Yesterday, in addition to Raksha Bandhan, we celebrated the last Somvaar of Shraavan Maas (also known as Shravan Purnima) and World Sanskrit Day. In honor of these auspicious days and of reconnecting ourselves with the Divine, Parmarth Niketan organised a special live stream of a sacred Rudrabhishek that included divine blessings and messages from Pujya Swamiji and Sadhviji and beautiful Vedic chanting from Mataji and our wonderful Rishikumars.

After HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji performed the sacred Rudra Abhishek and tied two Rakhis – the first Rakhi to the Shivlinga and the second to a sacred Rudraksha sapling – He spoke about the significance of this sacred festival, about the power of Sanskrit, sanskriti and our traditions. He also spoke about the upcoming Bhumi Pujan of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and offered prayers to Lord Shiva for its most auspicious and celebrated beginning. He also prayed deeply for the frontline workers and for the pandemic to subside soon and humanity to emerge healthier, more harmonious and resilient then before.

Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati shared her blessings and insights on the meaning and significance of Raksha Bandhan and the need to transform and expand the meaning of the festival to touch, connect and join the world family. She emphasized that the Pandemic has allowed us to reflect on our traditions and reconnect with the essence of our relationship with the Divine and with each other in ways that we might not have been able to before.