Prana Prathishta at Mohanji Centre of Benevolence

Prana Prathishta in Mohanji Centre of Benevolence

March 27, 2023

On 23rd March 2023, the Mohanji Centre of Benevolence (MCB) in Walpole, Western Australia was officially inaugurated, marking the culmination of a year long effort to bring the Centre to life. The key event of the day was the consecration of the deities Shirdi Sai Baba, Lord Ganesha, Lord Dattatreya and Goddess Anaghalakshmi. A diverse group of people from various countries including USA, UK, India, Singapore, Thailand and Australia came together for this first such pranaprathishta (consecration) of the year 2023 in a Mohanji space.

The day was all about celebration – of powerful deities coming to the land, of people rejoicing at this milestone event, of enshrining the values and teachings of Mohanji through the daily lifestyle and practices at the MCB, and of course, of Mohanji staying on our own Mohanji Foundation land!

The program began with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, symbolizing the onset of brightness and light into this land and into the lives of every person stepping on it. Mohanji lit the first wick, followed by Sulakhe Maharaj (retired chief priest of the Shirdi Sai Baba temple in Shirdi) and key members of Mohanji Australia and Mohanji Foundation global. In line with Mohanji’s key tenets of respect and adding value to the land, the welcome speech was by our special guests Ms Asha Bhat (CEO of Southern Aboriginal Corporation) and Mr Oscar Colbung, a representative from the Menang community, the original inhabitants of this land. Thereafter, we had a short Bharatanatyam dance recital by a student of Himalayan School of Traditional Dance.

Later in the day, as the official Prana Prathistha ceremonies and rituals wound to a close, Mohanji addressed the group and spoke about the significance of the day’s proceedings. He shared that the right attitude to approach a Master like Sai Baba was that of surrender and an appreciation of one’s own insignificance; with no ownership and the understanding that one is just a servant or a medium of the divine, greatness can be achieved. He explained that the entire concept and objective of the Mohanji Centres of Benevolence is to raise people’s awareness. As the MCB land is of high frequency, people visiting would automatically feel the transformation and move towards stillness and stability – this would then bring great benefits to society. He also reiterated the value of serving selflessly and urged everyone to be grateful for the opportunity to be part of this historic occasion, as it was no coincidence that this particular group was at this event.

Sulakhe Maharaj also spoke a few words, reminiscing about his connection with Mohanji since 2001. He shared how from being a complete introvert, Mohanji has adapted himself to speaking in public and envisioning great things for the upliftment of humanity. Over the years, though they never communicated too much till recently, the language of love overcame all language barriers that may have existed between them. He said that though thousands of people love Mohanji, he personally felt that Mohanji’s love for them was substantially higher and unconditional! Speaking about Sai Baba, he shared that when Baba comes to a place, he brings thousands of deities with him, so this place would be a magnet for sincere seekers from all around the world.

Mohanji Foundation also honoured all the key contributors who helped this project reach this milestone. The function then wound to an end with a grand celebratory lunch for all gathered.

The Mohanji Centre of Benevolence is now open to all and looks forward to welcoming eager seekers. We also look forward to welcoming people for the next set of such events in Scotland, Slovenia and Serbia in June 2023. Stay tuned for more details as the year 2023 promises to be amazingly historic in the development of Mohanji Foundation spaces around the world!