Her Holiness Shree Mataji Nirmala Devi We all will surely recall that Her Holiness Shree Mataji Nirmala Devi had Herself led several batches of Sahaja Yogis from all over the world on two week long tours of Maharashtra, the land of the Adi Kundalini and Asht Vinayaka Swayambhus. We are seeking to keep alive this practice started by Her Holiness Shree Mataji Nirmala Devi. This year Maharashtra Tour is being organized to collectively visit and enjoy the vibrations at places with spiritual history and traditions along with natural beauty in the Holy land of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Tour December 17-22, 2017: 5N/6D : Lonavala- 1N, Pune-3N, Kolhapur-1N Day Start from Main places to be visited Night stay Kms 8.00AM Dadar Shri Siddhivinayaka Temple Lonavala 120 Dec17. West and Shri Mahalaxmi Temple 2017 Mumbai at Mumbai Sunday Dec18,2017 Lonavala Ashtavinayakas : Shri Pune 260 Monday Ballaleshwer -Pali & Shri Varad Vinayak -Mahad Dec 19, Pune Ashtavinayakas : Shri Pune 221 2017 Girijatmaj - Lenyadri & Shri Tuesday Vighneshwar -Ozar Dec 20, Pune Ashtavinayakas : Shri Pune 378 2017 Mahaganapati - Wednesday Ranjangaon & Shri Chintamani -Theur Dec 21 Pune Ashtavinayakas : Shri Kolhapur 378 2017 Siddhivinayaka - Thursday Siddhatek & Shri Moreshwar -Morgaon Dec 22, Kolhapur Shri Mahalaxmi Devi Temple Tour ends 156 2017 & Shri Maha Ganesha Drop at Nirmal Friday Swayambhu at Nagari Ganapatipule Ganapatipule Dinner and Stay arrangements for December 22, 2017 will be made by the organisers of the International Sahaja Yoga Seminar at Nirmal Nagari, Ganapatipule. Tour cost Includes: Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Tea/coffee on all days. Vegetarian Food, (occasional non vegetarian) Bus journey, entry fees at all destinations. Transport in Push Back 2x2 Air-Conditioned Buses Services of Tour manager Hotel accommodation: 5 nights Hotel accommodation in twin/double or (triple sharing only in exceptional circumstances) with attached toilets in 2 or 3 star hotels Tour Cost does not include : Insurance, Telephone expenses, Laundry, Mineral water (Regular water would be served in hotels), any misc. expenses, any Pre and post Tour hotel accommodation and airport transfers. Arrangements for the tour has been outsourced to Veena World (M/s Veena Patil Hospitality Pvt Ltd) an Indian Travel Company (for details about the tour operator visit www.veenaworld.com) Registration : Particulars Total in INR Total in USD Total in EURO Per person Twin Sharing 25400 400 330 (Inclusive of Government taxes) Note: For indicative purposes, at closing rate of USD / INR of Rs. 65.2832 and EURO/INR of Rs. 77.3036 on September 25, 2017. Above Tour cost in INR, USD & Euro should be remitted in the below mentioned respective accounts: Ashtavinayaka: Ojhar, Theur, Pali, Mahad, Morgaon, Ranjangaon, Lenyadri, Siddhatek Presiding Deity: Ganapati or Vinayak Special Feature: Self Formed Idols (Swayambhus) Vinayak is another name for Ganesh. Ganesh is the God who is loved and worshiped by Hindus all over. Lord Ganesh is the protector of his devotees. The word 'Ashta' means eight, the eight important 'Ganapatis' are collectively termed the 'Ashtavinayaka'. It is believed that the idols have self-appeared sculpted stone statues which have been housed in old temples at eight different places. The Ashtavinayak temples are within the range of 20 to 110-km of each other. Out of these eight places, Ojhar, Theur, Morgaon, Ranjangaon and Lenyadri are in Pune district. Pali and Mahad are in Raigad district whereas Siddhatek falls under the Ahmednagar district. SPEECH OF HER HOLINESS SHREE MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI (Rahuri, Maharashtra, India, 7 January 1983) “….Whatever one says about this land of Maharashtra, which is like the support of Ganesha is believed to have saved his boy-devotee, Ballala, who was beaten by local villagers and his father (Kalyaniseth) for his single- minded devotion to him. Shri Ballaleshwar, Pali :The original wooden temple was reconstructed in to a stone temple by Nana Phadanavis in 1760AD. There are two small lakes constructed on two sides of the temple. One of them is reserved for the puja (worship) of the deity. This Temple faces the east and has two sanctums. The inner one houses the idol and has a Mushak (rat idol) with Modak in his forepaws in front of it. The hall, supported by eight exquisitely carved pillars demands as much attention as the idol, sitting on throne carved like a Cyprus tree. The eight pillars depict the eight directions. Inner sactum is 15 feet tall and outer one is 12 feet tall. The temple is constructed in such a way that after the winter (Dakshinayan : southward movement of the sun) solstice, the sun rays fall on the Ganesha idol at sunrise. The temple is built with stones which are stuck together very tight using melted lead. Like a few other idols, this one too has diamonds embedded din the eyes and navel, & with his trunk pointing to the left. The temple is located three kilometers off the Pune-Mumbai highway near Khopoli Ganesha is said to reside here in the form of Varada Vinayaka, the giver of bounty and success. The idol was found in the adjoining lake (in 1690 AD). In 1725 AD the then Kalyan subhedar, built the Varadavinayak temple and the village of Mahad. The idol faces the east, has its trunk to the left and has been in the constant company of an oil lamp - said to be burning continuously since 1892. There are 4 elephant idols on 4 sides of the temple. the hall is 8feet by 8 feet. The dome is 25 feet high and is golden at the top. The dome has designs of cobra. This is the only temple where devotees are allowed to personally pay their homage and respects to the idol. They are allowed in the immediate vicinity of this idol to perform their prayers. Location : 430 kms from Mumbai SPEECH OF HER HOLINESS SHREE MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI (Delhi, India, 27 January 1983) Shri Vighneshwar, Ojhar Location : 185 kms from Mumbai SPEECH OF HER HOLINESS SHREE MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI (9 December 1973) “After Nanak Sahab, around 50-60 years ago in our Maharashtra, Dattatreya incarnated as Saibaba of Shirdi.” SPEECH OF HER HOLINESS SHREE MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI. (Switzerland, 2 September 1984) Shri Mahaganapati, Ranjangaon Location: 147 Kms from Mumbai SPEECH OF HER HOLINESS SHREE MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI (Sydney, Australia, 1981) "And these ten sustenances are represented by great prophets. The principle is called as Adi Guru, in Sanskrit language, the Primordial Master. He has incarnated on this earth as Abraham, Moses, as Lao Tse, as Confucius, as Socrates, recently he has been as Sai Nath of Shirdi... All these great saints came on this earth to tell us how to keep in the centre, how to keep in the centre, how to keep our sustenance, how to be human beings. As carbon has got four valances, we too have got ten valances. We have to maintain those ten valances within us, that's what they came to tell us. " Shri Chintamani, Theur Location: 170 Kms from Mumbai km Shri Siddhivinayak, Siddhatek Location: 260 Kms from Mumbai One of the "Ashtavinayakas" Shri Siddhi Vinayak at Siddhatek is situated on the banks of Bhima River. Lord Brahma once created a world with Ganpati's blessings and while this was going on, Vishnu woke up and two fierce demons Madhu and Kaitaba escaped from his ears. Vishnu fought with them for 5000 years,then Lord Shiva pointed out that Vishnu had started without worshipping Ganpati, so Vishnu invoked Ganpati on Siddhatek hill and , destroyed the demons successfully and consecrated the spot SPEECH OF HER HOLINESS SHREE MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI (New York, USA, 29 October 1982) “So it's a country where, Maharashtra is a place where great things have happened. So it is called as Maharashtra. Maha means the great, rashtra means nation, the great nation. And in that area Sahaja Yoga is settled down the best.” SPEECH OF HER HOLINESS SHREE MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI (Satara, Maharashtra, India, 28 December 1986) Location: 227 Kms from Mumbai The Mayureshwar or Moreshwar temple is along the Karha river in the Morgaon village. A temple that looks like a tiny fort from a distance, is situated at a distance of 56 km from Pune in the Baramati Taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra. Shaped as a peacock, this region has in the past seen an abundance of peacocks and is therefore known as Morgaon (Mor - peacock). The idol of Lord Ganesha, riding a peacock, in the form of Mayureshwara is believed to have slain the demon Sindhu at this spot. The idol, with its trunk turned to the left, has a cobra poised over it protecting it. However, this is not the original idol -which is said to have been consecrated twice by Brahma, once before & once after being destroyed by the demon Sindhurasur. The original idol, smaller in size and made of atoms of sand, iron & diamonds was supposedly enclosed in Copper sheet by the Pandavas and is placed behind the one that is worshipped. SPEECH OF HER HOLINESS SHREE MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI (America Tour, 16 September 1983) Shri Mahalaxmi Swayambhu, Kolhapur Location: 383 Kms From Mumbai You don't think about it. I have deliberately avoided the name. He was born again and was pitched out. So this is the place where Kolhasura was killed, where this was established. So Mahalakshmi's incarnation came in and that's how this place has a special value that we have come here for a pilgrimage and let us be in humble way this about it.” Ganapatipule Location: 360 kms from Mumbai SPEECH OF HER HOLINESS SHREE MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI (Ganapatipule, Maharashtra, India, 1 January 1986) Ganesha at Mooladhara becomes Mahaganesha in the Virata, that is the brain...