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Vasant Panchmi Parva - Day 7
Swamishri was now quickly completing all of his projects. Years ago, Shriji Maharaj had wished to build a mandir on the hill in Gadhada. Dada Khachar and Jiva Khachar had jointly owned the land. Dada had readily agreed to give up the land, but Jiva Khachar had refused. Maharaj’s wish, therefore, had remained unfulfilled.
Shriji Maharaj had then exclaimed, “A great mandir shall be constructed here in the future and the murtis of myself and my choicest devotee shall be consecrated.”
Swamishri wanted to fulfill Shriji Maharaj’s wish. Therefore, he made many efforts to acquire the land on the hill. However, those who opposed used their influence over the state authorities in Bhavnagar. The government of Bhavnagar resolved not to give Shastri Yagnapurushdasji any land in Gadhada.
When Swamishri was informed by the government’s decision, he remarked, “Since it is Maharaj’s wish, Maharaj himself will use divine powers and have the land given to us. If necessary, he may even cause a shift of powers in the government.”
Sure enough, India gained independence and Swamishri easily acquired the land on the hill. The ground-breaking ceremony was held on 16 November 1949 (Kartik vad 11, Samvat 2006).
The story of Gadhada mandir showcases all that Shastriji Maharaj went through, and all that he did was to build mandirs. It shows how he faced opposition and hardship. There were many people who did all that they could to ensure that the Akshar-Purshottam Upasana would not spread, and at the same time, Shastriji Maharaj struggled to have support, struggled to have money, and even struggled to feed himself at times. Yet, he spread our upasana, he built mandirs, and he did so with faith, because he knew that this was all Shriji Maharaj’s wish. He made the impossible into reality, and we reap the benefits of his sacrifice, dedication, and courage today.
SUMMARY
Shastriji Maharaj built five mandirs in Bochasan, Sarangpur, Gondal, Atladra, and Gadhada. He did so by overcoming challenge after challenge. He was never comfortable, he never became lazy, and he always kept faith that no matter what came his way, Maharaj and Swami would make it work. These are the virtues that we can imbibe into our own life. We will never face what Shastriji Maharaj had to, because he faced it for us. So now, we have to ensure that we are constantly making the most of Satsang, mandir, and all that it provides.