Early in the 90’s India captivated my heart and has since continued to call me to her, year after year. I once lived in the Middle East, on the island of Bahrain, in the Arabian Gulf and it was from here that I planned many excursions to India, as we were almost neighbours it seemed the thing to do. But while I did travel to many lands the closest I ever came to walking upon the soil of this sacred land was for a few hours sitting upon the tarmac waiting for the plane to be refuelled on my way to the Far East. After I returned to Australia to live in the late eighties I often thought about India and how I still yearned to journey there.
I first heard about Babaji 34 years ago, he came into my life silently. No big fanfare, just on the lips of a friend. There were no dreams or inner calling to awaken to the energy of this Divine Being …. he entered so peacefully. In a conversation his name was spoken and then again the next year during a rebirthers training I was invited to attend early one morning to experience the aarti, a song of devotion to Haidakeswari (the Universal Mother). It was an interesting occasion hearing Sanskrit sung for the first time. I liked it sure but can’t say I was exactly moved by it.
And yet a year later I found myself boarding a plane and heading to India. I didn’t know then but this was to be the first of many journeys I would make to this amazing country. That first visit I went to Sri Haidakhan Babaji’s ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas for a great celebration in honour of the Divine Mother.
And who is this Babaji …. Paramahansa Yogananda called him Mahavatar Babaji, the “Yogi-Christ of modern India”. He is a great manifestation of the Divine, who has a history of appearing in flesh-and-blood human form throughout the course of human civilisation to help humankind understand, experience and achieve its relationship to the Divine.
We were joined by many spiritual aspirants and fellow travellers from around the globe, all journeying to this divine place for the opportunity of deepening their connection with their own sacred Self and Experiencing deep spiritual growth. Many great musicians came also, including Nina Hagen and Turkantam from Europe. This was my first introduction to chanting with live music and here in the Indian mountains I was hooked from the first note! Sitting in a temple surrounded by like minded individuals joyously singing the divine name took be to states of bliss.
No journey to India is complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal, the famous Mogul memorial built for love. Here I had an unforgettable experience of watching the sun’s rays changing the colour of the marble monument while a double rainbow sat in the sky above.
India is a unique world that opens up all the senses. The rich vibrant colours, sounds that resonate through the heart, exotic aromas and scents. The fragrance of the burning incense that takes you within immediately, all this beauty and the unshakable faith in the supreme existence of the divine as Goddess and God make India an unforgettable place not to be missed and to be revisited with the same joy and enthusiasm time after time.