The 26th Navratri Anushthan at Sandipani Vidyaniketan

As per the annual tradition the Shaaradeeya Navaratri Anushthan Mahotsava was organised from 12-10-2007 to 21-10-2007 in the inspiring presence of Pujya Bhaishri, which included spiritual, religious, cultural programmes and medical camps.

Recitation of Ramacharitmanas
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily, devotees coming from all over India and world gathered and recited Ramacharitmanas set to the classical ragas and raginis. Under the auspices of Pujya Bhaishri, the devotion of the people and the divine music combined to create an intensely spiritualised ambience. This was the 26th year of such unique programme offered at the lotus feet of Lord Shri Ram.

Satsang Sabha 
In the afternoon sessions i.e. from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. the devotees got the benefit of listening to the deliberated sermons of Pujya Shri Ramakant Tripathiji the celebrated scholar of Ramcharitmanas hailing from Varanasi. His deeply reflective study, expositions of the central message of Ramacharitmanas and lucid style of narration provided spiritual nourishment to the listeners. Moreover Pujya Swami Shri Ajasranandji from Rajasthan also delivered enlightened sermons on Vedant. The devotees heard his learned views with rapt attention.

Pujya Shri Devprasadji Maharaj the mahant of Anand Bawa Ashram and Dandi Swami Shri Sadanandji Maharaj of Sharadapeeth Dwarka also addressed these Satsang sabhas.

Shatchandi Yagya
A homatmak Shatchandi yagya was also performed during the Navratri. Pandit Shri Balkrishnaji Maharaj from Rajasthan presided over this yagya as the Main Purohit. Shri and Smt. Prakashbhai Kaneria, manorathis of the entire Navratri Mahotsava hosted this yagya.

Veda Bhagavan Pratishtha
On the 19th of October 2007 Veda Bhagavan was consecrated in the Shri Hari Mandir. With great fan fare devotees lead the procession to the Shri Hari Mandir and Veda Bhagavan (in the form of a book) was consecrated.

Akhand Ram naam sankirtan
On 20th October, akhand (continuous) sankirtan of Shri Raam naam was undertaken. Devotees sang in great devotion for 24 hours continuously and the purnahuti was done on 21st October by Pujya Bhaishri.

Cultural Programmes
In the evenings after the Shri Hari Mandir aarti, the Rishikumars and devotees would dance the garba, the traditional folk dance of Gujarat on the first level of the steps of Shri Hari Mandir. Others would gather just to watch. Pujya Bhaishri too sang a raas and did the garba.

Various cultural programmes were arranged during the Navratri. This included the screening of the cultural programmes performed during the Sandipani Mandir Mahotsav. A programme of humorous poems was presented by the Rishikumars of Sandipani.

600 guests from all over India and abroad came for this Anushthan and stayed for nine days. Arrangements for lodging them were made in the guesthouse, student’s hostel and school building all located within the Sandipani campus. Food arrangements were made on all nine days for the guests as well as the visitors from neighbouring towns and villages. About 25,000 people took the prasad during these nine days.

Medical Camps
The following medical camps were also organised as part of this Navaratri Anushthan.

1. Dental camp (12.10.2007 to 20.10.2007) – Dr. Mrs.Sarojben Joshi with her colleagues from Ayurveda Dental Recherch Centre, Gauridal (dist. Rajkot) treated 842 patients by Jalandhar Yoga method.
2. Accupressure camp (13.10.2007 to 17.10.2007) – Mr. Navnitbhai Shah with his colleagues from Jay Bhagavan International Accupressure Service, Bombay treated 608 patients. Mr. Kaushikbhai Parekh and others from Porbandar joined them.
3. E.N.T. camp (14.10.2007) – Senior E.N.T. surgeon Dr. Nandlal K. Manseta and his colleagues from Ahmedabad examined 155 patients.
4. Total Diagnosis camp (14- 10 -2007) – 20 consultants of different categories like physicians, surgeons, urologists, eye surgeons, E.N.T. surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, pediatricians, dermatologists, etc. provided their services. They treated 351 patients. Blood and urine tests, x-ray, sonography, ECG, etc. was done free of cost as required and full course of five days’ medicine was provided to all patients free of cost. Under auspicious guidance and blessings of Pujya Bhaishri, Pushpanjali Lok Kalyan Charitable Trust is running a drug bank, which provides free medicine to needy patients. We have made special arrangements for the patients of the camp to receive free drugs from drug bank regularly for as long as they need it. Smt. Darshanaben Kapadia from USA brought a glucometer with her and she herself conducted 70 blood sugar tests.
5. Eye camp (17.10.2007) – Dr. Verma with his colleagues from Sivanand Mission Hospital. Virnagar (dist. Rajkot) examined 401 patients. 68 of them were selected for cataract surgery. All the patients were taken to Virnagar by special bus with one attendant. Surgery was done with I.O.L (lens) at Virnagar free of cost and after four days they were brought back to Porbandar by special bus.
6. Dispensary (from 11.10.2007 to 20.10.2007) – Every year a dispensary is set-up at Sandipani Hostel where medical check-ups are conducted and all emergency medicines including injections are provided. This year 345 persons were treated.

The manorathis of this Navaratri Anushthan Shri Prakashbhai Kaneria and Smt. Ranjanben Kaneria offered their personal services on all days and actively participated in all activities such as the daily puja, yagya, anushthan and medical camps. This mahotsav concluded on Vijaya Dashami day with a Homatmak Sundarkand Yagya and dhwajarohan of Shri Dwarkadheeshji mandir at Dwarka.