Misty spring drizzles and overcast sky, created almost a mystique backdrop since the dawn of June 2nd, 2012, for the exuberant devotees planning to celebrate the Gayatri Jayanti and Ganga Dashahara at Satsang Center of Woburn. Just around the afternoon travel window, rain took a little break, only to be resumed towards the end of the event. Soon, the mandir was brimming with almost 300 people converging for the evening celebration.

Sangeeta Saxena, a volunteer priest of Gayatri Pariwar, officiated the Puja/Deep-yagya ceremony. She opened the celebration with a soaring rendition of Sri Hanuman Chaalisa, followed by pragya-geets. Neeta Rathi provided melodious vocal support and Swami Saxena delighted the congregation with his vivacity of spontaneous tabla rhythms.

In the main ceremony of deep-yagya all devotees took part collectively. In addition, the group performed a variety of spiritual practices (sadhana) to engage the devotees of diverse inclinations. Deep-Yagya is a contemporary version of traditional Yagya, which is adapted by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya (founder of Gayatri Parivar). As such, “Deep-Yagya” helps to spread popularly, the philosophy of Yagya for the busy lifestyle of modern times. In this ceremony devotees lighted 108 lamps. Entire congregation together offered the “Gayatri Mantra Aahutis.” “Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Aahutis,” were also offered for the devotees, whose birthday’s and wedding anniversaries fall in the the current calendar month. Congregation also offered  special ahutis for graduating kids to wish them a bright and thriving future nurtured by Dharma !

In the special parva-pujan sequence invoked, Adi-Shakti Gayatri in three forms of “Ved-Mata," “Dev-Mata” and “Vishwa-Mata.” The, invocation of “Hansa” and “Ganga" followed. The devotees prayed to the Ved-Mata for Her descent in the form of the “light of knowledge” i.e Gyan Praksah in their lives to remove the three root-causes of unhappiness, i.e. the ignorance, the infirmity and the impoverishment (i.e. Agyan, Ashakti and Abhava). Devotees invoked Dev-Mata for the transformation of our ordinary lives into the one that is enriched with divinity (Devatva). Invoking “Vishwa-Mata,” devotees prayed for the gift of all encompassing-love that would enable the humanity to realize the ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,(i.e. “world deemed as a family”). Participants offered prayers to “Ganga-Mata” for the internal purification and also to strengthen the tendency of selfless service (Parmartha).

The entire celebration was lucidly interspersed with the lucid philosophy behind all the Puja activities performed throughout the evening. Sanjay Saxena, rendered this following commentary based on the teachings of Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya.

Towards the conclusion of the evening, all participants took vows to give up one weakness/undesirable habit in their lives and also took a vow to inculcate a new strength/good habit for the continued progress and transformation of their lives.

The event was a huge success with the active support of volunteers, who poured their heart and hard work to make this event a memorable one. The evening concluded with Aarti and Mantra Pushpanjali followed by Mahaprasad (dinner) that was sponsored by Geetanjali and Rajiv Sharma. A dedicated team of Satsang center volunteers prepared it with great love and care.

Gayatri Jayanti festival rejoices in the manifestation (pradurbhava) of Adi-Shakti Gayatri for the well-being of all humanity. On this day, it is believed that Ganga also descended on earth from the 'Svarga-Loka', i.e. Avataran of Ganga on earth, and it came to being known as “Ganga Dashara."

All World Gayatri Pariwar , also celebrates the Gayatri Jayanti as a 'Maha-Samadhi-day’ of its founder Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya, who left his physical body on the morning of Gayatri Jayanti in 1990 and entered into the 'Sukshma-Jagat'(subtle world). Acharyaji pioneered the revival of spirituality through creative integration of modern science and ancient Dharmic Traditions, relevant for challenging circumstances of present times. According to Him, the “perversion of thoughts” is the root cause of crisis in individual, family, social and world affairs in current times. The only way out of this desperate situation is “total thought revolution," which he termed as “Vichar Kranti." “Gayatri Sadhana and Yagya” is the most effective techniques or technology for pulling the humanity out of this current crisis as a prime enabler of “Vichar Kranti."

Volunteers of Gayatri Parivar of Massachusetts are actively providing services to facilitate and perform much sought-after family ceremonies, which are integral part of Hindu tradition. Please check www.Gayatri.info for more information and upcoming events' flyers.

For viewing the video clips of this program, please don’t forget to check out the “GayatriVideo” channel here.