As Prayagraj gears up for the Mahakumbh Mela, a large number of foreign devotees are also arriving at the “Kriyayoga Ashram and Research Institute Of Swami Yogi Satyam” camp at Mahakumbhand to participate in yoga classes.
Swami Bhavanand, a resident of Brazil and Kriya Yoga trainer at the Kriyayoga Ashram and Research Institute of Swami Yogi Satyam said that Kriya Yoga and the Kumbh Mela are inseparable.
“I realized that Kriya Yoga and Kumbh Mela are one because every year Guruji organizes a program at the Kumbh Mela, and devotees from the world come every year. Now, many foreigners are coming every year,” Swami Bhavanand told ANI.
Swami Bhavanand recalled his first visit to India saying, “I came here in 2007; it was Ardha Kumbh Mela. As I entered the camp, I started practising Kriya Yoga and I felt so much peace and joy. I have traveled all over the world, practiced different spiritualities, and never knew the importance of a true guru. When I met Guruji and Kriya Yoga, I realised that Kriya Yoga is a complete science that joins all different spiritualities, all different religions. Through Kriya Yoga meditation, we can experience what Lord Krishna has said: ‘I am present in the heart of all, all are present in my heart.’ We can experience this through the practice of Kriya Yoga.”
Meera Mata, a devotee who previously worked at Microsoft in Canada, said, “Before I came to India to learn Kriya Yoga under the guidance of Guruji, I was in Canada with a promising career at Microsoft. Despite my success, I had a deep yearning to seek the truth and understand the purpose of life. That’s when I was introduced to Guruji. I left my job and moved to India, not knowing exactly what to expect, but driven by the desire to find God, truth, and the true purpose of life. Guruji’s teachings in Kriya Yoga have been the answer.”
The Mahakumbh, which is held once every 12 years, is scheduled to begin on January 13 and conclude on February 26, in Prayagraj.
The main bathing rituals, known as the Shahi Snan (royal baths), will take place on January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami).
(With inputs from ANI)
