Guru Purnima holds immense significance for all Kriyāvāns, celebrated as a day of deep spiritual connection. According to the scriptures, it is also known as Vyas Purnima, marking the birth of Vyas Deva. Purnima, or the full moon day, symbolizes completeness, and on this sacred occasion, disciples offer their lotus hearts at the feet of their Guru to experience a sense of wholeness. Guru Purnima offers a rare opportunity to meet the Guru and bask in the shower of his blessings.
This year, on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, the Raj Yoga Kriya Yoga Mission celebrated Guru Purnima with great enthusiasm. Due to the pandemic, the festival had not been publicly celebrated for the last two years. However, this year, by the grace of Gurudev, all devotees and Kriyāvāns were blessed with the opportunity for Guru Darshan. The event was organized at Jai Krishna Library, in the heart of Uttarpara, Kolkata. As July 13 was a working day, the ashram management scheduled the ceremony to begin at 4:00 P.M., ensuring that office-going devotees could attend without disrupting their workday.
The volunteers of the RYKY Mission, responsible for decorating the venue, arrived a few hours before the ceremony began. Additionally, some volunteers stood at the entrance to assist devotees coming from distant places. The ashram management made sure that all COVID-related protocols, such as mandatory masks and appropriate seating arrangements, were strictly followed.
Gurudev arrived on time, and the program began with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Gurudev, followed by the garlanding of Param Guru Shri Maheshwari Prasad Dubeyji's portrait. Along with Gurudev, other devotees also offered flowers in reverence. This was followed by the recitation of Guru Vandana and Vishnu Sahasranama by the mission's devotees.
The highlight of the day came next: devotees offering a lotus flower at the holy feet of Gurudev. As Gurudev took his seat on the stage, devotees lined up to offer flowers and other offerings, receiving his blessings in return.
During the event, Gurudev released the English-translated version of Param Guru Shri Maheshwari Prasad Dubeyji's book, Kriya Yoga Rahasya, a vital source of inspiration for all Kriyāvāns. The translation was done at the request of devotees not proficient in Hindi or Bengali, the languages in which the book is already available. Devotees can obtain copies of the book from RYKY mission volunteers.
In addition, the ninth digital edition of the mission's magazine, Anweshan, was launched.
The program continued with various performances, including devotional songs, a violin recital, and a magic show, captivating the audience. Several Kriyāvāns also came forward to share their experiences with Kriya, which were deeply appreciated by Gurudev.
In the concluding segment, Gurudev delivered a discourse on Kriya Yoga, followed by a Q&A session where devotees posed questions about Kriya, all of which were answered by Gurudev.
The event concluded with the distribution of refreshments between 6:30 and 7:00 P.M., marking the end of a spiritually enriching celebration.