I don't even remember at this point how it all went in year 2020. But come 2021, it was already well established that Working/Teaching/Meeting Online is here to stay. So the story of Navaratri 2021 starts like this.
Since it was clearly announced well in advance that this Navaratri will be completely for Online view only I got excited and took the entire week off to give it the due respect just as a physical one. And I started making my room setup to match how it would be like a physical setup.
On the top of it, in order to create the Homa effect, I started the Dhoop with Sambrani (I believe this is the nearest to bringing the effect of Homas). In the above sentence if you are wondering about what Homa is, what Dhoop is and what Sambrani is here is a brief note: Homa is the Fire ritual, Dhoop is the Incense used in India, and Sambrani is the Benzoin used for fragrance known to have good effect on health.
In Art of Living, we have the practice of starting Rudra Puja from Day 1 of Navaratri that goes on until the Day 14 of the moon cycle. Rudra Puja is the ancient most powerful tool consisting of chanting of mantras and performing certain rituals. From Day 6 of Navaratri starts the most powerful Homas starting with Ganapathi Homa, then onto Subramanya Homa, Navagraha Homa, Rudra Homa and Sudarshana Homa. Chandi Homa is performed starting from the Day 6 culminating to the peak of experience on Day 8. And on Day 9 Rishi Homa is performed to honour the tradition of Rishis or the realized ones.
This year 2021, brought me the experience of all of these right at my home in 2 feet distance! The effect was amplified by the incessant rains accompanying every Homa. Watching Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from a 2 feet distance is the most rewarding aspect of watching Navaratri celebrations online. This year the videography team has done a stupendous job in both covering the event from all possible angles as well as webcasting it in a super smooth manner. It was very fulfilling to watch Gurudev in a space of overflowing grace.
The effects of these Homas when done right just the way it is done at the Art of Living Ashram are very profound and they reach every corner of the earth. In my opinion it only amplifies further when so many online viewers worldwide echo them further. Right at the time when physical world has been abstracted out even in work, embracing the same technology to realize the abstract nature of the world itself by celebrating in a very close virtual presence of the master is mind-blowing. Knowing the minds of the devotees too well, Gurudev I am sure was acknowledging the longing of the devotees by the smiles and the waving of hands. The depth of the experience of meditation during the Navaratri celebration is immense. If you have never experienced Meditation it is about the right time to learn it online as well. Not until I started teaching it myself online did I realize that it is as powerful as teaching in person.
As I am writing this, Homa of Day 8 has got over and I am overwhelmed with gratitude of being a witness to such a grand celebration. As the world has started treading the blurred path of a convergence of physical and virtual world, the spiritual world is celebrating this aspect as being its home ground. When you close your eyes and go deep only then you can experience the REAL world which can never be qualified as a Physical or Virtual one. Until one realizes the true oneness with that aspect, walking the path shown by the Master in whatever form is the most intelligent and the most fulfilling way. So Enjoy, Celebrate and Meditate!!!
