Joyous Guru Purnima celebrations

So many devotees gathered at the Sri Neem Karoli Baba Mandir to celebrate Guru Purnima – the grand festival honoring the Guru, the Master. Already on Friday evening the joy of anticipation is tangible as we sing kirtan to the Divine Mother and call upon Ma.
On Saturday morning, everyone can come to Ma into the darshan room. The sunlight falls through the orange curtains, bathing everything in a warm glow as we bow before Ma one by one. A moment in which we can remember the gratitude in our own hearts that the Master has entered our lives, bestowing his help and grace upon us on the path to liberation.
In the afternoon, Ma sings the kirtan Rama Bolo with us — ‘sing the name of God, Rama’ — and the joy of singing with Ma lets the kirtan surge again and again – the sense of time dissolves and the entire room is filled with a feeling of joy.

In the evening, we honour our GuruMa with a solemn Aarti — honouring the Supreme Consciousness in a human body. At the beginning of this light ceremony, the Pujaris adorn Ma with garlands of flowers, placing them around Ma, her hands and her feet. Then the chanting of the Aarti arises – the air vibrates with the sound of bells, gongs and drums, and more than a hundred voices filling the large kirtan hall. During the Aarti, everyone can step before Ma for a moment and offer the light to her.