Guru Purnima Celebrations At the Mohanji Centre of Benevolence

Guru Purnima, also known as Vyasa Purnima, is a significant festival celebrated to honor and express gratitude towards our revered gurus, mentors, and spiritual teachers. It falls on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Ashadha (June-July). This festival holds great cultural and spiritual importance in the hearts of millions across the world, as they thank their mentors wholeheartedly for guiding them, blessing them and holding their hand through life.

On the 2nd and 3rd of July, the sacred day of Guru Purnima was celebrated at the Mohanji Centre of Benevolence UK. The day was celebrated by worshiping each Deity in three stages, as advised by Mohanji:

1. By bringing about awareness of the Deity through contemplation.
2. By connecting to the frequency of the Deity through seed mantras (Beej mantras).
3. And finally, devotees made an offering of food, water, flowers and some form of personal donation.

The group began this process of worship with a Puja for Lord Ganesh, the known Remover of Obstacles, and then proceeded through the entire Dattatreya Tradition Guru Parampara, from Lord Dattatreya through to Shirdi Sai Baba and Mohanji.

Our Pujari at the Mohanji Centre, Jack, gave spontaneous talks on the spiritual significance of Lord Ganesh and Lord Dattatreya, and Mohanji Acharya, Subhashree, read from Shri Sai Satcharitra and gave heartfelt speeches about the nature of the Guru and about how the MCB UK came about through the Grace and guidance of Mohanji.

The event reached its crescendo with the 6pm Aarti to Lord Ganesh, Mohanji and Shirdi Sai Baba. The entire room, which included over a hundred local devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba, swelled with joy as everyone sang along and many children also joined in with the ceremonial fanning of Baba. After the Aarti, Vegan Prasad of kitchari and payasam was served. Many devotees brought food and flower offerings to Baba, so it was truly a feast to be had.

After over seven hours of celebrations, the event came to a close with people saying their fond farewells and then the evening Shej Aarti to Sai Baba.

Many of the local Baba devotees around Scotland felt that their deepest prayers had been answered with the arrival of the Sai Baba Murti and Temple. First time visitors also expressed how much tranquility they felt within the grounds of the center, even before they entered the temple. Overall, this event felt like a homecoming and reunion between two streams of Baba’s and Mohanji’s families, which are, of course, both ultimately one and eternally united through the principles of unconditional love, non-violence and selfless service.

Om Sai Ram & Jai Mohanji!