Monghyr Janmotsav (July 1926) : In 1926, adorable Narendranath Chakravarti, a distinguished devotee of Thakur, was a Sub-judge at Monghyr and another distinguished devotee of Thakur, Shriyukta Priya Kumar Chattopadhyaya (in Haranath fold he was specially known as “Upananda Baba”) was then staying as Government auditor at Bhagalpore. On account of these two devotees being simultaneously present in the district of Monghyr Sree Sree kind Thakur’s Name was spread in a particular manner everywhere in that district and before seeing Him with their eyes many became enlisted as His devotees.

When one day Narendranath Chakravarti sitting in his private chamber, called some distinguished pleaders of his court and proposed that the sixty first (61^st) birth festival of Thakur be performed this time at Monghyr, they gladly approved of that and said, “We have heard that the Birth-festival of Thakur is a very costly affair; this involves an expenditure of not less than six or seven thousand rupees; it will not be possible for you to bear all this expense alone; so we say-you just take the inititive and commence the work, we all together collect the necessary money somehow or other. If through your grace, vision of Thakur occurs in our life, what else can be a thing of greater fortune?” Getting such encouragement from the distinguished pleaders Narendranath Chakravarti wrote to Thakur about this event on the same day.

In due time Thakur’s reply to that letter came. In that Thakur informed, “Father, when you have got a desire to perform Birth-festival this time at Monghyr, what have I to say to that? I have no different will other than yours, I move as you make me move. But father, before putting your hand to such difficult work you should better consult the Kalikata (Kolkata) Tattwa Pracharini Sabha once, it is they who have all along been celebrating the Birth-festival and they will be able to say how this has to be done and what things are necessary for this.” In accordance with that advice, Narendranath wrote to the Kalikata Sabha, Rai Saheb Akshoy Kumar Gupta, Shriyukta Profulla Kumar Gangopadhyaya (another distinguished devotee of Thakur and Engineer of the Howrah District Board) and Shriyukta Narayan Chandra Ghosh and these three devotees went together one month before the festival on or about 1st June 1926, to the house of Narendranath Chakravarti at Monghyr who was then working ask (Sub-Judge) to consult with Narendra Babu on behalf of the Sabha. Staying there for three days they settled everything regarding the festival. The quarters of Naren Babu were very near the “Kasta Harini Ghat” of Monghyr and there was a very wide ground attached to the rented house where he lived with his family. It was decided that the venue of the festival would be that ground where a suitable frame-work for the pavilion would be raised.

In Shriyukta Narendranath’s house the three Calcutta devotees passed their time in joy in discussions about Thakur. Every one beginning from the child in Narendranath’s house was devoted to Haranath, everyone was so busy for the services of the guests. One devotee of Haranath was like a deity to another devotee of Haranath and more intimate than the most intimate. On that account if any devotee gets another devotee in his house he serves him with his whole heart knowing him to be Haranath in person; even in that there was the wonderful play of Thakur.

After they went away, huge preparations for the festival began to be made at Monghyr. But a serious danger or obstacle appeared; throughout the whole month of June not a single drop of rain fell in the Monghyr area; there were cries of distress all around, ponds etc., were almost dry, a terrible famine was apprehended. Those who were members of the festival committee sat down with their hands on their heads (dejected). Over and above the sultry heat there was scarcity of water, in such a condition if Thakur came with His devotees how could arrangements for His service be made. They all were worrying when at noon on 30th June, 1926, Thakur’s wire that He would reach Monghyr at noon on 1st July came. Along with this wire a tremendous rain commenced, as if Varuna Deva was trying to pour at once at Monghyr and the places near about that town all the water he kept in store for the rainy season. From noon on 30th June to 10 a.m. on 1st July incessantly it rained cats and dogs. As a result of that incessant rain, not only were all the rivers and canals filled but the terrible heat also due to which the people of that locality were so long almost dead, disappeared altogether. The people began to perform the work of the festival with redoubled enthusiasm, as if they regained their life.

The Utsav at Monghyr in 1926, was the last one celebrated with Shri Shri Thakur Haranath amidst His devotees in flesh and blood. Devotees from different parts of Bengal as well as from far-off Provinces of Bombay and Madras attended the Janmotsav. It was one of the biggest Janmotsavs ever held.

As per the call of Sree Thakur, N. Dharmarao Naidu and P. Ramadas came from the then Madras Province and met the Lord on 30.06.1926, on the way to Burdwan station. On seeing them Thakur expressed His boundless  joy and anxiously enquired of Mrs. P. Ramadas, “Mother not come?” They joyfully travelled with the Lord. At night the Lord sent some “loochis” and mangoes to their carriage as He knew that they were travelling without food.

Two hours before Thakur came, the sky became totally clear. The members of the festival committee such as Narendranath Chakravarti etc., proceeded towards the station with two or three bands of musicians and people holding various flags to take Thakur in procession from the station. While going on the way they saw that as if some one, on the occasion of Thakur’s coming, had kept all the streets and lanes of the town clean after washing and rubbing them; there was not the least trace of dust or mud in any place. Honourable Raghu Nandan Prasad Singha, Raja of Monghyr, sent his costly car to take Thakur from the station and that was decorated with fragrant flowers and leaves of various colours. Mounting that car Thakur and Thakurani came to the festival place.

The Utsav which was attended by thousands of people in the town lasted for three days, but the Lord extended His stay there by nearly a week.

In the midst of the general rejoicing however, there was one disquieting feature. The Lord’s health which had been indifferent for some years had worsened considerably by the time the Utsav began. He was bloodless. “I have shed my blood to the last drop“, said He to Brother Tahal Prasad Roy who was standing near Him, “see that nobody touches my feet during this Utsav.” The Lord suggested this precaution, because He usually suffered unbearable pains whenever strangers fell at His feet, and His health from that moment seemed to deteriorate. When He went to the Ganges for a bath, some devotees went with Him, partly to have His company and partly to help in the process of anointing His person with oil and massaging His limbs, which were an indispensable daily routine. On that occasion the Lord uttered the following words. – “If you all really love me as your father, you need not be anxious for anything. Even now I hear your prayer, but I am not doing much owing to this body. If I leave this, I shall be free, and can do anything you want, and give you anything. Therefore do not be anxious about it. It is better for me if I leave this body. I shall be always with you. Do not be afraid.“

Thus we see that the Lord made no secret of His coming demise nor did the prospect of it ever seem to displease Him or lessen His optimism in the least. Birth and death were alike to Him as they meant nothing more than a change of dress and shifting of the scene of action perhaps to some other part of the world or to some other universe; He being the actor ever the same.

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N.B. Collected from “Lord Haranath-Antya Leela (Volume 3-Part 2)” written by A. Ramakrishna Sastry, 1972.

(Raja Raghunandan Prasad Singh’s Photo Courtesy : http://www.indianrajputs.com/view/munger)

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Jai Haranath Jai Kusumkumari Jai