By Shobha Smilemaker
Jan 18: The 112 feet statutue of Adi Yogi at the Isha centre Coimbatore has attracted countless devotees for the awe inspiring spiritual experience. Now Bangaloreans have got their own spiritual centre to visit when a replica of that Adiyogi face statue waa unveiled at a grand ceremony at Chikaballapur off Bangalore on Makara Sankranti day.
Though the approaching small roads in the hills were jam packed with slow moving traffic, still the presence of hordes of devotees gave a unique energy to the place. An abundance of food offerings as prasadam was available in the many tents set up around the place.
The first sight of the Adiyogi stirred up a lot of memories for me as I stared at that Shiva face in silence.
As a child, we were taught to revere the mighty trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. We learnt and taught our children to chant 'Om Namah Shivaya' as a prayer routine.
Years later, I remember being mesmerized by the pancha abhisheka on the huge linga at the Brahadeeshwar temple in Tanjavur and thus began my 'love affair' with Shiva. He seemed like a more approachable God, almost like a free spirited ancient alien who passed down his wisdom to our ancestors, especially on yoga which is a union of body, mind and soul. That facial expression seemed to be like a mixture of enlightenment, ecstasy and stillness!
A likelife human size Shiva idol, I saw at a shop in Cochin, was the first time I felt like he was talking directly to me, with love and passion! I mentally appointed him as personal guardian to take care of my son who was his ardent devotee. Yes and I keep sharing my intimate emotions with my Shiva. (Also a coincidence that my husband's name 'Girish' neans the lord of the mountains- Shiva)
At 6 pm sharp, the spiritually uplifting songs by the Sounds of Isha group added magic to the ambience. Popular Karnataka folk dance forms Kamsale and Dollu Kunitha were performed. Sadhguru addressed tte audience with yet another of his inspiring talks urging us to go internal to manage the pressures of the external world, to practice the tools of yoga, be one with nature, to save the soil and more. Even his daughter Radha Jaggi gave a classical dance performance based on a similar theme.
I kept watching the statue under the open skies and realized that Shiva has an expressive and vulnerable side too. His anger is something that his enemies need to be in awe of. Similarly he openly expressed his grief at the death of his first wife Sati. He is also portrayed as an ashcovered medicant, wandering in repentance for his angry outbursts and giving us a lesson on non attachment and ego less living!
The Theyam fire dance from Kerala was a first time live show experience for me. The Karnataka chief minister Bommai, symbolically led the inauguration by starting the 14 minute Divya Darshan sound and light show. Seeing the changing colours on the Adiyogi and hearing his history is possible for anyone, as this show will be held daily at 7pm.
I understood again the significance of his Ardhanarishwar form and I admired Lord Shiva even more for the credit he has given to the power of a woman! Shiva is synonymous with Shakti teaching a lesson to all that the masculine and feminine energy within ourselves is complementary and in harmony with each other.
It was indeed a magical evening to witness this Adiyogi inauguration ceremony, which compared to the Isha shivratri celebrations that I would usually see on television. Inspite of thousands of people present at this unique event, I still felt a one to one connection with Shiva.
Do try out the Adiyogi experience with a smile, the next time you are in Bangalore!
Shobha Rao Smilemaker has a vision of living in a world where people use their ability to find and make smiles in any situation. She is a lawyer by qualification, a soft skills trainer by passion, a motivational speaker, a freelance journalist, a bestselling author, an avid traveler and founder of 'Smilemakers Trainings'. She can be contacted at www.shobhasmilemaker.com.