Special Pujas and Ceremonies

On Shree Panchami in the month of Magha (January/February) Vakdevi or mother Saraswati is worshiped at Dev Sangha.

Then ensues the fortnight long sabbatical of retreat and meditation from Maghi Purnima to Shivaratri. Participants spend from 4 in the morning till 9 at night in puja, chanting, daily havan and principally in meditation. Pointless chatting and loitering are not encouraged. This tapasya enriches one internally and offers the scope of meeting the inner self and trying to commune with the Divine in tranquil settings, nourished by simple sattwic fare, free from the turmoils of the turbulent world outside which one perforce has to live with for the rest of the year. Tapasya culminates in the wondrous worship of Hara Hara Maheswara Shiva on Shiva Chaturdashi night.

This is followed by Shree Shree Annapurna Puja in spring. This puja, if participated in in its entirety also constitutes ‘Tapasya’. Tapasya is not a readily translatable term. It envisages abstinence, self control, self denial, frugality, struggle, meditation, internalization, aspiration, discipline, purity in thought and action, attempt to integrate with the Divine, and more in the same line. Just after Chaitra Amavasya from the Tithi of Pratipada, Chandipath, Abahana Puja of mother Annapurna and Havan are performed everyday culminating in the elaborate puja on Ashtami. This puja is performed before Ma Annapurna at Dev Sangha and also in one other locale such as Kolkata / Chennai / Mumbai / Delhi / Ahmedabad etc. simultaneously every year.

Guru puja is held on Gurupurnima tithi in the month of Ashada at Dev Sangha, Deoghar. Brahmarshi Satyadev is worshiped on Shravani Shukla Dwitiya, the Tithi of his arrival in this world, at his shrine in the sanctum sanctorum by the side of Haimavati.

Bharatmata or Mother India is worshiped as embodied in Ma Haimavati at the main shrine in the temple on 15th August, the Indian Independence Day. Hymns culled from Bhramarshi Satyadev’s book ‘Deshmatrika puja’ (or ‘Worship of Motherland’) are sung before the Mother.

Come the month of Bhadra, Janmashtami is celebrated at Dev Sangha Ashram. In the morning Mahamaya is worshipped and the entire Chandi is chanted before her. Shree Krishna is offered puja at night.

Mahapuja ensues thereafter. From Sharadiya Krishna Navami till Mahalaya, Shree Shree Ma Durga’s abahan puja and Chandipath are held daily inside the sanctum sanctorum. From Mahalaya to Shukla Shasthi these are held daily in the Natmandir.
The image of Ma Durga with Simha and Ashura, as prescribed in the scriptures, is constructed by a devoted potter inside Devsangha. The image is placed in the foreground in the Natmandir just over the steps to the sanctum sanctorum. 

From Shasthi with Bodhan and Adhivas, the puja is held through Saptami, Ashtami, Navami & Dashami in grand fashion with ceremonies commencing each day at 4 in the morning with Chandipath, followed by invocation, Pran Pratistha (on the first day), welcome, Mahasnan with innumerable pitchers of holy water, adornments and adoration, offerings, puja, havan & Bhog daily spanning from 7 in the morning till 2 or 3 in the afternoon, followed by Annaprasad. In the evening elaborate chantings and Arati are followed by evening bhog and prasad. 

The Mother in her earthly form is inveigled with the Divine spirit and manifests living symptoms surrounded by Divine Halo which spreads throughout the temple and beyond. She bestows her loving mother’s blessings on her devotee children. She is bid adieu on Dashami afternoon after her daughter devotees perform her Varan with sindoor and sweets. Thereafter, flooding her children in tears, amidst cries of ‘PUNARAGAMANAYA CHA’ - ‘mother, come again’, she is let go, her earthly form for immersion, her Divine spirit hearkening on her way to lord Shiva the supreme consciousness in His eternal abode beyond duality and strife.

All pujas are held strictly according to the scriptures, infused with ardent devotion.