THE KUMBH MELA OF 2003 WAS HELD AT NASIK AND TIMBEKEHWAR IN WHICH SWAMI DEVPRAKSHJI MAHARAJ HAD CELEBRATED AT BOTH THE PLACES WITH A LOT OF DEVOTEES FROM ALL OVER INDIA AND THE WORLD. 

IT WAS HELD FROM AUGUST 7 TO SEPTEMBER 7 2003 SWAMIJI HAD MADE A LOT OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR ALL HIS DEVOTEES IN SEVERAL PLACES AS THE NUMBER OF DEVOTEES VISITING THE MELA WAS ENORMOUS AND THERE WAS NO SUCH PLACE THAT COULD HOUSE ALL OF THEM TOGETHER SO ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE AT VAROIUS PLACES AND THE SHEVADARIS WORKED ROUND THE CLOCK DURING THAT MONTH AND A LOT OF HARD WORK WAS PUT INTO IT COUPLE OF MONTHS BEFORE THE KUMBH LIKE ARRANGING PLACES AND RATIONS,BEDS AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS SO EVERYONE COULD BE MADE COMFORTABLE WHEN THEY COME. 

THE MELA WHICH NORMALLY IS HELD IN ULHASNAGAR IN AUGUST TO MARK THE BITH ANNIVERSAY AND THE PASSING AWAY TO HEAVENLY ABODE OF SWAMI SHANTIPRAKASH WAS ALSO HELD IN NASIK AS ALL THE DEVOTEES WERE THERE AND SWAMI DEVPRAKASHJI FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF ALL DEVOTEES DECIDED TO HOLD THAT MELA ALSO IN NASIK ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER GODAVARI. THIS MELA ALSO WAS WELL ORGANISED AND EVERYONE WAS MADE TO FEEL AT HOME THE SAME WAY IT WAS DONE EVERY YEAR AT ULHASNAGAR. 

ALL THE DEVOTEES WOULD CORNER SAI AND ASK HIM TO COME AND TAKE A DIP AT THE GODAVRI RIVER EVERYDAY AND SAI WOULD NOT DISPLEASE ANYONE. 

I AM VERY LUCKY TO BE WITH SAI DURING THIS MELA FOR AROUND 10 DAYS IN TOTAL AND TOOK A DIP WITH HIM ON THE 12TH AND 27TH OF AUGUST BOTH DAYS WAS THE BIG DAY FOR TAKING A DIP AT THE GODAVARI RIVER. MY WIFE PUSHPA SPEND THE ENTIRE MONTH THERE WITH SAI BUT MY CHILDREN HAD TO COME BACK WITH ME TO CANADA DUE TO THE SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES OPENING UP BUT THEY TOO HAD A LOT OF FUN THERE. 

THE DEVOTTES ALSO GOT A CHANCE TO SEE THE NEW GOWSHALA AT TAPOVAN RECENTLY BUILT BY SWAMI DEVPRAKASHJI MAHARAJ FOR THE DEVOTED COWS. THIS GOWSHALA IS VERY ENORMOUS AND WAS BUILT AS THE GOWSHALA IN ULHASNAGAR WAS GETTING OVERCROWDED WITH GOWMATAS AND THEY WERE DEVELOPING ANKLE PAINS FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE LONG WALKS. I PERSONALLY VISITED THIS GOWSHALA AND IF I COULD UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF GOWMATAS I WOULD CERTAINLY LET YOU KNOW HOW THEY FEEL THERE. ONLY I COULD SEE THE EXPRESSIONS OF SATISFACTION IN THEM AND THE SEVADARIS THERE ARE ALSO FULLY DEVOTED TO THEM ALL DAY LONG. 

THE PROJECT IS A VERY BIG ONE BUT IT IS GETTING THERE AS THE TIME GOES ON AS THIS GOWSHALA HAS NOT BEEN BUILT WITH ANY INCOME MAKING MOTIVE BUT PURELY IS A SHEVA FOR THE COWS. AS THE COWS WHICH ARE BROUGHT HERE FROM ULHASNAGAR ARE NOT MILK GIVING THEY ARE OLD COWS AND YOUNG CALVES. 

MAY GOLD BLESS SWAMI DEVPRAKSHJI MAHARAJ WITH A LONG LIFE SO HE MAY CONTINUE TO KEEP SUCH SERVICES GOING ON TO COWS AND MANKIND. 

JUST TO INFORM OUR READERS THE FOLLOWING WORKS ARE CONTINUING BY SWAMI DEVPRAKASHJI MAHARAJ AND IF YOU ASK HIM SAI HOW THIS ALL IS GOING ON VERY HUMBLY HE SAYS THAT "I AM NOT DOING ANYTHING I DONT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO ANYTHING IT IS ONLY MY GURUDEV MAHARJI WHO IS DOING ALL THESE THINGS". 

GOWSHALA: HOUSING OVER 1100 COWS. 
HOSPITALS: IN ULHASNAGAR UNDER THE NAME OF SWAMI SARVANAND HOSPITAL. 
MEDICAL BENIFITS: FOR THE POOR BUYING THEM PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ETC. 
SCHOOL: SWAMISHANTIPRAKASH HIGH SCHOOL HAVING OVER 3500 STUDENTS MANY OF THEM ON FREESHIPS EVERYTHING PROVIDED BY THE ASHRAM. 
OLD AGE HOME: WHERE ABOUT 100 OLD PEOPLE ARE HOUSED AND TAKEN CAREOF OUT OF WHICH SOME ARE WHOSE CHILDREN HAVE DISOWNED THEM BUT SAI HAS OWNED THEM. 
MONTHLY RATIONS: GIVEN OUT TO OVER 700 WIDOWS EACH MONTH RATIONS AND CASH IS GIVEN TO THEM TO RUN THEIR HOUSEHOLD. 
MASS MARRIAGES: ARE HELD UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF SAI WHERE EVERYTHING FOR THE GIRL IS PROVIDED BY SAI. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND SUCH A MARRIAGE IN SOMNATH ALONGWITH MY DAUGHTER WHERE 100 COUPLES TIED KNOTS TOGETHER ITS AN OPPORTUNITY NO ONE SHOULD MISS. 

APART FROM THE MASS MARRIAGES EVEN HELP IS GIVEN TO POOR FAMILIES FOR GETTING THEIR DAUGHTERS MARRIED AND ALL THIS CREDIT GOES TO DR.DAYAL ASHA AND HIS GROUP FOR PUTTING THEIR ENDLESS TIME INTO MAKING IT HAPPEN. 

LET ME TELL YOU THE BEST PART OF ALL THIS IS THAT NO DONATIONS ARE SOLICITED BY ANYONE AND SWAMI DEVPRAKASHJI MAHARAJ IS STRICTLY AGAINST SOLICITATION OF DONATIONS. I LOVE HIM WHEN ANY NEW PROJECT IS DONE LIKE MAKING AN ASHRAM IN HARIDWAR AND BRIDAVAN I ASK HIM SAI HOW IS THIS GOING TO BE DONE HE SAYS "GURU MAHARAJ ASKS IT TO BE DONE IT IS HIS WORK HE WILL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR IT WHY WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT". BELEIVE ME EVERYTHING GOES OFF SO SMOOTHLY NOW BOTH THE AHSRAMS ARE COMPLETED AND IT GIVES YOU IMMENSE PLEASURE TO SEE SO MANY DEVOTEES COME AND STAY THERE AND FILLS ONES HEART WITH JOY THAT THE PLACES BUILT ARE NOT A WASTE. 

IN HUMBLE SERVICE. 

ASHOK CHANDANI