A Brief Biography of Sri Brahmananda Maharaj - 13

After the Aradhanotsav, Sri Brahmanand Maharaj stayed for a month in Gondavale, and arranged for the regular poojas to be conducted in the Samadhi Mandir and at all the temples built by Sri Maharaj in Gondavale. He made arrangements for the food and accommodation to the many devotees from other places, visiting the Samadhi Mandir. He arranged for the construction of the goshaala (cow-shed) near the Samadhi Mandir.

Then he left Gondavale. Sri Maharaj had ordered for the renovation of the temple at Venkatapur. The construction was going on. He had to supervise it. In order to raise funds for the expenses, he had to visit the places where he had followers. Most of the time, he walked the distances on barefoot. On the way, he chanced to visit Ramadurga, a small village. He had a large number of followers there. But, when he mentioned about the contribution to the construction of the Venkatapur temple, they all pleaded that as there was famine because of the absence of the rain, they could willingly do any work  Guruji tells except giving out money. For that Sri Brahmanand Maharaj smiled, and told them then that they should do one and a half crores of nama-japam within fifteen days. They all agreed. And the Japam started the same day. To start with, they were only 30 members. But as the news spread, many people from the surrounding places participated. Sri Brahmanand maharaj arranged food for all of them. The one and a half crores of Japam were completed on the fifteenth day. The completion ceremony (Saangatha Yagnya) was arranged on the next day; and all the people of the village were invited for the Maha Prasad.

 When Sri Brahmanad maharaj started to leave the place, all the people of the village assembled and gave out whatever money they could afford individually. Sri Brahmanad maharaj asked them to do namasmaran; he blessed that  Sri Ram will remove all their difficulties and improve their condition.

After renovating the Sri Venkateshwara temple, he had only the work of spreading Ram-nam, as per his Guru’s order. He arranged many sapthahas  and initiated thousands of people with Tharaka naam.  As his main work was spreading of Ram-nam and Annadaan, he used to get cooks from a place called Pimpala, near Udupi in Karnataka. The Brahmins there were very poor and lived by cooking . One Sri Ramaiah and his team were regular cooks for Sri Brahmanand Maharaj. They developed high regard for Sri Brahmanand Maharaj , and took to Ram-naam. After witnessing the constructions of many Rama Mandirs, they felt they should also build a Rama mandir in their place. When they expressed their desire, Sri Brahmanand Maharaj ignored it initially. But when their urge was extreme, he asked them to request Sri Maharaj when he visited Bidarahally Ramotsav. These cooks fell on the hot sand before the procession of Sri Maharaj, and got sanctioned for the Mandir. They got the Mandir ready and even the Idols for installation; but as Sri Maharaj was unwell and Sri Brahmanand was not very willing personally to install the idols, they could not get the Rama Mandir, early. After Shri Maharaj left his body, they again approached Sri Brahmanand Maharaj with intense desire for the Mandir. Sri Brahmanad agreed , but told them that the idols they already had were not suitable and got different idols from Bombay.  Finally, the idols were installed, and as the place where the Mandir was built was full of Ashwatha trees, he called the place as Ashwathapur. He formed a trust of devotees to look after the Mandir. He charted out the daily pooja Vidhaan, which is followed to this day.

Before he left Ashwathapur, he handed out the Prasad of cashew nuts, handful to each of the devotees gathered to see him off. The cashews were placed in a plate, but the devotees were many. But he gave the handful of cashews with his blessings to every body. Needless to say that the number of cashews in the plate increased automatically, and still, a few more remained in the plate after giving out to everybody.

This event of the installation of Sri Rama Mandir, became a turning point in the lives of the villagers. Their prosperity increased and now the Aswathapurians have spread all over the world with success to their credit in different fields.