Ramdara Temple Pune. The Legend of 1008 Devipuri Maharaj ( Dhundi Baba) From Police officer to World renouncing Monk

The Temple and Hermitage of Ramdara Near Pune, India.

How does one begin to write about one of the Most unforgettable human beings that  they have ever met.?A Human being so extraordinary that even in his Life time people crossed over hills and dales and traveled hundreds of miles to just  gaze at him for  a few precious moments.
Those few moments could be all for many
and when they left...It was with the feeling that  their entire life had been worth living just for those few moments of seeing such a wonderful and incredible man and  as he  was in person.

To me he was not only all these things but he was also my beloved Babaji ( A name for a loving Father figure in Hindi) while to the world he was the legendary  Dhundi Baba or  10008 Devi Puri Maharaj.  A  Sage and Hermit. Seer and Rishi who was a legend even in his life time. A life so extraordinary in every way.. To those of us who had the honor and blessings of ever meeting and knowing him closely all we can say is.".Baba there was never another like you and will never will be ever again.. and though you have gone..you remain a part of us, deeply embedded in our hearts and memories as you will always remain a part of the beautiful hills and valleys of Ramadara and the temple and Hermitage you  created and left behind for all us to experience  a peace so deep and immortal.that still gives us hope that there is  a purpose and beauty in life ..and that you lived such as incredible one before you passed on to the other shore .. ( Read On..)The Legend of 10008 Devipuri Maharaj of Ramdara

Shri Dhundi Baba ( 1008 Devi Puri Maharaj The sage who created Shri Ramdara Tirthasketra Loni Kalbhhor.

It was the Year 1950.. India had just become independent. There was a lot of buzz and activity at the S.R.P.F ( Special Reserve Police Force). Head Quarters in the City of Daund in South Maharashtra .Squardon leader Shinde was a Tall and Young officer who hailed from Satara  and a  Maratha clan known for its courage, military acumen and patriotism 

This Leader was known as an excellent officer..who was loved by his men and  who was known to be a man of great spiritual qualities and discipline as well a man who was both strict and yet very kind and just to all his men.
..On March 17th there was a special program in which the Inspector General of State Police was the chief Guest. Officer Shinde was in charge of the ceremony. He spent the previous day in overseeing the rehearsals and all the arrangements for the big day. On March 17th He was seen by hundreds of people to lead the police parade and received the guard of honor  by the I.G ( Inspector General) of the State himself. 
The program was also attended by senior officers and police personnel from all over the district. The SRPF is also a reserve Para military force till this day.

Meanwhile even as the parade was taking place Officer Shinde the same squadron leader who was leading his group at the ceremony was found  lying in a state of unconsciousness in his bed in the residential quarters. ( Barracks)  How was that possible?His room attendant and domestic staff  found him there and were extremely confused. The news spread like wild fire. Officer Shinde in two places at the same time? This was a state of manaḥ-javah:` Moving the body wherever Thought goes'. (teleportation/astral projection) Bi- location or the rare phenomena of being at two places at the same time.( A supernatural spiritual incident that is known to mystics)..But happening here? that too in a police academy ! 
The Squadron leader himself  was at first confused , he then realized that a great spiritual power had manifested through him and though he felt he had fallen asleep from exhaustion his `astral self' or mirror image had led the parade. This incident was witnessed by many of the people present that day..
Can a person be in two places at once? There are many intriguing accounts throughout history of people of all faiths  who claim to have either encountered apparitions of themselves - their doppelgangers -  The state  of manaḥ-javah: Moving the body wherever Thought goes
(Bi- location or the rare phenomena of being at two places at the same time.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilocation.) .
The ancient Indian spiritual texts such as Patanjali and Raja Yoga say that it is possible for those who are masters of Yoga ( Meditation and spiritual practices ). .(The Power of Thoughts ..Raja Yoga..and the Secrets...) In another time and another place Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa was seen by an ardent devotee of his in far away  Dhaka ( East Bengal) though he never left Dakshineshwar.This devotee talked with him and even touched him

Back to Daund and the story of officer Shinde who was the center of so much of admiration and now awe.. He spent that night meditating alone under a  `Neem tree' and the dilapidated temple that stood just outside the SRPF campus. In his heart and through his soul came the searing call..A call heard by those rare and wonderful souls from age to age..a call that makes kings give up their thrones and walk alone into the vast unknown..A call which the sages and seers through thousands of ages have heard and continue to hear until today..The call of God that knows no power or wealth or treasure on earth .. The next day which is recorded as March 18th 1950  the squadron leader  left the force and became a wandering monk..in search of his spiritual mission in life.

In the tradition of wandering spiritual seekers through the ages..he followed an inner call and he first walked all the way on foot for almost a fortnight to the state of Gujarat  and the Mountains of Girnar and Junagadh  and then upwards to Madhya Pradesh and Ujjain to a place known as  Dutta -Shekara  At Girnar in the ancient monasteries and temples he spent time in the monastery and company of some holy men. He was initiated in the ancient  traditions of the " Puri Sampradhaya" and then after a few months he took permission of the Head of the order and left to seek his truth for himself.His destination was the 12 " Jyotirlingas' or Temples of " Light which are dedicated to Lord Shiva and date back to thousands of years.
For the next four years he traveled on foot across the length and breadth of India and also visited Tibet and then via Nepal returned to India by the Holy City Of Ayodhya in the North . His training and discipline as a soldier came in good stead and he kept logs and records of his journey from day to day. In each place he stayed for  a few days or weeks and had incredible spiritual experiences and understanding and when he felt his visit was fulfilled he started again alone for the next lap of his journey. Many who met him too witnessed extraordinary experiences and whenever a crowd gathered ..he disappeared.
 Since he traveled to Tibet by foot that hazardous journey itself took up almost 6 months and more and then he traveled to  the North of India . Here  he  visited the sacred shrine of Sri Rama in Ayodhya and again had a wonderful " Dream and experience and Visions of a time to come." 
After almost four years when his incredible journey was done.He returned via Ujjain  in Madhya Pradesh to Mt Ginar and his spiritual monastery. On his return He was given the title of Shri 10008 Devi Puri Maharaj.
It is said that hundreds and hundreds of people would crowd to the place where he was staying in Ujjain and Girnar because the fame of his spiritual feats  and powers had already become a legend over the land. He longed for respite He longed for solitude and quiet...

For years he had had a vision..it was of an ancient temple lying hidden in a remote land amongst hills.He could almost see the path and road to this place.. Once again he left Girnar and headed for the mountain ranges near the hilly routes of the Western Ghats  alone and on foot. 
On " Gopal Ashtami" of August 1954 he reached Loni village near Poona and then walked to a forested area in the hilly slopes of a Mountain near the village of Phursingi.. This remote area was known as Ramadara..by the locals. They said there were some ruins of an ancient temple dating to antiquity there and a Well which was believed to have been  used by  Sri Rama and Sri Sita Ma, during the Historical period when they both :The Heroic king Rama and his Queen Sita  were in exile. Now..This land and hill slope was abandoned and belonged to no one.
The wandering monk made this forest his home and built a little thatched hut  nestled in the  hills and lived alone . Wandering shepherds, hunters and  peasants would see this tall and quiet  man with long matted hair, practicing intense meditation and spiritual   practices on a high hill known as Shivalaya. When their sheep were hurt or they were hungry he would offer them food and treat them with the wild plants that grew on the hillocks.Many many
years passed in this fashion. He would talk of God and ask them about their families and they saw many wonderful things and felt a deep peace and love in his company.

Slowly but surely by word of mouth the fame of this reclusive and quiet but wonderful Holy man who lived alone and communicated with God and spoke to the Birds and the Beast and served and healed the people who came to him  and radiated Holiness  spread across the country side..People from the rural areas, villages  and  farm lands of Western Maharashtra began to travel miles and miles and then climb on foot over the hills to find him and seek his company and blessings.Then his fame spread by word of mouth to the city of Poona  and other towns. Many who knew him since his short stay at Mount Abu in Gujarat also traveled  down from there when they learned of his whereabouts. They all called him Babaji..which means revered Father.
 Baba sat in meditation by a "  sacred Homa fire' in the early hours of the morning and met people  by his" Dhuni" fire..He became known as Dhuni Baba or 'Dhundi Baba'.
 Then In the  1970's with the help of the villagers  who loved him..Dhundi Baba began to build a temple near the ancient relics found in the hills. He  personally designed  the Temple according to the ancient Science of `Vastu Shastra' and  designed the moat and Lake  which harvested rain water during the Monsoons. Drilling machines were hired and scores of villagers would gather day after day.alongside Babaji...Month after month for seven long years they would break through the hard rocks and rugged landscape and build the beautiful temple and artificial Lake. During those seven long years Baba lived on only jaggery water..fruits, nuts and ' Neem leaves' as a spiritual penance. His tall and robust body was not only able to withstand the rigors of this penance but he also motivated many who joined him in the sacred  project.
The Temple standing on the Lake was dedicated to Lord Shiva and has  a Huge Nandi  at the entrance..Within the inner shrine is the image of Shri Rama, Ma Sita and Sri Laxmana as well as that of  Shri Duttareya. The Shiva Linga was carved and installed by Dhundi Baba himself and in it is embedded the sacred souvenirs he had kept from his days as a wandering monk visiting the 12 Jyotirlingas and Manosaravar in Tibet.
In 1981 August Shri 10008 Devi Puri Maharj invited the four Shancaracharyas ( Pontiffs) of India and a Huge Gayatri Mantra Yagna was performed for 15 days  The new temple was inaugurated in their prsence. All the Shancaracharyas attended  the  Function. ( Picture to be added shortly). ..
After almost 25 years of living alone  and unknown..an austere life of prayer and sacrifice and building this magnificent temple on rugged territory with the help of his village friends he opened the doors to the world. It is recorded that during  those 15 days more than 300,000 people visited Ramdara and  there were almost 40,000 to 50,000 people who partook of the  Sacramental Mass Feeding  ( Bhandara) each day. 
 For the next 21 years untill he passed away in 2002 he would individually meet  every devotee who came to him each day.
Each morning Babaji would rise at around 3.30 am and bathe in the ancient well. From 4.30 am till 7 am he would perform the ' Ancient Homa puja" and meditate and pray alone in his old cottage shrine. . People would line up in a long single file outside the cottage door by 7.30 in the morning.
From 8 am in the morning untill 1.30 in the afternoon when the Temple Bells rang out for the Noon `Ararti' he would receive each visitor one by one with the immortal words " Oam Namaha Narayana". Seated cross legged before the ` Dhuni" Sacrifical Fire he would ask his visitor to be seated in front of him like wise and then ask them how their lives were going . 
On some days there were a few hundred people ..some days during the Torrential Monsoon season just a handful..yet all who came traveled a long way and through difficult terrain for the few precious moments with the living saint.The rich the poor, the peasants and the industrialists all stood in the queue....No one could get preference above others..People of all faiths and castes came to him.
Most of the viistors would bring to him their pain and sorrows..the woes of the world..or ask him for wise counsel or just a word or  a touch of comfort.or spiritual advise. He would give each one a patient hearing .and offer each person a kind word of  assurance. He would pray with them and for them  give them..a hand ful of sweets or a fruit and some sacred ash from the " Dhuni' ( sacred Fire) and send them away with an affectionate pat. In this way spiritual men and women since  ancient days play the part of Guru which means "Spiritual Mentor"... The Guru is Friend, Father, SpiritualTeacher, Philosopher and Guide and gives a lot of psychological and spiritual solace to seekers. ( Babji was a lot like Shri Shirdi Sai Baba in his ways and in his simplicity and quiet spirituality and oneness with the poorest of folks).Theirs is a way of Peace and Harmony and Goodwill and never harming anyone in the name of God. 
Dhundi Baba  never claimed any miracles or supernatural powers..it was the devotees who would talk about  how his prayers and words had healed or blessed them..and how incredible experiences had touched their lives.They would return again and again because their faith in his words and prayers was strong..For most like me  it was a deep spiritual experience that cannot be described.
He never sought or solicited money... but accepted as a Gift from God whatever came unasked.. Ramdara is a model Hermitage and Temple till this day on how the Rishi Dhundi Baba was totally and 100 per cent self reliant and dependent on only God. The waste land around the temple was irrigated and cultivated for crop and vegetables and the Guava orchard  there produces till this day some of the best fruit in the district. ( Before joining the police force Baba hailed from the agriculture heartland  of Maharashtra.) The income from this cultivation not only sustains the place and feeds all who come there and is also used  towards philanthropic causes . Untill his last day Baba lived a very simple and austere life of an ascetic. He slept on an old wooden cot with no mattress and  ate the simple rustic food of " Bhakari( Millet bread,) Lentils and vegetables.
People came to him in droves..He never advertised himself. He delivered no talks...nor lectures..wrote no books nor surrounded himself with a coterie of powerful people. He had no favorites , could not be accused of` pitting' his followers against each other and yet did not consider anyone too low or  unworthy of his time and affection. He never asked anyone to give up their religion make him their `Guru 'or become his followers. 
The people who served him and lived near him were the peasants and shepherds and their descendants who knew him from his days as an unknown Monk. Once the ' Darshan" or meeting for the day was done he would retreat back into his cottage . Devotees were free to visit and meditate in the temple..contemplate by the lake and walk around the fields.
 In the tradition of a True Monk  he loved all, compassionately served all. He  did not display  or encourage personal attachments to himself from anyone since his was a God centered life where all were equal. It did not matter whether the person who visited him was a king or a pauper..once the their meeting was done. He did not seek to know anyone on a special level..and he went back to his reclusive life of contemplations and Love for God..He was the living image of a Monk who strode alone as  Majestic as a Lion .
In many religious organizations and temples and churches and ashrams around the world a kind of " Power Group of Elite Devotees' gather around Holy Men and Women who have   extraordinary spiritual powers and qualities or the organisation is a highly respected and renowned one.. The `Holy person' or Head is himself detached and above this but this group begins to exercise power, indulge in power politics and finally make the temple or church or place of worship a  domain to exercise their self importance over others It becomes an extension of their worldly ambitions.' Sometimes these individuals consider their own worth and  self importance as more than that of God or the  Holy person they come to serve and become  a source of harassment, bullying  and pain to others if they do not receive constant attention and they eventually drive many away...many who were just seeking Peace, Love and a sanctuary to seek God. These people finally reduce the sanctity of a very Holy place and persons to that of a huge 'Joke.'
At Ramdara  Sri Dhundi Baba never let that happen..He met each devotee alone , gave each his due time and respect and never gathered any "special' forces ' or individuals around him to rule over the rest. He was known as an excellent leader and officer in his days with the Police Force and was an excellent Leader in fact more so as a Monk. In the 10 years or more that I knew him.. it was just my precious moments alone with Baba  and then my time alone to do as I wanted..I could sit by the Lakeshore or meditate in the temple or play with the many cats and dogs that lives in the hermitage . For a person like me who likes to seek God alone in solitude..to me this was heaven.
In the 10 years I visited him..I never one experienced any kind of pain, conflict, disrespect shown to anyone.or.any thing outside the realm of a spiritual experience.I never once regretted  or had doubts about ever making the Long journey from Pune to Ramdhara on a Bike alone and felt blessed and extremely thrilled with each visit which was at least once a week on Mondays which was my day off from my Job as a News reporter..
 The only time devotees met or interacted with each other were the times when they stood waiting for Baba's " Darshan" in the queue. Sometimes the Q would be long and the wait could take several  hours. People would  sit on the parapet walls along the Lake and chat  with each other and share their stories. There was no competition or jealousy for Baba's attention or for honour and recognition and adulation  from the crowds. Each one knew what he was there for and he would receive his  due time and blessings  from Baba. No one tried to impose their own " self importance, `Special accomplishments' or " Holier than thou stories" on others because each knew what they were there for and it was NOT to draw attention or self importance to themselves but to give their minds to God.
Some like me who  visited regularly got to know a lot of folks. I particularly remember the Muslim youth from Baba's village who said that Baba's spirituality had touched them so deeply that they had no feelings of dogmatism or difference between faiths. They would practice vegetarianism and come barefoot to the Temple in respect to the Hindu Faith of Baba.  Visitors included many High ranking Politicians, Government officers, Policemen, Bollywood stars and industrialists .There were many Westerners..some of them " Spiritual Tourists" and some of them Foreign Business Executives visiting the Multi National companies near and around Poona..
( They were probably eager to see the `real India" and a ' Real Baba'.).But most of the people who came to him were  very very simple and rustic people and they were the people who came to him with Love and Faith as a Child has for his Mother.
Baba knew I loved animals and he would allow me to sometimes pat his two pet  Antelopes.His love for animals was legendary and an unique quality of Ramdara was that Dogs and Cats which are natural enemies by nature would live together in peace and harmony, eat from the same bowl and snuggle with each other for naps. They would take care of each other's 'Puppies and kittens' and behave more ' human' that we are. Greater so was the harmony between the thousands of people who visited the Ashrama.
There is a story  in our  Vedic scriptures that when the  Divine  incarnation of Adi Sancharcharya was looking for a place to establish one of the` Math Peethas' in the South of India  he saw a snake and a Frog sitting together in peace like friends and not foes by a river bank. He knew the land ( which is now Sringeri Math) was sanctified by strong spiritual thoughts because even the venom of natural enemies was Defused in that place. Ramdara has the same peaceful vibrations and Till this day people who visit are astonished by how the wild dogs and cats live like family  in peaceful cohabitation in the ashram. The local news papers regularly carry feature stories about this phenomena.
.I first met Dhundi Baba In the Summer of 1991 It was just a few months after my own father had passed away . I was on a  bike trek with some friends and we rode into the range of mountains that begin about 21 kms on the southern outskirts of my city Poona in India.
Someone knew of  Ramdara .
We rode through sugar cane fields by a canal.Suddenly the fields ended and there was a bit of  a steep and curved climb into a higher mountain and then suddenly out of the Blue we saw a beautiful lake..and some coconut groves and the Pink steeples of a temple and huge open gates leading into an incredibly beautiful place...Ramdara.. ! Besides the temple was a small thatched cottage and before that  a beautiful grove of old Bunyan trees under which visitors would park their cars and their bikes . As you drove through the gates you heard the loud squawks of Geese and ducks and the barking of dogs ..and then you saw them wagging their tails.and .running up to greet complete strangers   They never harmed any visitor.
 As we walked past the cottage and  headed for the lake...I heard of the Old Rishi 
(sage )who had built this place... As I stepped into the veranda someone came walking out of the door..
He stood tall..almost 6 ft 2 inches and.though he was an old man of 80 + he had the straight back of a soldier ...He was Sagacious ..A beautiful white flowing beard and flowing white hair just like the legendary sages of  our Indian lore..his face was incredibly kind and had the sweetness and innocence of a Child and his soft brown eyes were deep and had  a far away look that seemed to hold the memories of many lives past.. and the understanding of a  million souls..and then he spoke a melodious yet deep voice in Hindi.."Who are you Beti "( daughter)..? He asked.. I said I was a  student  and wanted to meet the old sage' Rishi.
.( Babaji) . He laughed  affectionately and patted my head. At that moment i did not realize who he was.but I felt a strange peace in my aching heart that day..it was just a few months since I had lost my dad and the pain in me was every acute.. 
I went back many many times..At first I thought it was because of the beautiful temple..the open fields ..the lake....the tall trees and the many birds and animals that lived here in harmony..and then I realized that it was mostly because of Babaji that I traveled so far every week.. I never asked him for boons or miracles..I did not seek supernatural phenomena or prophesies and such stuff..I went there because whenever I met him I felt such a Glow of happiness and Peace that it filled my heart and my mind and my thoughts and that feeling  would stay with me for many days . There was as feeling of strength as if no one could  ever hurt, or harm or bother me..no situation was ever too much and no darkness ever too dark to bear. No one could  touch my heart and give me the kind of peace the way Baba did. I went to him alone on my Motorbike almost weekly since the first meeting in  June 1991. Like others I stood in line and waited my turn Each meeting would only last for  about 10 to 15 minutes . He would sit before the `Homa Kunda' and ask me about my day..I would smile and share some thoughts and he would close his eyes , take up some of the sacred ash and Pray. It was an intensely spiritual experience for me which would leave me full of Peace and a deep Happiness.in those moments when he woud sit before me and mediate.I could almost feel a peace that would show me my yesterdays..my Todays and Tomorrows..The peace was so powerful in that room and even the ground seemed to vibrate with a divine strength. Little birds would fly in and out of the room and Babaji's pet puppies or cats would come up to him and sit on his lap and he would speak is a deep and calm voice to the person who was with him and his eyes would be filled with so much of Peace and compassion and divinity. In 1994 I began to write for the news papers ...and one day I  summoned up enough courage to ask him for an interview to write about his life..Over many weeks he told me his story in short interviews and also sent me to meet his Biographer Mr Shashi Bhushan Mittal of Pune who was then writing a detailed account of his life.. Mr Mitthal was very helpful and told me of many incredible incidents and gave me many rare photographs of Babaji each of which I have kept carefully till this day. Miithal knew Baba since the 60's when Baba was an unknown Monk living alone in the wilderness.

The Maha Gayatri Yagna at Ramdara, Babaji with The Holy Pontiffs Sancrachayas at Ramdara 1981.

My first feature story on Dhundi Baba was published in the Pune Newsline section of Indian Express in 1995 and that was followed by several features in the Maharashtra Herald where I worked as News reporter and Feature Writer for a few years before I came to Canada. ( There was a joke amongst my Editors at our  paper M.H..They would often remark that the crime reporter and the `Religious News'' reporter were one and the same person since I also covered the Crime beat) No one knew at any given time whether I was in a Temple or at a Crime Scene..my life had so many extremes. But my Faith in God and trust in Sri Dhundi Baba made it all worthwhile..
In Time many of my Editors who were rationalists and not into anything spriritual actually made the trip to Ramdara along with many of my friends, fellow reporters. Often, My Mother and even my Grandfather  came along on different occassions.
Mr Shashi Bhushan's Book in Marathi and My first  small booklet outlining a synopsis of Babaji's life in English was published in 1996 during the last Gayatri Mantra Homa ceremony and Bhandara which was held in November 1996. Babaji was saying goodbye to all who loved him..In 1998 Sri Dhundi Baba visited Argentina and South America as a Guest of an ardent Argentinian Devotee. Baba Installed an Image of Shiva there and met many  many people in Argentina and South  America during his short stay of a few weeks .Baba was almost 88 years old at that time and travelled in his simple saffron robes of an Indian  Monk, carrying his staff, and wearing his wooden sandals. Yet he won the hearts of many in a far away part of the world though he did not speak their language nor they his. Mysterious are the ways of God and those who Love him..
In 2001 as I was leaving for Canada I went to meet him two days before I left. That was the last time I saw him on June 9th 2001..On July 2nd 2002.. Shri  10008 Devi Puri Maharaj of Ramdrara Tirtha kShetra passed away.He was 92 years old at that time...
They say that thousands of people jammed the streets to Ramdara that day and night as the news of his passing spread like wild fire through the cities and villages and hamlets.They all came to pay their last respects and see that beloved 'Father' who had been their All in All, Beloved parent, Teacher, Spiritual Anchor and Guide all their lives..
 His Mortal remains were were laid to rest at the Samadhi by the Doors of the Temple he built ..The temple and hermitage of Ramadara stand to this day...
Some " Sadhus' from Ujjain and Junnagadh now reside there.....
The legacy of  Holy men and women cannot be measured by counting the Temples they build or the miracles they perform , the Books they write or the Lives they touch..Their Thoughts and Actions their Prayers and Sacrifices their Lives and even their Deaths have a wonderful meaning... from the moment of their very birth they  give the world a Treasure Chest of  Wonderful seeds of Pure Divinity that" Defuse' the 'Poison" of Hate and violence and enmity every where just the way Sri Dhundi Baba ' defused the Violence and enmity that is the ' Nature' of many wild animals and they lived in peace and affection on his  sacred Ashram Land...
Though the World often chooses to Highlight the crimes of hate and negativity that is seen around us..Unseen and Unheard there are thousands of Divine Men and Women everywhere of every faith who bring great Peace and Positive energy to the world around. Some like Babaji lived alone in a Far Away spot..the world saw his " light' and sought him..Some like the Monks and Nuns of the Ramakrishna and Sarada Missions and  Mother Teresa... go out and serve the poorest of people as the ' Children of God.'wherever they are and who ever they are..It is these " Souls of Peace, Love, Light  and Truth' who lead and show us the Noble and High Path towards the final goal in Life..
Here in far away Canada whenever I am sad or homesick I just think of those days.and of Babaji and Ramdara and I can hear the Temple bells ring across the far away shores of the lake and see his beautiful smile that could light up a thousand Lives and  My heart fills with a glow..and  a light of happiness that gives me courage and strength to Live my life as he would have wished I should have..with a strong Faith in a God above and within and a purpose. And  never losing the ability to Trust...to  Feel..to Give and to Love.....Baba you will always be  a part of that serene paradise where many such as I would find peace and respite from our worldly lives and your memories will live forever in my heart.! .
Acknowledgements. The story of Sri Dhundi Baba is based on my personal conversations with him who is also known as Sri 1008 Devi Puri Maharaj. I met him many many times during the period from1991 to 2001  I  also had the honor of meeting many of his devotees and admirers and observed and witnessed and experienced many things in Baba's company and at Ramdara myself.  I also owe much to my  meetings  with  Mr Shashibhushan Mittal who has written his Biography in Marathi. Mr Mitthal researched many of the facts from their very sources and has provided documentations, photographs and fist person accounts from individuals and witnesses who knew Babji from his early days.
The book is available at Ramdhara Pune district India.
and as Baba would have said to all this.... Oam Namah Narayana!
By Lipi Mukherji
lipiwriter@gmail.com
All rights reserved.

The unknown Monk who shook the world : Swami Vivekananda. January 12th 1863 - Forever.

On the 27th of January 2015, the American President Barack Obama delivered a stirring speech in the Indian Parliament which was very well received by most Indians. Amongst the great Indians he spoke about was a Man who had traveled alone and almost penniless more than a century ago to America..as an Unknown Monk at the World Parliament of Religions.. : The American President referred to that monk in this paragraph which is part of his speech at Siri Fort in New Delhi India..
 President Obama :"The strength of India—the very idea of India—is its embrace of all colors, castes and creeds. It’s the diversity represented in this chamber today. It’s the richness of faiths celebrated by a visitor to my hometown of Chicago more than a century ago—the renowned Swami Vivekananda. The Swami said that, “holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character.” 
Who was this Swami and how had he made his `debut' into the World that day in 1893? He was Swami Vivekananda..
He stood alone...Young and handsome..darker skinned than most of the audience, Yet with an aura ,grace and the strength of a Lion amongst men...His handsome face was calm and smiling..his eyes were large and lotus shaped...He wore what seemed to  be the most strange outfit they had ever seen..Saffron flowing robes and  a Turban on his head .. and then his eyes flashed with a brilliant light and he spoke..in a Voice and with words that woke up not just the audience and the people of America and the people of his far away India but to every open minded soul that has searched for Truth and honest spiritual understanding  anywhere in the world..

" Brothers and Sisters of America " were the first words that he said..The rest is History....Swami Vivekananda's Chicago Speeches -

He spoke of the  Truth. A Truth that is not Dogmatic , not limited to one Faith or one path or meant for the followers of any one Messiah....A truth meant as much as for the people of that day as it is today and now..and will be tomorrow..

That day was September 11  1893  Venue The World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago . His is a  message meant for those who have the courage to listen.  Almost prophetically he strongly spoke against and warned of the very fundamentalist mentality within world religions that would shake the world more than 100 years later to the day. Sept/11/2001
 No other man has had his works as plagiarized, his quotes as stolen and his thoughts as 'misappropriated' by writers and thinkers and self styled prophets and motivational speakers  especially many of whom are here  in the West . ( Any serious student of Swami Vivekananda's works who is also aware of what is being said  and written and claimed by Preachers and Teachers around the world will be able to see at once how Swami Vivekananda's teachings  and quotes  and even the stories of his very unique spiritual experiences and those of his Master Sri Ramakrishna have been misappropriated and plagiarized  by many " respected" teachers  both in the  East and in the West ).. 
Swami Vivek­a­nanda was born as Naren­dranath Datta on Jan­u­ary 12, 1863 in Cal­cutta India. In 1893, he trav­eled to the United States of Amer­ica to attend the first world’s Par­lia­ment of Reli­gions in Chicago to rep­re­sent the Most ancient Faith of the Vedas on September 11th..  When called upon by the pres­i­dent the Swami rose, and bow­ing men­tally to his spiritual ideal, he began: “Sis­ters and Broth­ers of Amer­ica.” Instantly, thou­sands among the audi­ence of seven thou­sand rose to their feet and clapped for full two minutes. Swami Vivekananda’s concluding remarks were as relevant in his day as it is today and even more so..His was a  message that would  openly point out the dangers of big­otry, fanati­cism, and sec­tar­i­an­ism. His mes­sage focused on the divin­ity of the soul, one­ness of exis­tence, unity in diver­sity, and har­mony of reli­gions, and not a sin­gle word of con­dem­na­tion of other reli­gions came from his lips. Overnight Vivek­a­nanda became a celebrity in America and  eventually through the Western world...as much as he would in India and the Eastern nations..
As a boy Naren­dranath prac­ticed med­i­ta­tion and would lose consciousnesses of his body. Dur­ing one of his expe­ri­ences, he saw a  Divine vision which he said was the Buddha incarnation... ( In time he also experienced all the great Truths and incarnations described by Sri Ramakrishna and even had a Christ experience on a Christmas eve before he became a Monk. )That is one of the reasons why Christmas eve and Christ are revered by Hindu Vedantists just as much as the ancient Hindu Gods are held as true and Divine.
Before falling asleep at nights, he used to see light between his eye­brows which would grow big­ger and big­ger until it engulfed his whole body. He was extremely intel­li­gent, and a very fast reader.

Despite his med­i­ta­tions and spiritual experiences, he was a rationalistic and agnostic. He never believed in the words of any­one unless it stood the test of ratio­nal inquiry or of his direct per­cep­tion. 

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa

Oneday when he was  a young University student on a suggestion from his English professor Hastie  he went to meet a Living Saint named Sri Ramakrishna who many spoke highly about. Sri ramakrishna lived near a temple in the village of Dakshineshwar near Calcutta. Narendra asked Sri Rama­kri­shna dur­ing one of his early meet­ings, Sir, have you seen God? The lat­ter answered: “Yes, cer­tainly. I have seen God. I have seen Him more tan­gi­bly than I see you.” That state­ment com­ing from a per­son who seemed to have direct eexperience of God made him eager to know more...Then on the next meeting Sri Ramakrishna   came out of his room and gen­tly touched him. Spell­bound, Vivekananda imme­di­ately per­ceived that every­thing in the world was indeed God. He had an incredible spiritual experience that filled him with awe, wonder, pure happiness and powerfully Divine understanding..  Return­ing home in a dazed state, he found the food, the plate, and peo­ple around him were all part of God. When he walked in the street, he saw that the cabs, the horses, the streams of peo­ple were all God infused.. While walk­ing in Corn­wal­lis Square he struck his head against the iron rail­ings to see if they were real or just a dream. Such a state lasted for sev­eral days, and he soon real­ized that the words of the spiritual Mas­ter were indeed true.

From now on he never doubted the verac­ity of his spiritual Master’s words on God and Vedanta, the reli­gion of one­ness. In fact it is this, the crown jewel of Vedanta which is pure Hinduism which he preached in the West. He never failed to impress on all peo­ple the moral impli­ca­tions of strength, unselfish­ness, fear­less­ness, and love that flow from God. Swami Vivekananda often said ‘If I have said any­thing orig­i­nal, noble and good, I owe it to him. Sri Ramakrishna’

 It is documented that the Sri Ramakrishna who had spent his entire life in intense spiritual discipline and had attained extraordinary heights of Realisation had offered to transmit all the 8 + 10 known supernatural powers ( Siddhis) described in the Vedas To Swami Vivekananda..and Swami had asked him of what use were these spiritual gifts?  "None at all" said Sri Ramakrishna.."These powers could  charm many and make almost all the world your followers when you Preach but finally Supernatural Powers do not lead to spirituality and God realization but just destruction of the one who uses them for himself. "
Sri Ramakrishna was testing Swamiji and Swami wisely declined to accept the `Gift of the Powers'.This is one of the reasons that the followers Sri Ramakrishna/ Swami Vivekananda do not ever seek or glorify ' miracles' and 'Super natural powers' as signs of spirituality but truly believe that Love and Peace and Genuine goodness and unselfishness ..of  constantly watchfulness of ones self and ones action is what takes each of us towards the truth.
 Once back in India, Swami Vivekananda embarked on a lec­ture tour through­out India, which can be read in a book, Lec­tures From Colombo to Almora. These lec­tures pro­vide us the patri­otic side of Swami Vivek­a­nanda, his love for his coun­try, which had remained under for­eign dom­i­na­tion for cen­turies. Said the patriot-saint Swami more than 100 years ago "What our coun­try now wants is mus­cles of iron and nerves of steel, gigan­tic will, which noth­ing can resist, which will accom­plish their pur­pose in any fash­ion, … That is what we want, and that can only be cre­ated, estab­lished, and strength­ened by under­stand­ing and real­iz­ing the ideal of Advaita, which means the ideal of one­ness of all. … Our aris­to­cratic ances­tors went on tread­ing the com­mon masses of our coun­try under­foot till they became help­less, till they for­got that they were human beings. … Let them [peo­ple] hear of the Atman—( Soul power ) that even the low­est of the low have the Atman within, who never dies and never is born—Him whom the sword can­not pierce, nor the fire burn, nor the air dry, immor­tal with­out begin­ning or end, the all-pure, omnipo­tent, and omnipresent Atman ( Soul).

Some of his most famous quotes of Swami Vivekananda :( to be updated)

.."We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far."Swami Vivekananda

"You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself."Swami Vivekananda

"Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached."Swami Vivekananda"

You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. " Swami Vivekananda"

There is no other teacher but your own soul."Swami Vivekananda

"Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin; to say that you are weak, or others are weak."

Swami Vivekananda

"When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state."Swami Vivekananda

In one word, this ideal is that you are divine.

Swami Vivekananda

Swamiji said about knowledge "The Entire Library of the Universe is within ourselves.No knowledge is outside of us".

Acknowledgements " Wikipedia, Vedanta Society of N Carolina. Ramakrishna Math Belur and Google images