Spiritual Import of Religious Festivals :Ch-5. Part - 1
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Chapter 5: Sivananda – The Fire of Sannyasa
Part-1.
Swami Sivanandaji was known as Dr. Kuppuswamy in his purvashrama.
He arrived in Rishikesh in the year 1922 when there was practically nothing in Rishikesh except a few almshouses (kshetras) and sadhus staying in isolated thatched huts.
It was the year when there were unprecedented floods.
Everywhere there was water and water alone.
In all the rivers of India there was flood beyond limit.
It was the biggest flood ever seen in Rishikesh.
The next big flood we had was, of course, in July 1963, immediately after Swami Sivanandaji’s Mahasamadhi, when it flooded Sri Gurudev’s Kutir neck-deep.
After that we did not have a flood of that kind.
It was in that year 1922 that Gurudev H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, then known as Dr. Kuppuswamy, came to Rishikesh and stayed on the other side of the Ganga in Swargashram, which is an ancient institution.
A few sadhus and Sannyasins were put up there, living on alms and practising their meditations.
Perhaps the Swargashram kshetra was functioning in a small measure even then.
Swami Krishnananda
To be continued ....
Chapter 5: Sivananda – The Fire of Sannyasa
Part-1.
Swami Sivanandaji was known as Dr. Kuppuswamy in his purvashrama.
He arrived in Rishikesh in the year 1922 when there was practically nothing in Rishikesh except a few almshouses (kshetras) and sadhus staying in isolated thatched huts.
It was the year when there were unprecedented floods.
Everywhere there was water and water alone.
In all the rivers of India there was flood beyond limit.
It was the biggest flood ever seen in Rishikesh.
The next big flood we had was, of course, in July 1963, immediately after Swami Sivanandaji’s Mahasamadhi, when it flooded Sri Gurudev’s Kutir neck-deep.
After that we did not have a flood of that kind.
It was in that year 1922 that Gurudev H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, then known as Dr. Kuppuswamy, came to Rishikesh and stayed on the other side of the Ganga in Swargashram, which is an ancient institution.
A few sadhus and Sannyasins were put up there, living on alms and practising their meditations.
Perhaps the Swargashram kshetra was functioning in a small measure even then.
Swami Krishnananda
To be continued ....
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