On a cold January day, a small caravan of Bhakti Marga residents and sangha members set out on a historic journey to meet Gayatri-devi. Their destination was the Vishwa Gayatri Yogashram in the woods outside Towanda, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the visit was to perform rituals to put the Divine Mother to sleep so that Her murti could be moved to Her new home at the Paranitya Narasimha Devi Mandir in Elmira. (Read “The Grace That Moved the Mother” blog post for the backstory.)
We were met by Gayatri-devi’s intense and piercing eyes the moment we walked in the door. Her five faces were serene and captivating. Majestic and radiant, Her love permeated the room, and it felt as if She was genuinely pleased to greet Her new family.
After being warmly welcomed by Pallavi Ben (the temple’s sole pujarini) and her daughter, Swami Tulsidas went into the inner sanctum carrying Paranitya Narasimha and Tulsi-devi. Setting his deities down, he bowed before Gayatri Ma, and the two shared a private moment. He then lifted Paranitya Narasimha up close to Ma’s middle face and said, “Lord, this is Gayatri Ma. She’s coming to live in the Devi Mandir. From now on, She is Your responsibility. You need to take care of Her.”
Swami then picked up Tulsi-devi and held Her close. Introducing the two Devis, he said, “Tulsi, this is your sister Gayatri; please make her feel welcome.” The whole exchange was reminiscent of ancient times, when a bride was entrusted to her groom’s family and sent on her way to begin a new life in another land.
The beautiful and intimate moment set the tone for the rest of the afternoon, inviting us all to embrace Gayatri-devi and Her devotees and to welcome them into the Bhakti Marga family with open arms. The conversation was sweet and poignant, laced with the underlying awareness that this move was not a mere transaction, but a divinely orchestrated union.
RITUALS
The living room was filled with more than 25 bhaktas joyously singing and celebrating Vishwa Gayatri-devi. The rituals began with Guru Pujas to both Pallavi Ben’s late guru, Swami Alakh Giriji Maharaj, and Paramahamsa Vishwananda, whom Pallavi Ben affectionately refers to as her second guru.
During abhishekam, everyone was invited to pour water on Gayatri-devi’s utsava murti along with Paranitya Narasimha and Tulsi-devi. The highlight of the event was the ritual to transfer Gayatri-devi’s Shakti and grace into a Kalash pot so that She could safely be transported to Elmira.
SATSANGS
In between pujas, Swami Tulsidas shared his gratitude for the immense blessing bestowed upon Bhakti Marga in being able to care for Gayatri-devi. He made it clear that Pallavi Ben and her daughter are now part of the Bhakti Marga family and are always welcome.
Truly touched and at a loss for words, he acknowledged Pallavi Ben’s bhakti and sincere humility in serving Ma so selflessly for the past decade. He also gave voice to what we were all feeling: how immense her faith and humility must be to let go of her service and entrust Mother’s care into our hands.
At one point, Rishi Aditya announced that Guruji had just texted, sending His blessings to everyone. He then invited Pallavi Ben to share some miracles of Gayatri’s grace. She regaled us with wonderful stories of how Ma had saved her life on numerous occasions.
A FINAL FAREWELL
As things were winding down, Pallavi Ben asked if she could offer a final prayer to Ma. Her soft voice was filled with love, trembling slightly with the awareness of what was coming next.
The quiet heartbreak and magnitude of this historic moment touched everyone’s heart, reflecting Pallavi Ben’s ultimate sacrifice—bidding farewell to her Mother in the name of love and wishing Her well in Her new life at the Devi Mandir.
NEXT STEPS
The following day, work began to release Gayatri Ma and Her divine companions from the altar. Despite the starkness of the stripped-down shrine, Pallavi Ben shared how happy she is that Gayatri is making this move. After so many years of doing everything on her own, she is grateful for the support and said she will now be a regular attendee at our Sunday morning temple prayers with Narasimha and the Devis.
CLOSING
As Gayatri-devi begins this new chapter in Her divine lila, we are reminded that true love is shown not by holding on, but by trusting the will of the Divine. What took place at the Vishwa Gayatri Yogashram was not an ending, but a sacred passing of the Mother’s grace into a wider family. May Her presence in the Paranitya Narasimha Devi Mandir bless all who come before Her, and may the love that carried Her there continue to flow through every heart She touches.
