Yuvaiva Dharmasheelah Syaat
The youth, as we all know, are the future of our society, and our country. Swamiji has always stressed on the importance of a healthy mind and body, especially for a yuva. In light of this, by the blessings and perennial inspiration of Parampujya Swamiji, the Chitrapur Yuvadhara organized a trek to Dhak cha Bhairi on 16th February. By the blessings of the Lord, the trek was a superb success, with hearty participation from the Saraswat youth.
On a cool Karla evening, the Yuvas arrived in two busloads from Mumbai at 8:30pm to be greeted by the warm familiarity and loving blessings of Parijnanashram Swamiji. Yuvas kept drizzling all evening, as the new arrivals were continuously being registered, checked in, and served with a warm meal. The meal was followed by an informative briefing, spiced with tasteful humor. The night was brought to an end with the last bus arriving in the wee hours of 15th February.
The Yuvas were greeted by a dark wintry morning, at 4am. Following breakfast, the Yuvas, like half awake fledglings, boarded the buses for Jambhivali, equipped with packed sandwiches and Enerzal. Jambhivali is a village 20km off Kamshet, a popular starting point for trekkers to Dhak cha Bhairi. At 7:15am, the yuvas armed with the blessings of the Lord Almighty, set forth towards the 1st stop, a Shiva Temple, 5km off.
The group of 136 people were divided into 4 subgroups, with their respective coordinators. Under expert leadership, the army of yuvas set out across the seamlessly spread out landscapes. The yuvas marched through the dense foliage along the backdrop of a breathtaking valley with lush evergreen vegetation. The forest was inhabited with invisible birds, transmitting love songs through the forest's natural frequency, flowing through the tree canopy. The beams of sunlight reached us, passing through intricate windows formed by the webs of leaves and creepers.
A part of the group walked another 5km on a precarious riverbed, with a floor of loose rocks and an obstacle course of tree roots and branches. The breathtaking view at the end — standing at the edge of a ravine — made it worth every step. Ahead lay a thin path along steep sheets of rock which led to the delicate chain ladders that led to the main Bhaironath temple caves.
On returning to the clearing, a photo of Parijnanashram Swamiji was placed at an auspicious spot. The yuvas gathered around and chanted the Parijnanashram Trayodashi to celebrate the Guru Shakti presiding over all of us. Following this, the sandwiches and fruits were consumed, alarmingly fast, and the group set back with a sense of victory and achievement.
On reaching the Math at 4pm, prayers were held in the Durga Parmeshwari temple, followed by Devi Anushtan. As the voices of about a hundred yuvas resonated through the walls of the temple in unison, a fitting end to the spiritual day — like a group of young ones in the wild returning to the safety and warmth of their nests, the yuvas enjoyed the blessings of the Devi and Swamiji at the end of a hard day's work.
Separation from the Math is always tinted with a little melancholy, but there is always the anxiety for the joy after reunion. All the yuvas rode back, united in the loving experience, written by the beloved Lord.