“Pilgrimage does not end until one is realised…”

AKYA’s first pilgrimage — from Puri to Kolkata and accompanied by our beloved Guruji — was a joyous success. There were fifty participants including Guruji.

Day 1 (20 Jan) started after an inaugural talk and blessings by Paramahamsa Parjananandaji at the Annapurna dining hall of Balighai Ashram. An early lunch was organised especially for the pilgrimage participants and Baba explained the importance of pilgrimage – and the importance of not confusing a pilgrimage with a guided tour. Then in the afternoon we visited Totapuri Ashram, the famous Karar Ashram, Gurudham and Anandamayee Ma’s Ashram. Some of the highlights were the room at Karar Ashram where Shri Gurudev used to stay and had darshan of Babaji, the Samadhi mandir of Shriyukteswarji, Sanyal Mahasaya’s own temple and room, and Nanga Baba’s bedroom with his belongings still intact.

At Totapuri, under the tree where Shri Gurudev first reached Nirvikalpa Samadhi

After the visit, we had a surprise invitation to the Gita Jnanan Yangya seminar at Puri, organised by Prajnana Mission. All the pilgrims were made beautifully welcome by the Puri kriyavans and we had Mahaprasad of Lord Jaganantha for our dinner at the home of one of the devotees.

The following morning, on Day 2, we rose early on a foggy morning and took the 5-hour bus trip to the Pattamundai area to visit Guriji's birth place and the village in which he grew up. From there we moved on to Balashram for a wonderful lunch and some time visiting the wonderful children of Balashram. With their divine innocence and sweet smiles, they touched the hearts of all.

Day 3 was again an early start, breakfast in the presence of Prajnananandaji, and then off to the airport to catch a flight to Kolkata. Baba was with us in the flight and he mentioned that this is the first time he had travelled with so many kriyavans on the same flight. Upon arriving in Kolkata we visited Yoganandaji’s house, the attic in which he had darshan of Babaji and Krishna. One of Yoganandaji’s great grand daughters-in-law treated us with typical Bengali hospitality and shared many stories of Yoganandaji when he was young and when he returned back to India after his first 15 years in the US.

For the next three days, we visited many more important places connected to Kriya Yoga in the company of our own master. To mention a few: Lahiri Baba’s birthplace at Ghurni, Gurudev’s birthplace at Habibpur, the banyan tree and the Ganga ghat where Shriyukteswarji had Babaji’s darshan, Vivekanandaji’s birthplace, Dakshineswar Kali Temple, and Belur Math.

Everywhere we went people welcomed us with unconditional love and hospitality. The closing ceremony was at the Dakshineswar Temple where Baba gave a beautiful discourse and concluded the wonderful agenda. His concluding remarks were the pilgrimage does not end until one is realised.

May all live every moment in divine company and holy pilgrimage.