by Bharati Abrol, Netherlands
A Magical Beginning
We had safely and joyfully arrived at the Maha Kumbh Mela. Our journey—Maanish, Karin, and me—went smoothly. Along the way, we unexpectedly passed by the Triveni Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Saraswati, and Yamuna. Just in time, we witnessed thousands of lamps being lit, their glittering reflections off the holy waters. Boats carried countless devotees along the river, immersing them in the serene beauty of the dancing lights.
A renowned saint passed by with his followers, briefly locking eyes with my husband. Karin and I missed him. We only saw his photograph at his ashram-like encampment on the banks of the Ganga. When he had passed by, our attention was drawn elsewhere—to the breathtaking spectacle of the rivers and the sheer magic of experiencing it all without any prior planning.
An Auspicious Arrival
Even more remarkable was our arrival at Mohanji Village, just as aarati was beginning—a warm, divine welcome. I was drawn straight to Shirdi, feeling the need to express my gratitude. Only shortly before our trip had we finally decided to come, uncertain whether we could, as our daughter was expecting her first child in January. We didn’t know how things would unfold or whether she would need us.
During the aarati, Mohanji appeared, waiting near the Shirdi temple for the satsang to begin. It was the perfect moment to meet him. What a blessing! We had just arrived, the only car that afternoon to avoid the massive traffic jams, and Mohanji was there immediately. And I was able to meet him!
The Mind’s Games
But then… the mind took over.
Mohanji’s welcome felt somewhat distant. My thoughts raced: Was it me? I had been too preoccupied with reading his reaction, too hesitant to openly show my joy. And, of course, he was merely reflecting.
Determined to shift my energy, I walked back and asked if I could give him a hug. And I was allowed!
The synchronicities, the warmth—it all felt so perfect. And that’s not even mentioning the countless hugs from other devotees and from Devi. We had made it in time for satsang. It was incredible. Yet, my mind had its own agenda. The hug wasn’t warm enough, it whispered. Something must be wrong with me. We were not staying in Mohanji Village itself but in another location, arranged for late registrants to ensure that everyone could attend. I should feel grateful, I told myself. But expectations and comparisons have a way of making life difficult. Of course, I didn’t let these thoughts take over completely. But have you ever tried ignoring a screaming child? You can’t. Their cries pierce your ears. Better to comfort the child. Once it feels safe, it will listen to wisdom.
A Message of Self-Love
During the satsang, Mohanji said: Give yourself a hug. You are the most important person in your life. You are the VVIP of your life. Hesitantly, I did. Mentally. But first, I had to dig through the familiar pile of self-judgment—the one that insists that I should have resolved this by now, that I’m too old for this repeating story, that it’s not spiritual at all.
That doesn’t help, though. It never does. So instead, I reminded myself: Give that inner child a hug, Bharati. And mean it.
A Birthday Message from Mohanji
I later stumbled upon this older birthday quote from Mohanji, which felt like a divine reassurance: BRING ME YOUR HEARTS ❤️❤️❤️
“When people bring me material gifts, I receive them with gratitude, though I may not always know what to do with them, and I eventually give them away. But I always ask people to bring me their hearts—filled with love, uniquely theirs, genuine, and priceless. Leave them with me, and I shall take good care of them, keeping them safe always. I never give any hearts away.” ~ Mohanji
That was the message I needed. The heart is what matters.
Letting Go Through Rituals
The next day, the story continued. Sitting at the sacred homa, performed by Rajesh Kamath, we got the instruction to have a theme for each day and make the most out of this retreat by offering our deepest issues to the water of the Ganges, to the fire of the homa, during the aarati to Shirdi Sai, and so on. I offered my fear of anger and misunderstanding to the fire, and when I dove deeper, I felt that it all came down to a lack of self-confidence—probably inherited from my parents. I felt a surge of power through my third chakra.
A Divine Encounter or a Lesson in Disguise?
Something very special happened that morning that turned out to be special in a different way than I expected. I was near the gate to Mohanji Village, helping a devotee who was in charge of decorating the area.
Two sadhus in colourful attire had just finished their meals, offered by Mohanji family members, and were about to leave the place. One of them asked me for 500 rupees for annadaan for the poor. I learned from the book ‘Baba’ to especially be alert at holy places, for we never know who resides in their form, so I gave it to him without hesitation. To feel blessed when asked something from a holy person is imbedded in my spiritual education, and I took the two sadhus for holy people, invited to Mohanji’s Village.
One of the sadhus folded the 500 rupee note and motioned me to open my hand, saying, ‘Ashirwad’ (blessing). I was happy to learn that he was not going for the money but wanted to return the rupee note to me as a special blessing instead. I felt elated to be the recipient of such a selfless blessing.
He put the folded 500 rupee note in my open hand and asked me to close it. And then again to open it. To my utter surprise, there was no money in my hand, only a Shiva pendant! Bigger in size than the folded money. Shiva had come my way! How immensely special this was. Then he asked for 15000 rupees to nourish the saints and sages. He told me he came from Ujjain. Having been to Ujjain, I was familiar with the tradition of feeding the sannyasins. I told him I didn’t have that amount of money. So I gave him all the rupees I had left in my purse. Not thinking for a moment that he manipulated me because I was in an elated state. They blessed me again and left.
Mamu came my way and scolded me for giving money to the sadhus, telling me that Mohanji didn’t want that. He advised giving them food instead, but since they had finished their lunch, there was no need to give them anything, let alone money! I should have warned him or anybody from the organisation and should do so in case such a thing happened again. I was confused. I told him what I read in Baba and Miraculous Days and how I had understood it. How I innocently thought I had done the right thing.
That didn’t pacify him, and he asked me to carry no more than 100 rupees with me to gift to a sadhu if I really thought I needed to give something. Never show how much you have or give any more money. These were valuable lessons. I agreed and he left. A short while later, another core member of the Mohanji Village organisation appeared and gave me the same advice with similar intense emotion. So I knew the issue had reached all the top inner core people around Mohanji. By this time, I expected Mamu or Madhu to use this opportunity to warn all Mohanji Family members during the next meeting in the satsang hall. This happened exactly the same afternoon when Madhu gave a speech.
I should have felt terrible by then, but I didn’t! I had offered all my fear of failure in the fire and the water and at Shirdi’s feet. Obviously, the elements had accepted them, at least for now. I knew that my intention had been pure and that I saw God in these men. The fact that they took advantage because they were clever magicians was their problem, but it was good that Mamu and Madhu warned others not to fall into the same trap. Because, as I learned later, these illusionists have many techniques for misdirection and tactile manipulation. And I assume they know exactly who is vulnerable to their magic. Knowing the rules of the ashram was also simply good. No reason for me to be upset. The ones who know me well know this is big-time progress for me.
The Ultimate Blessing: Dips in the Holy Ganga
Then came the highlight of our journey. Mohanji had announced that he would take dips with us on the 22nd. My dream was about to come true!
After translating the Inner Kora, Kailash with Mohanji, I came to understand the immense value of taking dips in holy water—something incredibly sacred in itself. But this was beyond anything I had imagined. We were not just talking about any sacred river, but the holiest of the holiest: the confluence of three divine rivers—Saraswati, Yamuna, and the sacred Ganga!
And not just on any day, but during the Maha Kumbh Mela, an event that happens only once in 144 years! And to top it all off, we would be taking these dips with Mohanji, who is beyond holy! How much grace can one possibly digest? (Well… digestion did become a problem later). I had seen pictures of Mohanji blessing devotees with the holy water during the most important snan days at the Kumbh and had deeply regretted missing that golden opportunity. How blessed those people had been! Little did I know that Mohanji would not only accompany us but also personally bless each and every participant with sacred Ganges water. This was grace beyond imagination!
Being originally from a Christian background, I have always been deeply moved by the episode in which Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist. It is a moment of purification, where sins are washed away, and the path to living consciously is opened. Perhaps that is just my interpretation rather than the biblical one, but the symbolism has always stayed with me.
For more than one of us, this sacred Ganga dip—where Mohanji washed our heads with the holy water—felt like a baptism. To be near someone so fully merged in consciousness, whether we call it Christ Consciousness or something else, someone who, to me, embodies Christ Consciousness completely—and beyond that, who is both the Father and the Son—was a privilege beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
And as if to remind me of the experience, four days later, after returning home, I found that there was still sand in my hair that hadn’t washed out despite multiple rinses. If the blessings of the Ganga hadn’t reached me by then… well, they certainly had now!
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 14th March 2025
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