It happens quite often that groups of Catholic Priests and Nuns come to visit the Ashram and stay for some days, mainly to improve their meditation. Two days later… on Sunday morning… the worshipping of Mother Mary was not finished yet! We had two Catholic Brothers (Catholic Priests in their training) from Delhi visiting the Ashram. I did it in my own language, in Italian, “.Ave Maria.” and such moving memories came up from my childhood… One of the (many) gifts I have received from this Tradition has been the reconciliation within myself of every division between Christianity and Hinduism and any other religion, making my heart peaceful accepting and loving all the manifestations of the One Single Reality.Īnd as for every puja in India, the happy end is always the distribution of Prasad, a nice sweet given to everyone. Then flowers were offered: everyone was holding in praying closed palms a flower, which was then placed at the feet of the statue, or wherever your heart tells you to do so.Ĭlosing the ceremony, guided by Swami Ritavan we recited “Hail Mary” two times. Maybe for some it may have seemed weird to see a Christian statue celebrated in a Vedic way, but for me it was so natural! It was the celebration and worshipping of a deity, and when your love and faith are there, there is no difference at all.Īs we do for every puja, each one of us could perform the fire offering you hold in your hands a vessel with flowers and a burning flame, and you offer it to the deity, usually performing three circles in front of the image you are worshipping.
A garland of flowers was put on her and two on the small baby Jesus, and they were decorated with flowers and petals. Swami Ma Radha and Swami Ritavan lightened them one by one making her shine in the night that was approaching. Many small candles were put all around the statue. First, symbolically you wash your hands, then you drink the holy water, and then you are ready to worship the statue. Swami Ma Radha and Swami Ritavan performed the main part in the ceremony. A small group gathered there, and our priest, Harshanandji, performed and recited the mantras accordingly to the Vedic tradition. The puja was celebrated at 7 pm after our evening meditation with Swami Veda. At the time of installation, Swamiji washed the feet of both Mother Mary and baby Jesus with mixed holy water coming from the Ganga and the river Jordan. And you feel there is a presence there, that she is not just a piece of marble beautifully shaped, that she is alive and inspiring. Like other statues in the Ashram when she was put in place the ceremony of Prana Pratishta was performed the statue got infused with the Vital Force and a deity was invoked to inhabit in her. She is not exactly on your way like the Buddha statue, so you have to want to visit her and make your way to her. This statue is placed just below Swami Veda’s residency, in a small corner.