I've been listening and watching Sadhguru's lectures and videos for about an year and a half, and i have to say that, the kind of change he brings to the way we think or perceive almost everything in our lives is surprising and at least gives a different dimension of hope or understanding or viewpoint or sometimes even solutions to most of the clarifications we sought.
The Maha Shivratri, as Sadhguru says, is one of the days in the year when there is a natural upsurge of energy, and staying awake that night helps in utilizing it for the benefit of mental and physical health.
I have been to few temples for Shivratri during my school days, and it usually be the vedic chanting all through the night with abishekams and prasadams. Last year, i planned to attend the event at Isha Foundation in Coimbatore and made bookings, but couldn't go due to personal works. Instead, i made it to Ramakrishna Mutt in Chennai that night filled with Bhajans and Aartis. I wished i was there for that grand event at Isha when i watched it on YouTube later.
This year, i wanted to attend the event at any cost, and planned well in advance with the bookings and leave permissions. I made it successfully and I should say, it was an experience at a different level altogether.
All the passengers of the few buses arranged from Chennai by Isha Foundation were requested to volunteer themselves at the annadhanam counters that evening (from 6pm to 12am). Honestly I was eager to attend the cultural event from 6pm, but had to be standing for about 6 hours serving lakhs of people thronged to witness the extravaganza. I felt disappointed at first, that i won't get a seat to enjoy that night, but once the annadhaanam counters were opened, it was straight 6 hours with a couple of little breaks serving hot sakkarai pongal and super hot mixed vegetable sambar rice. These counters were about 750 meters from the cultural performance stage and we neither saw nor heard anything from that far. Finally, when the crowd subsided at midnight, we filled our stomach lightly, and moved on to join the audience in the open-air sitting area.
Though we couldn't see the stage from the zone where we got few seats, screens and speakers lined all the way up there helped to watch it as closely as we watch it on TV. The way people danced, meditated, and enjoyed is something that I have never seen in my life. All were so deeply absorbed and some of them were so stuck in meditation that won't feel anything that happens to their body.
The vibes and energy from the songs and drum-beats, I should say, was an experience at a different level.
I thought I was the one of the very few who was kind of addicted to Sadhguru's lectures, but saw the reality there. Sadhguru is a massive massive crowd puller. I really haven't seen many who had been followed as God-like personalities. The way people were attached and dedicated to Sadhguru was incomparable. It was an all-in-all Sadhguru's night I should say. The organization (Isha Foundation) is predominantly driven by volunteers, and I was amazed to see the drive and dedication of all of them in organizing such a massive, grand event. It's not a joke to host such a mass gathering at a vast open space without anyone tiring off.
One mention before i end this post, the sunset that we can see towards the Velliangiri mountain range was breathtaking. The moment Sun was completely behind the mountains, a part of the sky turned golden to say the least. Such a wonderful sight it was. Ardent photographers will find every minute of an evening so interesting to click the beauty from various angles.
Here I leave the YouTube links of the event.
The speech by VP Venkaiah Naidu was a classic. Don't miss it.
