  | Celebration Days
Why do we celebrate May 17th at Tapovan?We celebrate May 17th here at Tapovan as it is the birth date of Parama Sadguru Shree Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkot, Kalki Avatar. Shree was born on Thursday May 17, 1918 in the small railway town of Kharagpur in the Midnapur district of West Bengal, India just after midnight at 12.42am. The baby bore several special birthmarks which indicated His Divine birth. When His mother, Sonamata, examined the baby closely she was amazed to find on the small body the following marks:
Similar marks were to be found on the bodies of Lord Parshuram and Gautama, the Buddha. On Christmas day, December 25, 1941 Shree’s allotted task was revealed to Him by the Will of Almighty Father. Lord Jesus’ birthday is celebrated on December 25th. The only sermon He gave to His disciples, known as "Sermon on the Mount" was given on May 17. So one can say that Jesus’ birthday, 25th December, is Shree’s Bodhi day (illumination for the sake of the world) and Shree’s birthday, May 17, is the day on which Jesus gave illumination to the world by conveying His message. Both these days are celebrated every year in Tapovan.
Why do we celebrate Dassera at Tapovan?The festival of Dassera is little known outside of India. It occurs on the tenth day after the new moon day of the Hindu month of Ashwin, which usually falls some time in September or October. Dassera is also known as Vijaya Dashmi. On this day in 1944 (which according to the western calendar, fell on 27th September), Parama Sadguru Shree Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkot, Kalki Avatar, took the most potent vow at the feet of His Guru, Lord Parshuram, the Eternal Avatar: "I will resuscitate Vedas."The full impact of this epoch-making event may not dawn on humanity for several decades. Six years earlier in 1938, at the age of only 20 years, Shree took over the responsibility for Balappa Math (monastery) in Akkalkot, which was to become His abode for the next 46 years. Six days before that fateful day in 1944 (i.e. 21st September), just a few months after His 26th birthday, Shree was blessed with the darshan (holy presence) of Lord Parshuram in the Math itself. During His visit Lord Parshuram pointed out to Shree four dogs nearby which seemed to be suffering from starvation and whose condition was lamentable. Then immediately afterwards the Lord asked for Guru Dakshina (Gurus traditionally ask of their disciples a fee of some kind in return for their teachings and guidance). Shree realized that these four dogs were symbolic of the four Vedas whose present pitiable state in the eyes of mankind encompasses the two extremes of self-serving distortion and abject oblivion. Shree further realized that the Guru Dakshina asked of Him by Lord Parshuram was not what we would normally understand in worldly transactions, but rather resuscitation of Vedas from their present deplorable condition. By the time Shree realized what His Guru was asking of Him, Lord Parshuram had disappeared from the Math. Shree decided that He would take a vow of resuscitation of Vedas which He did that very day. However, He became agitated on reflection of the momentous event which had transpired that day. For three days thereafter He was plagued with the recurring thought that once He had grasped the meaning of His Guru, it would have been good had He taken the vow then and there in the presence of His Lord. Finally at the end of these three days He decided to observe silence for the next three days and break it only by uttering the vow on Vijaya Dashmi (Dassera) three days hence. He also resolved to make a draft of the exact text of the vow in order that the words should reflect precisely His intention. He furthermore affirmed that He would take the vow exactly at 9am. All preparations were made as per His decision prior to the occasion. On the morning in question, as Shree waited for the exact moment to arrive, suddenly Lord Parshuram re-appeared in the Math. Shree was filled with utmost joy, realizing that He would now be able to confirm this most powerful vow at the feet of His Guru. Exactly at 9am on Dassera, with full solemnity, Shree poured water over and put Tulsi (Sacred Basil) leaves on the holy feet of His Lord and Master and uttered the most potent vow: "I will resuscitate Vedas."On the same day after He had taken the vow, Sapta Shlokí (Seven Verses) were given to the world through Shree's instrument. Written in Sanskrit, Sapta Shlokí explain in simple terms the essence of Vedas. Its construction and choice of words clearly demonstrate that it is a Divine composition, since it is beyond human intellect to explain the essence of Vedas in so few words and yet in such simple and powerful language. Shree once explained that Sapta Shlokí was not actually composed like a typical poem, but it "descended" on the day He took the vow. Sapta Shlokí is recited daily by people from all over the globe after morning and evening Agnihotra. Shree once told one of His devotees, Mr S.K. Kulkarni from Pune: On another occasion Shree told another devotee, Sardeshmukh, who was
residing in the Math: At another time Shree paraphrased the same message to S.K. Kulkarni, in a
voice full of authority: On yet another occasion Shree said in reference to the tremendous change
which resulted when He took the vow: Interestingly enough, this particular date has been foretold as being significant long time back. One Indian saint by name Surdas, a poet who was blind from birth, foretold the event in a poem written in old Hindi language. In that poem he declares that in the year "Samvat 2,000" the time wheel will change and the whole world will experience the re-establishment of Satya Dharma. This refers to the date Vikram Samvat 2,000 of the Hindu calendar which corresponds to the year 1944 AD of the western almanac. And again another well-known saint from Maharashtra state in India, Swami
Ramdas, told his disciples: So this Vijaya Dashmi day in 1944 is arguably the most important day mankind has witnessed for the past several thousand years. From this day Satya Dharma has been re-established by the power and will of the Kalki Avatar. The sun has clearly risen on a New Era. Sunrise was that particular day. That day saw the close of the previous Age of Darkness which had lasted several millennia and the birth of the new Golden Age. The new almanacs and calendars will no doubt be reckoned from that date.
Why do we celebrate Christmas at Tapovan?December 25 is an important date in the life of Parama Sadguru Shree Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkot, Kalki Avatar, known universally as Shree. Shree wrote no books and hence we will have to rely on His rare personal letters written to a few close devotees for some insight into the importance of December 25th. In an excerpt from one letter written to Shri Bhausaheb Peshkar of Bombay,
Shree states: Shree was born on May 17, 1918. On Christmas day, December 25, 1941 Shree’s allotted task was revealed to Him by the Will of Almighty Father. Lord Jesus’ birthday is celebrated on December 25th. The only sermon He gave to His disciples, known as "Sermon on the Mount" was given on May 17. So one can say that Jesus’ birthday, 25th December, is Shree’s Bodhi day (illumination for the sake of the world) and Shree’s birthday, May 17, is the day on which Jesus gave illumination to the world by conveying His message. Both these days are celebrated every year in Tapovan.
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