Ive been here at Mayavati for two and a half months now, and am about to get in the car to leave on the first leg of my journey back to Belur Math, outside of Kolkata. For those of you who dont know, Mayavati is the location of our Advaita Ashrama, where I lived for five years in the late 70s and early 80s, one of my favorite places on earth. It is located in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, a state in North India. Kumaon is unique culturally, and geographically beautiful, bordered by Tibet in the north and Nepal to the east and the Tehri-Garhwal area to the west. While here I went to Devidhura, a mountain town between Mayavati Almora, for a unique annual festival. The temple, is dedicated to Vārāhī Devi, an aspect of the Divine Mother associated with Mother Earth. The temple is very old (not the building itself but the location and tradition of worship). In the first photo you see the main temple. Next is a recent structure built to hold VIP spectators for the main spectacle at the festival. It was announced over the loudspeakers that Swamis from the Mayavati Ashram had come, and we were given seats on the very top of the structure so we could see all. In the next couple of photos you see the beginnings of the crowds and celebrations. Next Ill post some more photos, and explain what the spectacle is.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 04:24:28 +0000
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