Report of Activities 1994-1995

1994

On Makar Sankrati (14th January 1994), on the completion of 71 poornahutis of Sri Swamiji's Panchagni Tapasya, the corresponding number of Brahmins from the Panda Shakha at Baidyanath Dham were endowed with anga vastra amidst the chanting of vedic mantras in the temple precincts at Baba Baidyanath Jyotirlingam.

In this year, Sivananda Math began the process of acquiring one acre of land adjacent to the Alakh Bara on the South side, which had been donated by the village residents of Nawadih. The construction of a water reservoir, Sivananda Sarovar of 100'x 200'x 20' (minimum depth), was planned for the land to be used for potable water as well as irrigation of fields by the villagers. In times of drought, this reservoir can be filled with water from a 300' tubewell on the premises.

A tractor with a plough was donated by devotees of Dhanbad for tilling the fields of the local villagers who own land but have no bullocks or any other means of ploughing it. Sprinkler pipes, which had been installed at Amarva by Premier Irrigation, Calcutta, are utilised for irrigating the fields of adjacent farmers in times of need. These fields were plowed by the Math team.

Seeds were also donated and Sivananda Math started a small nursery where seedlings of vegetables and trees are prepared and distributed to the local villagers who have land and want to cultivate them.

A four room house (each room 10'x10') with kitchen, verandah and boundary wall was constructed of compressed mud blocks for the Pradhan of Nawadih village. As he runs a small shop in the village, adequate provisions were made for that as well.

Full treatment of 40 TB patients was undertaken with the patronage of devotees from Bombay. Medicines and milk were administered to them on a weekly basis by the Math team. Construction of Prasad Kutir, Bholenath Ready-made Store, where the donation of clothing, blankets and other items will be kept, sorted out and distributed, was completed.

Construction of Tribhuvan, the new Sivananda Math Headquarters where administration of the building work and other projects of the Math will be located, was undertaken. It will also house the satellite dish system to provide global access and information to the villagers which will give them a peephole into the outside world through educational and informative programmes.

The mud houses constructed by Sivananda Math belong to the star quality. Although they are made of mud they are completely modern, clean, safe and secure from all hazards. However, even though the mud house has met with good results, further methods of improvement are being examined and tested through experiments conducted at laboratories in Delhi as well as at the site of the house itself.

In the month of November and December, thousands of people from all over India and different continents of the world came to Rikhia to have the darshan of Paramahamsa Satyananda. During this time, Sri Swamiji revealed his own personal relationship with God, which he discovered at Rikhia itself, and made it clear to all present that he sees service to one's neighbours as the true expression of devotion to God. All present were inspired by this revelation to contribute their gifts to the work of Sivananda Math.

They came laden with useful articles to offer to the neighbours of Sri Swamiji in Rikhia - consignment after consignment of clothing, rikshaws, bicycles, carts, toys, sewing machines, books and medicines. The most sacred rite in the vedic tradition of offering a cow was revived, and a massive movement commenced with many people coming forward to offer cows. These offerings of cows, bulls, calves, clothing, medicines, bicycles, thelas (cycle cart), sewing machines, and toys were systematically distributed to the villagers of Rikhia Panchayat by Sivananda Math during the period of December 1994 to January 1995.

1995

The Sat Chandi Maha Yajna was conducted from 23rd to 30th November 1995 at the Sri Panchdashnam Paramahamsa Alakh Bara in Rikhia, Deoghar District. Thousands of people of all castes, creeds and religions came from all parts of India and the world to participate in this unique, auspicious, historical and spiritual event.

Throughout the eight days of the yajna, a truckload of prasad left the Alakh Bara each morning and afternoon to be distributed to the families of neighbouring villages. Thousands of families received woollen blankets, warm winter clothing and other gifts brought for them by darshanarthis and disciples of Paramahamsaji, as prasad of the Maha Yajna.

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