Visiting Haridwar after a couple of decades

This was an experience in its self. I was invited to meet Guruji and i usually would not let go of such opportunities. So we went for a 2 day trip by train to Haridwar. We were just 2 days short of the maha Kumbh mela to start on Jan 6th. The place was abuzz with preparations to receive the throngs of people from all walks of life on the Maha Kumbh.

Well to mention about the ashram and Guruji. Guruji was waiting for us and welcomed us with a beaming smile a very unassuming, smiling persona. The Ashram houses 100 rooms, a huge kitchen garden, a temple, a cow stable and couple of huge halls for prayers. The entire facility was spic and span and i was impressed by the discipline everyone followed. One sould see dignity of labour as senior swamijis also sweeping the floor and helping in cooking. The atmosphere was all in all serence and welcoming after the madness of city life. I felt like living in first gear after the fifth.

Haridwar has a flavour of its own walking the banks of Ganga throws into myraid of moods - sometimes one gets caought by the Ganga flowing other times by filth around. Sometimes by devout devotees who turn a blind eye to all practical trivialities and are wrapped in their own spiritual climate. Number of poojas happening simultaneously, million of myths and stories surrounding each temple or idol there.

We got lucky to spend an hour plus in the company of Guruji who seemed to be a practical, very sharp and well travelled person. He seemed a karamyogi in that since 2005 he spent 35 crores on doing various charitable deeds opening colleges, schools making ashrams and other similar obligations. Good part was i could see that the learnings from abroad put to action here in India, in Haridwar. There was a section of the ashram made without pillars on the basis of a design Guruji saw in Japan, he uses a treadmill and advices people on business decisions, knows exactly how many days each of the south east asian countries take to give visa - meeting such a person and the brief interaction i had was a bleassing in itself :)