importance and the greatness of devotional Music and its effects also. H.H.
Swami Vishveshwaranandaji had conferred a special honour to Shri Jagat Adhikary.
The other accompanists were also honoured and blessed by Swamiji.
Concluding Celebration
The conclusion of the Omkarananda Mahotsava celebrations, the
11 day long Festival, took place on 4th January, 2008. 4th January marks the day
of the Mahasamadhi of our Gurudev Paramahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati. As every
year, on this day mainly Sadhus are invited for spiritual talks, for
Bhajan-Kirtan and Bhandara.
 In
the morning a special powerful Yajna was conducted by our Priests in honour of
Gurudev. Many devotees attended. The Purnahuti of this special Yajna was
performed by Shri Swami Vishveshwaranandaji. Afterwards a special Puja was
conducted in the Shrine of Gurudev Swami Omkarananda. Many Sannyasis, Sadhus and
Mahatmas joyously flocked in to celebrate this holy event. Bhajans and Kirtans
were sung by different devotees. Prominent Sadhus expressed in their speeches
their admiration for H.D. Shri Swami Omkarananda and His wonderful Ashram and
Institutions.
 Besides
Sadhus and Mahatmas of other Ashrams, some eminent people also participated in
this great event. Shri M.M. Tayal, the President of Doon Citizens Council,
Dehradun, also
graced the function by his benign presence, along with his wife and his brother
from Allahabad.
Shri Siddhartha Krishna monitored the whole programme and Swami
Vishveshwarananda, the President of Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas, expressed
special thanks and adorations to all the Sadhus and Mahatmas, who had come to
honour Swami Omkarananda.
 Then
everybody was invited to attend the special Omkarananda Arati in Gurudev's
shrine performed by our Chief Priest, Shri Suresh Shastriji.
After this powerful Arati hundreds of Sadhus and Mahatmas and later on others
also could enjoy a delicious Bhandara in Omkarananda Vidya Bhawan. This time,
because of Ekadashi, the Bhandara consisted of entirely different food items,
but everybody liked it very much.
 In
the end a Dakshina was given by Swami Satchidanandaji, the Treasurer of
Omkarananda Ashram, to every Sadhu.
Everybody taking part in this celebration was filled with happiness and
gratitude to the immortal Sage and Mystic Shri Swami Omkarananda.
OM Shri Swami Omkaranandaji ki jay! OM
Omkarananda Ashram Kancheepuram
Omkarananda Jayanti was celebrated on 25th December 2007 in
Omkarananda Veda Mata Bhawanam, Kancheepuram, with special
Puja and Yagna and Brahmin Bhojan, in the presence of Shri Venkatramanji,
Smt. Usha Ramanji and Shri Suresh Sastryji.
On 29th December 2007, on the auspicious occasion of
"Purva Phalguni Nakshatra" (Birth Star of Shri Kamakshi-Devi), when the Utsav Murti of
Shri Kanchee Kamakshi Devi is taken on Rath Yatra around the Temple complex, a special Puja was
performed in the name of Gurudev Swami Omkarananda in Kamakshi Mandir, Kancheepuram, followed by
Prasadam Distribution.
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