Wednesday, September 19, 2012

1 tapa old and still going strong!


Hindus across the world are celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi today. This also commemorates the beginning of Ganeshotsav or Festival of Ganesha which will go on for another 10 days. The entire city has been dressed up in bright lights and colors and people can be heard shouting “Ganpati Bappa Morya” as you walk down the road. Today, everybody is celebrating the Lord’s festival. And we aren’t far behind.

Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi has been a part of our family tradition and this year we complete 70 years. The practice that was started by my grandfather in 1942 was continued by my father and is now overlooked by me. Over the next one and a half day, our house will be open to anybody and everybody to seek the blessings of the Lord.

Apart from completing 7 decades of a family tradition, today is a special day for me because of another reason too. On this auspicious day today, I complete 12 years in the Art of Living family. It is said that 12 years equal 1 tapa and I’m glad to tell you that I’m successfully 1 tapa old now!

Lord Ganesha is the symbol of prosperity and good luck. Honestly, I couldn’t have agreed more. I’d set out on a road 12 years ago as a naive person who had no clue where his life was heading. But Lord Ganesha showered his blessings on me and guided me to that one soul, who would change my life forever. Maybe it was the result of a tradition that my previous two generations dedicatedly followed that I was chosen to be transformed into the person I am today.

The journey on this path has been extremely enriching. I’ve met scores of people, learnt loads of new things and still managed to dive deep inside myself. But all of this wouldn’t have been possible without one person, my guiding light and my master, Gurudeva Sri Sri Ravishankar ji. I’ve managed to stay on this path only and only because of him. I bow down to my Guru in reverence and seek his blessings and pray that I continue to do what I love doing the most, my Guru’s work.

I pray that on this auspicious day, everybody’s materialistic as well as spiritual life be enriched and uplifted.

Ganpati Bappa Morya!

Jai Gurudeva.

3 comments:

  1. 12 years...wow!!..indeed a tapa...and what a blessing to have been part of this tapa...:-)....its an honour bhaiyya, to be a witness and a part of it.

    and Ganesh Chaturthi at our place has been a revelation of a kind...once in a year, when every moment is so cherished...from the special varan bhat that aai makes to the mesmerising housefull day 1 satsang, its like the devi-devtas showering from the skies above!!...

    gives me goosebumps as my mind reminiscences of the beauty & grandeur!...what a post bhaiyya, jus gave nostalgia a whole new meaning..:-)

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  2. we both are celebrating our first tapa the most enjoyable years of my life amol.... seriously i am grateful to you for telling about my first basic course 12 years back.... love faith surrender was never in my life... so i was crying for the savior amul.... and u shown me the path.... and on which I walked and still happy peaceful journey is on....holding "His" hand very tightly with and in love n faith.....
    lots of love ...... amul...

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