The ashram contains the Holy of Holies, i. e. the Samadhi Mandir of Sri Sri Muktananda Gin Maharaj (our Didima). This sacred spot has now become a place of pilgrimage for her countless disciples and devotees. The ashram also comp­rises a fine Siva temple, a magnificent pillar less hall of imposing dimensions, a commodious guest - house, a spacious yajna sala, a two storey building for sadhus, a fruit, vegetable and flower garden and a doctor’s chamber under construction.

The only missing link could possibly have been a more direct connection with the immortal Being who had done more than any body else for the samnyasis of India by dividing them into ten regular sects, codifying their conduct and establishing key monasteries in the four corners of this country to serve as seats of learning and inspire future aspirants with the lofty ideals and wisdom of our ancient Rishi-Gurus. This was Adi Sankaracharya who is believed by historians to have flourished for 32 years only spanning the end of the 8th and beginning of the 9th centuries.

He emerged at a critical time, when Vedic learning had been dissipated and maligned by distorted forms of debased religious beliefs. Forgotten seemed the basic ideals of Truth and Divinity, which had been handed down scrupulously from Guru to disciple for thousands of years in the form of Advaita Vedanta.

So what more natural than that Mataji should have the kheyala of filling this vacuum in our Sangha? News of the impending installation of Sri Adi Sankaracharya’s statue in Kankhal Ashram on May 10th, 1978, holy Akshay Tritiya day, filtered through to Mataji’s devotees all over India. What more auspicious moment could have been found for the function? It was on Akshay Tritiya that Satya Yuga had commenced and Badrinath temple is thrown open to the public on that day every spring after six months of hibernation.

Hardwar falls within the domain of Sri Sankaracharya of Jyotirmath, the northernmost of the four maths established by Adi Sankarächarya. The others are at Sringeri in the South, Dwarka in the West and Gowardhan (Puri) in East India. There is a fifth Math at Kanchi, where Adi Sankaraji’s private library is alleged to have been established.

Invitations were sent in good time to all Sankaracharyas and to well-known Mahatmas and Mahamandaleswaras to grace the installation. The auspicious occasion of Adi Sankaracharyaji’s janam tithi (birthday) fell on May 12th, so that the installation ceremonies could be spread over some days before and after May 10th, within the happy orbit of Mataji’s birthday celebrations.

Mataji’s inspiration of installing Adi Sankaracharya on a lofty marble pedestal within an enclosed temple open to view, with a graded marble base, covered by a bass canopy was put into admirable effect by the untiring efforts of two devotees: Sri P. L. Varma, the renowned architect of Chandigarh and builder of our Gopalji’s temple at Varanasi and of Didima’s Samadhi Mandir at Kankhal, and Brahmachari Panuda.

The upper temple-like structure had been pre-fabricated in Delhi, while the marble had been ordered from Makara, Rajasthan, months beforehand. But as so often, seemingly insurmountable obstacles appeared from nowhere. By April it was realised that the trucks containing the stones were missing and so the order had to be duplicated at the last moment with stone dealers in Delhi who fortunately were able to supply the right quality and quantity.

Skilled stone-masons from Vrindaban were employed who had already proved their merit during the building of our temples at Vrindaban and Delhi, and the metal work was entrusted to the experienced staff at the I. I. T., Delhi. From the second half of April, the compound between the Sadhu Kuthia and the Yajnasala became littered with marble stone blocks, and masons were cutting, chipping, facing and polishing strictly according to specification.

On May 4th (19th Vaishakh), Mataji’s birthday puja was solemnly performed from 3 a. m. to 5 a. m. Thereafter were initiated all the various measures observed by Bhaiji during birthday celebrations at Ramna Ashram, Dacca, and ever since, namely:

Installation of a seven-coloured flag at the highest point.

Akhanda  japa in Didima’s temple.

Akhanda Ma Nama Sankirtana.

Daily recitation of Durga Sapta Sati in the Siva temple.

Daily Savitri Yajña with bel leaves.

Special arati of Mataji every morning and evening.

Daily recitation of Visnu Sahasra Nama (1000 names of Visnu).

Daily reading of Hanuman Chalisa for Mataji’s health (a recent innovation).

From May 5th onwards Mataji’s full kheyala was direc­ted towards speedy completion of all preliminary work for Adi Sankaracharya’s temple. After conferring with Sri Varma and Panuda, the working hours were increased. How strenu­ously the labourers were united under expert guidance!

In this connection Mr. Varma related, in the privacy of his room, an extraordinary tale. One of the pieces of marble had been cut to a wrong size. Pondering how to eradicate the error, he suddenly had a vision of how this stone could be fitted in to get over a defect in the original design. Sure enough the stone in due course fitted in perfectly. Such was the kheyala of the all-pervading Spirit presiding over the entire operation.

During satsang on the 5th, Mataji recalled that when She recently had attended the installation of Sri Lakshmi Narayana elsewhere, the base over which the deities were to be placed was not prepared carefully, which caused delay during the installation ceremony, so that the auspicious time very nearly expired. Mataji remarked that apparently Providence had thus given Hei a warning so that similar mistakes could be avoided during the forthcoming installation.

On the 6th, Mataji shifted to Her room close to the hail, so as to be near the scene of operations. With Her ble­ssings all the persons concerned worked heroically, and by the 6th afternoon the beautiful, prefabricated canopy had been hoisted and dipped into its prepared foundations.

A description of the temple now seems appropriate. Its entire base, spread along most of the western wall of the hall, consists of five beautifully engraved scenes in sculptured white stone. The central one depicts Kalady in Kerala, the birth­place of Sri Adi Sankaracharyaji. On the extreme left is Saradapith at Dwarka, next to it Sringeri Math; on the other side Jyotir Math and Govardhan Math.

Four Mahavakyas are inscribed on the four panels :

On Dwarka Math,- “Tat twam asi”(“THAT thou art”).

On Sringeri Math,- “Aham Brahmasmi” (“I am Brahman”);

On Jyotir Math,-“Ayam Atma Brahma” (“The Self is Brahman”);

On Gowardhan Math,- “Prajnanam Brahma” ( “Supreme Knowledge is Brahman”).

The central panel contains Adi Sankara’s famous edit: “Sarvam khalvidam Brahma” (“All this is indeed Brahman”).

The open lower marble platforms above the sculptured panels have been left empty. Possibly it may be Mataji’s future kheyaIa to immortalise the four acharyas, taught and install­ed by Adi Sankara himself, i. e.

Padmapadacharya of Dwarka

Trotakacharya of Sringeri,

Hastamalakacharya of Jyotir Math and

Sureswaracharya of Gowardhan.

The central platform is higher, so that Adi Sankaracharya may tower over everything, supreme and majestic.

The shining ornamental brass canopy is supported by four brass pillars. The back and sides of the temple are of white marble, and there are low marble engraved screens along the front at various levels, so that a pleasing picture is presented from the front of the entire structure. A simple moving curtain between the two front pillars encloses the shrine at night.

Fourteen specially designed ornate brass oil lamps of South Indian style light up the temple. The effect during evening arati is most entrancing.

The statue presents Adi Sankaracharya as a 16 years old ascetic, sitting cross - legged in meditation, the right hand in the pose of the Guru preaching. The expression is majestic, noble and inspiring; this is bound to increase a thousand fold as Sankaracharya continues to be worshipped under Mataji’s kheyala at Kankhal.

Mataji was so concentrated on the new temple that She used to rest at night on a cot in the hail in front of the temple. Throughout the daily aratis, She would gaze straight at Sankaracharyaji.

On May 8th commenced preliminary ceremonies for the installation. From 8 a.m. to 12.30 midday a group of pandits (previously engaged in Didima’s Maharudrabhishekha) went through the elaborate rituals of the main sankalpa (avowal of the purpose of the pratistha), consecration of the temple foundations, and invocation of various deities to be present and bless the installation. In the evening, immersion of Adi Sankaraji’s Murti in rice was very reverently carried out by the same priests. A bag was tied round the statue and rice carefully poured into it until it was immersed up to its neck. Then the bag was tied at the top and the statue left thus over­night.

On the 9th morning, twenty-one brahmins fetched 108 pitchers of sacred water from the Ganges that was strained through muslin, for the ceremonial bathing of the statue. The filled vessels were placed neatly in rows in the hail and the statue, which had been cleaned of the rice bath and anointed with ghee, was moved to the south west corner of the hail where the holy water was poured over it to the chanting of mantras. Mataji was present and Swami Akhandananda Saraswati called to meet Ma and view the temple. By 11.30 a.m. the statue was wiped dry with soft muslin and clothed in saffron robes.

In the evening the pandits performed an impressive ceremony, putting the murti to bed before its strenuous programme the next day. This was called sayana adhivasa.

A wooden skid platform of sturdy construction had been devised for easy transportation of the heavy statue during the initial ceremonies. This proved to be extremely useful right up to the moment when the statue had to be raised to its final place  cementing the foundation.

On the 9th evening Mataji distributed specially printed saffron coloured handkerchiefs to those who were to participate in the procession next morning.

At 5 a.m. on May 10th, the whole ashram was agog with excitement. The air resounded with the stirring tunes of a brass band and a bagpipe band, which accompanied the procession all the way to Brahmakunda and back.

By 6 am. Mataji Herself and everyone else were ready on the road side to receive His holiness Jagatguru Sri Sri 1008 Swami Santananda Saraswati of Jyotir Math, who was the chief guest. He arrived promptly at 6.10 by car and at once boarded the limousine car together with Mataji. The procession started at 6.15, led by the Ashram jeep, driven by Br. Sivananda. Followed the two bands. Next came Ashram Brahmacharis in rows of three, carrying tall flags. Thereafter two by two, ashramites and devotees including Dr. Triguna Sen, Sri Kania, Col. Shukla, Dr. Gopal Das Gupta, and others. Next came Adi Sankaracharya’s statue on a high chariot drawn by devotees, thereafter an open platform on wheels carrying Brahmacharinis singing kirtana, followed by the limousine with Mataji and the Sankaracharyaji of Jyotirmath, flanked by hefty pole bearers on either side. In the rear were private cars and a bus with senior lady devotees.

The procession halted for short intervals at strategic points where various Akharas, householders and a girls’ school run in Mataji’s name, paid homage to Adi Sankaracharya’s murti, to His Holiness Swami Santanandaji, and to Mataji Herself, Just at 8 a m. the Brahmakunda ghat was reached where arati and abhishekha were performed by the pandits.

Those who wished to bathe or perform tarpana were free to do so, but the main body of the procession returned via Mayapur past Bholagiri Ashram, to be back at Kankhal soon after 10 a. m.

By 10-30 the statue had been moved to the base of the temple and gradually raised to the top by manpower and a series of platforms. Here occurred one of those unfathomable incidents worth relating. Commander Jyoti Banerjee (Retd. I. N.), a massive devotee of long standing, was helping to raise the statue into position in its final stage, together with three skilled mistris. While he was worrying about how to release his hold on the base plate before it was pushed slowly into its final place, he felt the murti sliding gently on its own to settle down gracefully in the prepared position, with practically no help of the four persons who had been making such strenuous and anxious attempts to accomplish this feat. When I repeated this story to Mataji later, She said: “Then this must have been a special perception on the part of Jyoti due to Sankaraji’s compassion.”

By 11 a. m. when the auspicious muhurtam (time) commenced, Swami Santanandaji was ready with a trowel to perform the ceremony of laying the foundation. He was followed in quick succession by Mahamandalelswaras, including his Gurubhai Swami Akhandananda Saraswati, Swami Prakashananda, Swami Vidyananda and others. The Mahatmas insisted on Mataji doing Her share, and everything was com­pleted before 11.30 a. m. when the auspicious time was due to expire.

The first puja of Sri Adi. Sankaracharya was celebrated with great fervour and then homa ( fire sacrifice ) continued till late hours. At 5 p. m. this Holiness of Jyotirmath gave a fine dis­course on Adi Sankaracharya’s philosophy and early life before an enthralled audience, in the presence of Mataji and several mahatmas. He choose as his theme Adi Sankara’s famous edict: “Brahma satyam jaganmitha, jiva Brahma eva naparam” (Brahman is Truth, the world illusory, the human being is indeed Brahman and no other. “It was astounding that these very words were printed on the saffron handkerchiefs distributed by Mataji the previous evening, the order for which had been placed weeks earlier.

Mataji’s amazing energies brooked no respite in the face of the crowded programme. She was present for Adi Sankaraji’s evening arati, with all the temple lights lit—a truly magnificent sight.

The next morning Swami Santanandaji delivered another fine lecture in which he recalled his first meeting with Mataji almost 34 years ago at Vrindaban, in the late Oriya Babaji’s Ashram, where the late Sri Han Babaji Maharaj, Swami Akhandanandaji and other mahatmas used to gather to listen to the wisdom of the great vedantic saint before his untimely death.

It is obvious that His Holiness the Sankaracharyaji holds Mataji in great esteem and veneration. In spite of his own hectic programme he had readily agreed to take a prominent part in our festival. At 3 p. m. Mataji saw him off personally and by the whole Ashram, to wish him God-speed at his departure.

In the morning of May 12th, Adi Sankaracharya’s birth­day, special chanting from the Vedas was performed by the pandits in front of the temple. While Adi Sankaracharya’ puja was being celebrated, twelve Mahamandaleswaras had foregathered in their special seats in the hail. Erudite speeches were given by Swamis Prakashanandaji, Vidyanandaji, Hansa Prakashji, Shyamsunder Sastriji, Govindanandaji, etc. All of them praised Mataji’s efforts to inculcate the worship of Adi Sankaracharya in our Ashram and expressed the hope that this would be followed by classes in Advaita Vedanta and participation in religious concourses in future.

Mataji had arranged for the presentation of holy books and rosaries to the Mahatmas and arati was performed in front of each one of them. Punctually at 11-30 all Mahatmas and Sadhus were entertained to a feast, since they had to participate in similar functions in various Akharas in Hardwar on the occasion of Adi Sankaracharyaji’s birthday.

Who knows what future is presaged by Mataji’s kheyala to install the gaddi of Adi Sankaracharya in our Kankhal Ashram? Suffice it to say that however profound the esteem and veneration in which Mataji has hitherto been held by the topmost elite of the Sadhu Samaj of North India, from now on She is to receive the highest acclamation from these successors of the ancient Rishis. There is no known saint who, on meeting Her for the first time, has failed to recognise the divinity emanating from Mataji spontaneously as Sakti incarnate.

This universal recognition became even more apparent when Mataji was the guest of honour from May 19th to 26th in Sri Krishna Nivas Ashram of Sri 1008 Swami Purnananda Giri, Mahamandaleswara of Sri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani, during which several Mahamandaleswaras and Savants joined together to present a unique address to Mataji, invoking Her publicly in the most glowing terms, such as:

“Trividha tapa papapanodini” - Destroyer of all three types of sorrow and sin;

“Trividha, Sahti Svarupini” - Embodiment of all three forms of sakti; Incarnation of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi Mahasarasvati;

“Sadachara puta parama pavitratma tapasvini”- the ascetic who through pious deeds has attained absolute purity,

“"Jnana pithesvari patita pavani janasamajopakarini” - Goddess of Knowledge, saviour of the fallen, benefactor of human society;

“Sreya Preya ki pratimurti” - Embodiment of all that is uplifting and delightful;

“Samanvaya karini abheda jnana pracharini udara mata” - Mother who upholds the essential Oneness of Knowledge;

“Visvavandhya Matrisakti” - Divine Mother revered by the whole universe; etc.

The Mahatmas have gone even further: they have persuaded Mataji to open the Silver Jubilee of the “All India Bharat Vedanta Mahsamelan” in April 1979, to be held by Swami Purnananda Giriji in Sri Krishna Nivas Ashram, Kankhal.

So it is obvious that Mataji’s kheyala is now turned towards fostering the study and propagation of the main schools of philosophy propounded by the ancient Rishis, Adi Sankaracharyaji having been the first to codify them with written commentaries and oral teachings that are still studied and treasured in the ancient orthodox ashrams such as Kailash Ashram at Rishikesh.

Jai Adi Sankaracharyaji—Jai Sri Sri Ma!