Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi’s Puri visits

FIRST VISIT
Starting on 5th November, 1888 from Balaram Bose's residence in Kolkata, the group came by steamer to reach Chandbali on 7th November and then by canal ferry to Cuttack where after a brief sojourn at the house of Harivallabh Bose (Balaram Bose's cousin) a noted lawyer of those days, they proceeded by bullock cart to Puri. A temple of Sri Ramakrishna stands next to the remains of the erstwhile ghat where Holy Mother alighted. Ramakrishna Kutir, a hostel for poor students was started in 1906. The founders were Sri Akuli Chandra Mishra, a direct disciple of the Holy Mother, Dr. Kashinath Mishra, Sri Dinendra Nath Soor, Sri Kailash Chandra Sengupta and Sri Umakanta Mahanti. This happens to be the first Sri Ramakrishna Centre in Orissa.

Balaram Bose being a very influential peson in those days, the priests of Puri held him in great respect. As the Holy Mother and party were guests at Kshetrabasi Math owned by him, Govinda Singhari, one of the prominent priests of the temple, wanted to show special honour to her by arranging a palanquin. But she told him, "No Govinda, you lead me to the temple, and I shall walk behind you just like a humble, destitute beggar woman to see Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe." She is said to have visited the house of Govinda Singhari and the room where she waited has been converted into the place or worship by his current descendant Sri Madhusudan Singhari (now the Chief Priest of Jagannath Temple) in the later years. As Sri Ramakrishna had not visited the temple of Jagannath in his lifetime, Holy Mother took his photograph there hidden within her cloth and showed it to the deity.

She stayed for about two months at Puri, often visiting the temple at the time of the morning and evening services, and spending much time in meditation at the shrine of Lakshmi. Recounting her experience of Jagannath, she said afterwards, "I saw Jagannath seated like a Person of leonine bearing on His precious altar, and I was serving Him as an attendant." She stayed at Kshetrabasi Math upto 2nd January of 1889. She was accompanied by Swami Brahmananda, Swami Yogananda, Swami Saradananda, Yogin Ma, Golap Ma & Lakshmi didi (Sri Sri Thakur's niece). Swami Brahmananda used to go for his daily 'madhukari' to Emar Math opposite Jagannath Temple.

SECOND VISIT
Holy Mother and her group reached Puri by train by the erstwhile Bengal-Nagpur Railway (the section being now East Coast Railway) and stayed there for about two months during November-December 1904 (B.S. 1311, Agrahayan). Sri Ramakrishna Bose, son of Late Balaram Bose arranged for her visit and stay at Kshetrabasi Math. During this visit, one day Holy Mother fed fifty pandas sumptuously and on another, glory of Lord Jagannath was sung and delivered by a Panda at Kshetrabasi Math. On another day Holy Mother distributed prasad (bought from Anandabazar) to all by her hand sitting near Kalpabata. During this stay she also visited Gundicha Temple, Narendra Sarovar, Bijay Krishna Goswami’s Math, Gobardhan Math and bathed in sea. She was accompanied by Swami Premananda, Nilmadhab, Radharani, Radhu’s Mother Surabala, wife of Sri Mahendranath Gupta ("M"), wife of Chunilalbabu, Kusumkumari, Golap Ma, Lakshmimani Devi (Lakshmi didi) and Ashu Mitra. She arranged to bring her mother Shyamasundari Devi from Jayrambati. Other relatives Kalimama and Baradamama followed. Sri Mahendranath Gupta ("M") was the last to join. Swami Premananda stayed at Sashi Niketan, another property at Puri belonging to the zamindari of the Boses. Holy Mother left Puri in January 1905 in the Bengali month of Magha.

THIRD VISIT
She came to Kothar (Balaram Babu’s Estate near Bhadrak) on 1910 December, and stayed there for sometime before her sojourn to South India. The Kachari Bari renovated in 1996 is now serving as a pilgrim centre for devotees. On her third and last visit Holy Mother reached Puri on 3rd April 1911 on her return journey from South India, starting from Rajahmundry on 1st April. She was accompanied by Krishnalal Maharaj (Swami Dhirananda), Shukul Maharaj (Swami Atmananda), Golap Ma, Rambabu’s Mother, Khuri Ma, Radhu, Chotomami, Mother of Kedarnath Dutta of Koalpara & Sevak Ashutosh Mitra (Brother of Swami Trigunatitananda). She stayed at Balaram Bose's Sashi Niketan (Now, Puri Urban Co-Operative Bank). This time, she stayed for 3/4 days before reaching Kolkata on 11th April 1911 (28th Chaitra 1317 B.S.).

During her stay at Puri Holy Mother got a very painful boil on the leg. It was so unbearable that she would not allow anyone even to touch it. Coming to know of it, Swami Premananda made an arrangement with a doctor, who was a devotee of hers, to come with a scalpel and open the boil. The doctor approached her apparently to make prostration, but while doing so he quickly opened the boil. Although at the moment the intensity of pain caused annoyance in her mind towards the persons involved in the plot, she was very grateful to them when she felt relief after the operation.

Once Holy Mother asked a disciple whether he remembers that on seeing Sri Ramakrishna in the precincts of Jagannath temple at Puri he became unconscious when many people thronged around him. As the disciple asked how Mother could know about it, since he had never said it to anyone afterwards, Mother instantly replied "I was present by the side of Thakur at that time ".

Other Anecdotes

Mahendranath Gupta ("M") said one day that the Master had told him "I am the Jagannath of Puri." He had sent us to Puri quite a few times. He even told us what to do on such visits. Once he told me to embrace the Lord Jagannath. I was worried how that would be possible! It wasn't the right time for the act then. He made an idea crop up in my mind. I took a sum of money - a number of coins in my pocket and threw all of it in the sanctum sanctorum. As the pandas became busy collecting, I climbed up the seat of the Lord (Ratnabedi) and embraced the idol. Some saw the feat and created an uproar. I jumped down and started the encirling (pradakshina). No one could make out in the dark who it was. He who had instructed me to embrace the Lord, made the idea come to my mind as also removed the attention of the pandas by imbibing greed for the money within them. Looking back I feel surprised as to how I managed the daring act!

Swami Turiyananda (Hari Maharaj) visited Puri twice in 1911 and 1917 to improve his ailing health. Even with his ill health, he used to visit the temple for darshan of Lord Jagannath several times during the day, such was his longing for 'darshan'. Once on such a visit, while he was going up the flight of stairs after Arun Stambha, he saw the Master coming down from the other side. He was clothed in ordinary attire and had a garland around his neck. Swami Turiyananda immediately rushed and prostrated before him. As he about to touch the lotous feet of the Master offering his pranam, the Master vanished. An air of awe struck Swami Turiyananda. He used to say "Lord Jagannath has descended in incarnation as Sri Ramakrishna".

Once a Christian father was preaching his religion near the Jagannath temple at Puri. Swami Premananda felt annoyed at the sight and started Harinaam Sankirtan when many others joined him in chorus and the Christian preacher fled. Sri Ramakrishna appeared before Swami Premananda at night and said "Why did you disturb him, he was preaching my name only." Swami Premananda felt embarrased and begged apology of the preacher the very next morning afer searching out his residence in the town.

In the month of Falguna 1332 B.S., Lakshmi didi (the niece of Sri Ramakrishna) went to Puri with devotee Bipin. On the way, she felt quite unhappy and longed for the Master. On visiting the temple of Lord Jagannath, she saw to her surprise that Sri Ramakrishna was seated on a bench in the right hand corner of the sanctum sanctorum. She told Sri Ramakrishna that she was unhappy as He was not able to visit Lord Jagannath. To this the Master replied "I am with Lord Jagannath always, why are you worried! It is seeing you worried that I appeared before you." On another day, Lakshmi didi couldn't see Sri Ramakrishna in the temple and was unhappy. She heard the voice of Lord Jagannath saying "Do not be unhappy! Both your Ramakrishna and I are the same!"

Swami Saradananda was then staying with a few other companions at Sashi Niketan, the property of Balaram Bose. One day after returning from his evening walk at about eight o'clock, he found to his surprise that the king of Bundi (erstwhile princely state in Rajasthan) had occupied the house in the meantime with sentries posted at the entrance barring entry of others. The monastic could have easily asked them to leave the premises but maintained his decency and composure while speaking with the king's staff. Unable to see reason, the private secretary to the king was in a state of outrage. Swami Saradananda wasn't moved by such fits of temper and firmly said "This is not in Bundi but British jurisdiction!" To this the private secretary became aware of his position and pleaded his helplessness. Swami Saradananda shifted to another property of Balaram Babu close to the seaside and returned to Sashi Niketan subsequent to the king of Bundi leaving after a week.

Accompanied by Tulsiram Ghosh (elder brother of Swami Premananda) and Swami Brahmananda, Balaram Babu sailed for Chandbali en route to Bhadrak by S.S. Sir John Lawrence with plenty of articles for some religious ceremony. They disembarked at Diamond Harbour in the afternoon anticipating foul weather ahead. The boat later capsized at night with 750 passengers on board. Rabindranath Tagore later wrote his poem 'Sindhutaranga' depicting this incident. Although all articles were lost, Sri Ramakrishna saved their lives in an inscrutable way. They later sailed by another steamer called S.S.Karloo.