– K. C. Kuttiettan Raja, Kottakkal, Kerala
Two decades back, I did not hear or know anything about Divine Mother Rama Devi. Later, from my wife Leela, I came to hear and know something about Her, Her divinity and Her spiritual activities. My wife from her early days grew up as a Sreekrishna Bhakta, and that bhakti later turned into an ardent devotion to Divine Mother. She had to suffer in her early days of wedded life much mental and physical pain and other difficulties, living with me in the orthodox set up and old fashioned way of a joint family. As a God-send, a Nambudiri Brahmin lady came to her and advised her to chant the Navakshari Mahamanthra and to take refuge at the Feet of Divine Mother Rama Devi. Soon, Leela had the darshan of Divine Mother, and this contact with Mother was a turning point in her life. From that day of contact with Mother, the misery and monotony of life vanished and she started getting happiness and joy. But despite this wonderful change in my wife, I remained skeptical and was not prepared to believe it.
It was at last in the early sixties, when I was living at Trichur during the Navarathri festival holidays that I happened to visit Sree Rama Devi Mandir at Poonkunnam. During the school days, my wife and I, with our children, used to visit Trichur and spend the vacation there in my mother-in-law’s house. My wife would regularly visit the Mandir dedicated to the worship of Divine Mother Rama Devi. One day I accompanied her to the Mandir. It was the evening prayer time there and the Mandir was full of devotees. The bhajan was in progress. Mother’s Vigraha was shining bright at the altar in the halo of lighted deepams. Smeared with sandal paste and decorated with rose, jasmine and Tulsi garlands, the vigraha was very attractive. After the bhajan, Lalitha ashtothara recitation and archana started. Barrister T. N. K. Nayar, the first President of Rama Sakti Mission, was doing the archana. His chanting, archana and waving of arati to the deity, all produced such a fervour of devotion in the heart of every one that I could feel a vivid presence of the Divine throughout the Mandir. It was an auspicious evening hour. Outside, the Nature was all calm. The setting sun gave a golden and crimson colour to the floating clouds as well as to everything down on the earth. The burning wicks, the electrical illuminations, the pleasing scent of the incense, the chorus of devotional songs, the ringing of the temple bells and the blowing of conch, all these had soul-elevating effect. ‘And even those who came to scoff remained to pray’. To me, it was an unforgettable experience. I felt as though I was in front of the Lord of Guruvayur during the Deeparadhana time. I have no words to express my feelings and to describe the nature of experience I had that day. And, in the end, when that universal prayer “Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu” was intoned, my mind wandered to those years of yore when our forefathers prayed on the banks of Ganga and Sindhu. I could not control the tears that gushed forth from my eyes. Mother’s Vigraha with all the floral decorations and adornments, captivated me so much that I stood rooted to the ground, forgetful of everything else. That day was really a turning point in my life. Prayers and arati over, prasad was distributed to all. Mr. T. N. K. Nayar and his pious wife introduced me to Divine Mother’s spiritual movement.
Years passed and I did not have the occasion to have a darshan of Divine Mother. Mother was in those days living at the far off Ahmednagar and we were not in a position to go to such a distant centre. Soon the all-knowing Divine Mother gave me an opportunity to have Her darshan. Mother was returning to Mangalore from Ahmednagar via Madras, in view of the inauguration of Shakti Nagar which was to take place very soon. We went to Tirur Railway station on getting the information that Mother would be travelling by Madras-Mangalore Mail. There were more than 30 people from Kottakkal, mostly women and children, in our group. As the train steamed in, we crowded near Mother’s compartment. That was a moment of ecstasy for most of us, the moment that blessed us with the darshan of Parashakty. With beaming face wreathed in smiles, Mother raised Her hands in blessing. Before the train moved out slowly, a packet of banana chips and some jasmine garlands sanctified by Mother were given to us by Mother Herself. That was the first prasadam I received directly from Mother’s hands. This incident strengthened my faith and my devotional bond with Divine Mother. The era of scepticism was over.
We, Leela and I, used to get letters from Mrs. T. N. K. Nayar who used to give us thrilling accounts of Divine Mother’s glory and life in Shakti Nagar. Moved by those letters, we made a pilgrimage trip to the abode of Divine on earth, Shakti Nagar. We stayed in Shakti Nagar for three days, absorbed in contemplation of Mother’s saguna leelas and enjoying Her love and basking in Her grace. On the last day morning, when we were getting ready to take leave of the Campus, Divine Mother Sree Rama Devi quite unexpectedly gave us darshan. Mother instructed the devotees not to crowd in but to present before Her in Que form. When my turn came, Mrs. T. N. K. Nayar introduced me to Her. Mother smiled at me and tenderly advised me to have full faith and trust in Her. She recited a sloka in the Bhagavad Gita which was the Lord’s call to surrender. With eyes filled with tears and heart overflowing with sublime emotion, I fell prostarte before Mother. That blessed day united my heart with the Mother of the Universe for all times to come. I became Her child and devotee. My spiritual life started.
A month passed and we again got the opportunity of visiting Shakti Nagar, this time for participating in the momentous sadhana sessions for Malayalees. A week’s stay in that divine abode engaged in sadhana and absorbed in the bliss of Mother’s sannidhya mahima, was indeed a memorable phase in life, for it was during this period that Leela and I were blessed with Brahmopadesha by Divine Mother, along with many other devotees. Our happiness, joy and satisfaction knew no bounds. We opened a new leaf in our lives and began to follow Mother’s tenets and teachings in our day to day life. Great was the mental peace and strength we got after the upadesha.
It was Mother’s immense grace that drew us to Her fold. To-day, our home is a shrine of peace dedicated to the worship of our great Guru and Saviour, Sree Rama Devi.