Shodashi Anushthan & Shraddhanjali Saptah

After his Mahasamadhi, Sri Swamiji gave his last darshan to everyone on 6th December. Thousands of villagers, visitors, delegates and disciples gathered at Rikhiapeeth on that day to have the last glimpse of their guru, of a siddha and of a saint. At the godhuli bela, the hour of dusk, a poorna abhisheka was performed on Sri Swamiji at the Panchagni Vedi, and then he was given the bhu samadhi, burial in earth, at Parna Kutir.

Thereafter, from the 7th to the 22nd, as per the tradition of sannyasins, a sixteen-day Shodashi Anushthan was conducted at Rikhiapeeth. Every day, there were different havans and Rudrabhisheka, chanting of the Bhagavad Gita and the Ramacharitamanas, chanting of stotras and the singing of kirtans at the pace set by the exemplary kanyas and batuks of Rikhia.

Every day, the villagers of Rikhia Panchayat were invited for bhandara, mass feeding, and over five hundred families were given prasad daily with Sri Swamiji's blessings. A special pooja to instal the guru tattwa in the mandala of Sri Yantra was performed by yoginis from South India, and a special Rudrabhisheka was conducted by pandits from Varanasi. A sannyasin bhoj was also held for representatives of different sampradayas and paramparas, spiritual traditions and sannyasa orders.

All through these sixteen days, thousands flocked from all over the world to Rikhiapeeth. Many came in tears, but as they basked in the radiance of peace and silence pervading Sri Swamiji's samadhi sthal, you could see that they were experiencing a deep sense of contentment and fulfilment, and that they felt the presence of Sri Swamiji in their hearts.

From the 24th to the 30th, a Shraddhanjali Saptah was organized at Ganga Darshan, Munger, where again thousands came to pay homage amidst the singing and chanting of bhajans, kirtans, stotras and mantras, the performance of havans and poojas, and a daily bhandara.

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