Ravishri's First Yagya

Ravishri's First Yagya - Dhirpura

December 1989, Dhirpura Chowki (outpost), Police Station Indergarh, District Datia. The Chowki In-charge, Shri Narayan Singh Kushwaha, was busy overseeing the construction work of the new building being built for the police station. It was around three to four in the evening. Ravishri arrived at the Chowki at this time, getting off the bus in Dhirpura. Kushwaha ji welcomed you very warmly. Kushwaha ji had already become acquainted with you in Indergarh, and after the welcome, he insisted you stay. Several residents of Dhirpura who had met Ravishri in Indergarh also came to the Chowki as soon as they heard the news and started urging you to rest in Dhirpura.

It is worth noting here that while everyone believed that you had the grace of some siddha, the insistence on staying was driven more by a desire to witness miracles than by devotion. Of course, devotion did arise in people after witnessing miracles, because when their minds whispered about the hidden reason behind those miracles, they could think of nothing other than divine grace. Whoever met Ravishri for the first time would be left prostrate after he merely called them by name and materialized prasad from the air to feed them. You were also introduced to the villagers as a "miraculous saint." Adding the word "miraculous" to your introduction and your performing miracles were both extremely necessary because Ravishri did not look like a saint at all in terms of attire, demeanor, and especially age.

When you came to Dhirpura, you had completed about twenty-one and a half years of age, but the people here say that at that time, you were only fifteen or sixteen years old. How could anyone give the respect of a saint or a siddha purush (accomplished being) to a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy? One could admire the 'yearning for detachment' within him and bow down to the unseen power upon seeing his भाव (spiritual emotion), but surrendering to that boy was certainly difficult. Especially in today's time, when we first look for the uniqueness of a saint, and if there is no uniqueness, we consider the time spent thinking about him a waste of time.

Anyway, in Dhirpura, the news reached every household through mischievous unpaid messengers that "a saintly boy has come to the village, who immediately prepares and feeds prasad to anyone and has the accomplishment of some siddha soul." Meanwhile, Ravishri accepted the request to stay in Dhirpura for a day or two, and Kushwaha ji arranged for his stay in the Manas Bhavan (community hall) located in Dhirpura.

In the evening, when Ravishri thought of taking a stroll around Dhirpura, the Daroga ji (station in-charge) sent two villagers with him. While Ravishri went for a walk, the daily routine of drinking, abusing, and fighting started in Dhirpura. Kushwaha ji says that Ravishri had fully assessed the social situation of the village by the end of the first evening. Ravishri, who had initially said he would stay for 'only two days', stayed for three or four days just like that. He ate only boiled potatoes once a day, nothing else, and that too in the evening. All day he would play with children, if anyone came with a problem, he would go with them to solve it, and he would entertain his peers.

Here, by peers, we mean those children who were twelve to sixteen years old and who considered him their peer.

After five or six days, Ravishri thought of staying at the Hanuman temple in the village. The villagers were happy about his stay because they got to see and hear new miracles every day. Besides this, the children had tremendous curiosity about him. After arranging for rest at the temple, Ravishri went to the Daroga ji and told him the purpose of his stay, that 'he wanted to perform a yagya in Dhirpura.' Knowing his intention, the Daroga ji said, "A yagya is very difficult in a village like Dhirpura. People here only know how to harbor animosity, due to which rioting is very easy, but even thinking about a yagya is wrong." Ravishri replied to this, "This is the very reason" that has inspired me to perform a yagya here; we have to change the thoughts of these people."

Narayan Singh Kushwaha himself was a spiritual person. When he understood Ravishri's purpose, he immediately agreed but entrusted Ravishri with the responsibility of preparing the villagers, saying, "I am a government employee; I am ready for all indirect help, but you need to be at the forefront." Narayan Singh Kushwaha says, "Although Ravishri's intention was pure, and it was my personal wish that he succeed in this purpose because that purpose carried 'a sense of duty' with it, it seemed impossible to me that he would succeed in Dhirpura." Ravishri had already assessed the social situation of Dhirpura. Kushwaha ji's warning to him was not meaningless; he understood this too. But Ravishri was one of those who believe that 'no war can be won due to pessimism.' Besides, it is said that 'when you say that there is no hope from this situation or that person, at that time you are closing your eyes to that unseen power.'

The next day, Ravishri, through his young companions, sent word as soon as it was morning to the universally respected and self-respecting leaders of the village that 'Hanumanji has given me a dream that a yagya should be organized in this village.'

As anticipated in the village, the process moved swiftly. First, one became two, two became four, and as soon as four became eight, separate groups of eight individuals formed, and discussions began. 'Hanumanji has given a dream to the boy baba. He is asking to conduct a yagya.' Starting from here, by evening, these discussions also included, 'He is a new boy, what guarantee is there? What if he takes the money and runs away?' A significant concern also arose within a large group: 'A yagya is no small matter; if he leaves the yagya midway or if the form of the yagya gets disrupted in any way, it will bring disrepute to the village.' Finally, after continuous discussions for the second and third day, the decision was made: 'Tell the boy baba that there will be no yagya.' Meanwhile, some people also met the Daroga ji and told him about the 'boy baba's' wish. The villagers were among the Daroga ji's special people, and he explained to them, 'If a religious act is taking place, what is the harm?' They understood the point. 'And as far as the fear of the yagya's form getting disrupted is concerned, I am warning that boy baba that if anything like that happens, I will not spare him.' This assurance from the 'Daroga' ji had an effect, and a group of people who wanted the yagya to happen also emerged.

Among those who were against the yagya, some were simple-hearted and genuinely feared that the yagya might become a cause of disrepute for the village. The Daroga ji identified such individuals and asked Ravishri to persuade them.

Ravishri tried to convince those who were opposing the yagya to agree. He spoke to them individually and took responsibility for the yagya himself, but all this was not so easy. Finally, he started sitting in the middle after lighting cow dung cakes all around and reiterated his resolve that 'even if it is a one-day yagya, I will perform the yagya. A Brahmin boy is subjecting himself to fire in your village to conduct a religious work, and you people are adamant.' When this explanation was given by the Daroga ji and his associates, as well as by the conscience within every human being, the villagers' stubbornness gradually began to break.

Meanwhile, Ravishri was also making personal requests to influential people. Veer Singh, an elderly man from the village, says, 'Initially, I was against the yagya, but Ravishri once took me aside, first fed me prasad, then instilled a sense of religiosity in me. This belief arose in me that he is capable of not only the yagya but much more. So, I then gave my permission, and Veer Singh's change of heart meant many others changed too.'

Finally, by the first week of January, Ravishri had proved that 'the difference between possible and impossible ultimately depends on human resolve.' All the villagers united and agreed to the yagya, and the date for the yagya was fixed: 'The yagya will commence on February 2, 1990, and the Purnahuti (final offering) and Bhandara (community feast) will be held on February 8, 1990.' And the name of this yagya would be "Shri Ram Mahayagya." Even after the date for the yagya was fixed, some people's opposition continued, but instead of trying to persuade them, Ravishri started the construction work of the yagyashala (yagya site), showing that the yagya was now certain to happen, and it was better to stop the opposition. The construction work of the yagyashala was done hastily. The police department provided full cooperation, and the boys of the village also came forward unitedly to work. As soon as the yagyashala was built, one thing settled in everyone's mind: the yagya was definitely going to happen. As soon as this mindset of certainty developed, a meeting was called in which two major problems were discussed: the first major problem was water, and the second was the financial problem.

The only solution to the financial problem was donation, and the villagers were cooperative. By this time, the discussion about Ravishri had spread to about twenty-five surrounding villages. In fact, Ravishri himself had visited most of the villages. It was decided that receipt books should be sent to all the villages and pamphlets should be printed, appealing to everyone for cooperation. Donations would also be collected from buses, taxis, trucks, etc. The second important problem, water, stood gaping. The only sources of water in the village were wells, which were not only quite far from the yagyashala but also had very little water in them. A small river flowed near the village, but it was dry. Certainly, a large quantity of water was needed for the yagya. Everyone started feeling that this problem was not going to be solved. Those who were opposing got to say again, 'This is exactly what we were thinking when we were saying no.'

Near the yagyashala, at a distance of hardly fifty steps, a pit had been dug for a well some years ago, which had been left dry due to lack of water and had gradually filled with soil etc., leaving a depth of about 10-15 feet. Ravishri told the villagers about it, "Let's dig this one; maybe we'll find water." The villagers found his suggestion childish, and no one considered it appropriate to pay attention to it. But Ravishri insisted, "At least dig it once." Finally, two boys went down into the pit with crowbars and shovels. Ravishri, from above, threw a stone and indicated a spot to dig the well from the side. Actually, it would be more appropriate to call this a pit because it was neither very deep nor had any construction work been done there. The two individuals who had gone down into the well for digging work, and the crowd gathered around, were watching the pit being dug at that spot with unbelievable eyes when.........suddenly.........!!...........unbelievable.....!!

With a gurgling sound, a strong stream of water started flowing out at that spot after hardly digging a foot. Filled with enthusiasm, that strong stream of water was not only astonishing the villagers but also moving many to tears as it rapidly filled the pit. As soon as this sensational miracle happened, the villagers were filled with an amazing enthusiasm, and the work of the yagya suddenly gained momentum. But Ravishri absolutely did not consider this miracle a miracle. He took it very casually and simply, saying, "The water was there before; no one just dug." The sacred water that would be needed daily for the yagya work had been arranged. The work of collecting donations had begun, and assurances of cooperation had been received from the surrounding villages of Akola, Bharol, Sundarpur, Sisgaon, etc.

In the pamphlets printed for this yagya, Ravishri was addressed as 'Shri Sant 1008 Shri Ravishankarji Maharaj'.

While Ravishri was extremely busy with the preparations for the yagya on one hand, on the other hand, whenever he got time in the morning and evening, he remained busy playing with children. One of the reasons why trust in Ravishri was wavering despite the strong miracles he performed was that while he would show powerful miracles, he would also not fail to present himself as an ordinary boy. One day, a friend of Ravishri, Chaturbhuj Pandey, looked very sad. When Ravishri asked the reason, he found out that 'he had lost money in gambling.' Ravishri said, 'If you had told me before going, you would never have lost.' Chaturbhuj again had hope of winning back the lost money. Ravishri said, 'Don't be sad; now you will win.' Chaturbhuj went home, somehow arranged money again, and went to play. Half an hour later, filled with anger, he again started searching for Ravishri. He had lost even the money he had barely managed to collect. As soon as Ravishri met Chaturbhuj, Chaturbhuj put all the responsibility for his loss on Ravishri. Ravishri avoided him by saying, 'I didn't tell you to go and play right now, and you didn't even tell me when you were leaving.' Anyway, that loss still exists as a sweet memory in Chaturbhuj's heart.

Apart from the above incident, due to Ravishri's playing with children, talking like children, being carefree, and looking young, the villagers were not entirely sure that this yagya would be completely successful. On the other hand, hidden behind Ravishri's carefree attitude was a long list of powerful individuals whom Ravishri had met and knew, but the villagers were neither acquainted with them nor did they have any information about them. After a long and hectic selection process, Captain Singh Gurjar from Sundarpura village was decided for the role of Parikshit (the listener of the Bhagavat Katha), and Pt. Damodar Shastri from Indergarh was chosen for the position of Acharya (chief priest). Ravishri himself went to Indergarh to talk to Pt. Damodar Shastri. Shastri ji remained extremely busy due to his job, due to which he had a shortage of time. But when Ravishri insisted, seeing Ravishri's childhood, he also first expressed a desire to see the yagyashala and the next day himself went to the village to assess the form of the yagya and finally agreed.

On February 2, 1990, the women of the village filled water pots with water from the same well. The well and the pots were worshiped. A water procession was taken from the well to the yagyashala through the long path of the village, and the yagya began. On the other hand, the villagers were divided into two groups. Their complaint was that Ravishri was neither telling them how much collection had been made nor how much more cooperation might be needed. Narayan Singh Kushwaha explains the reason for this dispute: 'Some greedy elements had been excluded from the yagya process at the last moment. They could not argue about why they were excluded, so those people forcibly started creating problems by claiming to be responsible villagers.' Finally, Ravishri had to explain to all the villagers how the work would be accomplished in the upcoming yagya and how much the expenses would be. Pt. Damodar Shastri says, 'After Ravishri explained the accounts, it became clear to me and the villagers that this yagya would be completed. Ravishri had at least this much collection. This collection was not only in the form of money but also included the names of those individuals who had assured cooperation by giving wheat, chickpeas, lentils, ghee, etc.'

During the yagya, besides Ramlila, Shrimad Bhagavat Katha, and Kirtan, there was also an arrangement for discourses. According to Narayan Singh Kushwaha, about one lakh twenty thousand rupees were collected in cash in this yagya.

During this time, while the work of the yagya was progressing towards its completion with full enthusiasm despite all the problems, a whole group of sadhus and saints became angry because Ravishri had clearly refused to arrange ganja and bhang for them. This group unanimously decided to leave the yagya, and those disgruntled villagers who had been excluded from the main processes of the yagya joined in fueling this group. At this time, Narayan Singh Kushwaha, who had been quiet until now due to his gentleness, seeing that undue advantage was being taken of Ravishri's calm nature and obstacles were being created in the yagya work, adopted a stern and police-like demeanor. Seeing him in anger, this problem, which had emerged as quickly as it did, also subsided just as quickly.

For this yagya, while donations were being collected from all the villagers, passing vehicles, receipt books, etc., on the other hand, Ravishri's former acquaintances, who were indebted to him in some way or had a strong impression of his miracles on them, or who genuinely understood helping in Ravishri's work as devotion to God, were secretly donating and offering their support. These included people from Dabra and Jhansi to Senvdha and Lahar. During this time, Ravishri himself went to Datia and Indergarh and collected donations from people. On the last day of the yagya, the Bhandara (community feast) was held, and on this day, the village, which was notorious for mutual animosity, alcoholism, and fights, united and became so involved in making the conclusion of this religious work extremely successful that it was a sight to behold.

There were seventeen pandits during the yagya. All the pandits and the groups of sadhus, saints, and Naga Babas who had come from far and wide were given dakshina (offering) after the meals and were bid farewell. Narayan Singh narrates that on the last day, about thirty to thirty-five thousand people had food during the Bhandara. In the end, the situation was such that so much prasad had been prepared (in the form of boondi) that buses were stopped and passengers were distributed it, and separate prasad was sent to all the villages. The villagers, who were afraid that 'there might be some deficiency', were astonished, and at that time, all limits of their surprise were broken when they found out that even after all this, about ten thousand rupees and several sacks of wheat were still remaining.

Mohkam Singh Gurjar, who played a major active role in this yagya, narrated a very interesting and strange incident that occurred during this yagya itself.

He narrates that a saint, known as 'Chukariya Wale Baba ji' (the Baba with the chukariya), had come from somewhere to the yagya. A chukariya is an earthen pot, about the size of a small lota (water pot). Since that pot always remained in his hand, he got that name. The incident began like this: early in the morning, while returning from relieving himself, the said saint collided with Ravishri. Ravishri had a brass kamandal (water pot) in his hand, and the saint had his chukariya, and both their pots were empty.

The saint extended his chukariya towards Ravishri and said, 'Please fill this.' As soon as Ravishri tilted his empty kamandal...........a stream of water flowed out of it and started falling into the chukariya. Seeing the stream flowing from the empty kamandal, the two or four people who were standing there were stunned and started shouting and calling others; the army of children who always stayed with Ravishri was already there.

If the strangeness of the scene had been limited to this, it would have been nothing much. The matter became even more sensational when people saw that despite the continuous flow of water from the empty kamandal, the empty chukariya did not seem to be filling up.....! The crowd of onlookers watching this astonishing and strange miracle kept increasing rapidly, and about half an hour passed, and the situation reached a point where there was no space to even place a foot.

On one side, water kept flowing continuously from the kamandal. On the other side, the saint holding the chukariya kept smiling and filling the chukariya with that water. Everyone was staring at this wondrous scene with wide eyes, waiting for a resolution. People could not understand what was happening and how all this was possible........!!

And finally, the chukariya was filled....... and the water started overflowing and falling down!! Chukariya Wale Baba folded his hands, bowed to Ravishri, and said, 'I had been searching for many days for someone to fill my chukariya; today it is filled.' Ravishri's smiling reply was....... my kamandal was empty; I don't know how your chukariya got filled.....!!

The Bhandara of the Dhirpura Yagya was completed very successfully. The officials of Indergarh had also helped Ravishri in every way in this endeavor. Babu Khan, one of Ravishri's ardent devotees today, who was a Kanoongo (revenue officer) in Indergarh at the time of this yagya, narrates, "In the Dhirpura Yagya, the arrangement for water for the yagya had been made, but to meet the need for additional water, especially for the Bhandara, Ravi Shri came to me and said, 'I need an arrangement for a tanker for the yagya.'" Khan Sahib says, "This was my first meeting with Ravishri. I had heard discussions about him, but the coincidence of meeting him happened for the first time." Babu Khan told Ravishri, "The arrangement will be made, but for that, we will have to meet the higher officer." Khan Sahib says, "Considering his age, I thought that upon mentioning the higher officer, he would say something like, 'Who should I get a recommendation from?' or 'How will that work?' Usually, a person becomes confused upon hearing the name of a senior officer, but Ravishri directly said, 'Then get me introduced to the higher officer.'" Ultimately, the arrangement for tankers etc. was made. But here, another ability of Ravishri emerges. Babu Khan himself says, "Despite his young age, he had no shyness. He had the ability to stand in front of even the highest officials and state his point and get it accepted." This ability of Ravishri, along with his continuous interaction with the police administration, is completely contrary to his nature during his time spent in Chhipri and Yara, where everyone said that he was very afraid of the police. It feels as if Ravishri was definitely just pretending to be afraid etc. to appear ordinary.

The Dhirpura Yagya had concluded, and Ravishri was willing to deposit the remaining amount of about ten thousand rupees in the bank. At this time, Bali Baba, who harbored animosity towards Ravishri, again started following Ravishri. He had somehow gotten an idea of the 'amount of the remaining money' and 'its presence with Ravishri' and wanted to meet Ravishri alone in any way possible. Coincidentally, when Ravishri was standing at the Dhirpura bus stand with the money, thinking of somehow getting rid of Bali Baba, N.C. Sharma, a resident of Datia who was posted as CMO in Indergarh, happened to pass through Dhirpura on his way from Indergarh to Datia at the same time. Ravishri called out and stopped Sharma ji and informed him about the money and the problem of Bali Baba. Sharma ji narrates, "As soon as I seated Ravishri on the scooter, Bali Baba also sat down as the third rider. Ultimately, all three came to Datia together because Sharma ji could not ask Bali Baba to get off without a reason."

Upon reaching Datia, Sharma ji tricked Bali Baba and dropped him off at a place, saying, 'I'll be right back,' and came to his house, which was in Datia itself, with Ravishri. 'Balibaba' appeared as a unique character in Ravishri's fakir-like life, but Ravishri never used his abilities to get rid of him. This is definitely an unresolved question in itself, the answer to which is perhaps this: 'His effort to appear ordinary was happening only because of Bali Baba's presence.' 'He is not able to defend himself from Balibaba, what kind of accomplishment would he have?' Ravishri needed this mentality of the people. He wanted people to understand that ultimately, 'I am also just an ordinary person.'

The reason for describing the Dhirpura Yagya in such detail is that this yagya, performed by Ravishri, was the first yagya that proved to be a milestone in his fakir-like life. Because earlier, after the yagya performed by Mauni Baba in Chhipri, when Ravishri had said, 'I will also perform a yagya,' people had taken his words as a joke. Besides this, this yagya was perhaps testing Ravishri himself in his own eyes. 'This test' was not about the yagya but about the great purpose of whether he would be able to awaken a religious consciousness in the people of Dhirpura or not. It was natural for people to oppose. Ravishri's purpose was only to remove the dust that had settled on them, due to which people were not able to accept the yagya in the beginning. If they did not have faith in Ravishri, they should at least have faith in their own unity; they were greatly underestimating their own abilities. Ravishri felt a sense of duty to awaken the lost faith within those people. In the words of Mother Teresa, 'Duty is a very personal thing. It is the response of your very being to the call of what needs to be done. It is not something that you can explain to others, but it is something that you know in your heart.'

The Chowki In-charge, Narayan Singh Kushwaha, says that after the yagya, people in Dhirpura kept pondering for many days about how they were thinking about where they would get donations for the yagya, who would help, and how the yagya would take place. But that 'boy-baba' not only beautified the dilapidated condition of the temple with marble, adding to its splendor, but also showed a saving of ten thousand rupees after successfully completing the memorable yagya.

Even before the conclusion of the Dhirpura Yagya, the foundation for another yagya had been laid in the form of a coincidence, which should be called nature's own way of working.

A poor farmer from village Pachokhara, Babulal Jha, who was also a sculptor, heard that 'a saint is conducting a yagya in Dhirpura, who is not only young in age but also highly accomplished.' The poor farmer felt curious to meet the saint, but upon hearing that 'there is a huge crowd around the saint,' he suppressed his desire, thinking that a poor man like him would surely not catch his eye.

Just then, an idea came to his mind: 'Why not make an idol and present it to the said saint in the yagya?' As soon as this thought came, his hands started to work wonders. Two days before the conclusion of the Dhirpura Yagya, at night, with musical instruments and a kirtan group of villagers, that 'poor sculptor' reached Dhirpura. Ravishri, upon seeing the idol and sensing the poor farmer's intention, immediately hugged him. The idol was consecrated immediately, and Babulal Jha was introduced to all the attendees present at the yagya.

It is said, "Nature puts a stick of some art in the hands of every person, saying, 'Go, accomplish your journey while leaning on this.' Now, it is in the hands of the person himself to recognize that stick and take its support."

The art in Babulal's hands had fulfilled his heartfelt desire. After the conclusion of the yagya, when the thought of immersing the idol in water came to Ravishri's mind, Babulal was called again. The person who was once thinking about how he would meet that saint was now being summoned by the saint himself.

Again, the kirtan group got ready and reached Dhirpura. The work of the yagya was completed. As soon as the group arrived, it was decided that the idol would be immersed in the stream of the 'Sankua' (well), which is famous as the nephew's pilgrimage site of the sixty-eight pilgrimage sites located in Senvdha. Ravishri and Babulal Jha went to Sankua in two tractors with musical instruments and immersed the idol of the goddess in the water. On the return journey, Ravishri stayed in Senvdha, and all the others returned to their respective villages.

Two days after Senvdha, Ravishri again came to Dhirpura and paid the remaining money for the tent house etc. Suddenly, Ravishri remembered that 'Babulal Jha', who had brought the idol after so much hard work, had not been given anything. Here, it was true that 'Babulal Jha' had received a lot in return for that idol from his perspective, but it was also true that 'from Ravishri's perspective, he had truly received nothing.' Besides this, Ravishri could not forget that innocent भाव (feeling) of the poor farmer with which he had come to him after preparing the idol with so much effort, even if he wanted to.

When Ravishri could no longer restrain himself, he set out to meet that farmer towards Pachokhara village, which falls about five kilometers inside from the Loss Road from Indergarh, according to nature's plan.

About two hundred and fifty meters before the main road, from where the gravel road goes to this farmer's village, falls the village Khadaua. If you have to go to Pachokhara by bus, you will have to get off at 'Khadaua'. Ravishri had already found out that the road to Pachokhara goes to the right from near Khadaua, but it was evening time, so it would be appropriate to ask someone. With this intention, he called out to a person coming from a distance, "Which way is the road to Pachokhara?" That person was not only drunk but also looking for money to drink more. As soon as he assessed that 'this is a new visitor and an unknown person,' he started interrogating Ravishri and put his hand in Ravishri's pocket. While coming from village Dhirpura, a devotee had forcibly put a ten rupee note in Ravishri's pocket as an offering after touching his feet. 'Ravishri himself was not even aware of this note.' As soon as the drunkard took out the ten rupee note from his pocket, Ravishri himself was surprised whether it was the drunkard's miracle or his kurta's, because he had not performed any miracle.

Anyway, that drunkard was satisfied, and unknowingly, in exchange for the ten rupee note, he made Ravishri realize that this village, named 'Khadaua', also needed to improve. This incident happened during the first week of March 1990. Ravishri, instead of going to Pachokhara that night, reached a place called 'Beti Kunjawati ki Baori' (Beti Kunjawati's well) adjacent to Khadaua. He met the priests there and expressed his wish to stay. After that, he made a firm resolve to conduct a yagya in Khadaua as well and lay down there for the night. (Ravishri himself had once narrated this incident, hidden behind the conduct of the Khadaua Yagya, among his devotees in Rawatpura).

Second Yagya - Khadaua

Khadaua village falls under Indergarh Police Station, in Datia district. It is famous as a significant historical site due to the extremely beautiful stepwell built by Beti Kunjawati, who is said to be the sister of Hardaul, and is also known as "Beti ka Gaon" (daughter's village). A fair is held at this stepwell every year on the seventh day of the Sawan month. This beautiful stepwell appears to have only one level from a distance, but upon approaching, its other two levels located underground become visible. The well is on the lowest level, and a temple of Lord Vishnu is built on the uppermost level.

After resting for the night, Ravishri, as soon as it was morning, finished his daily routines and reached the village, searching for the house of Sarpanch Rajendra Singh 'who is no more'. Upon reaching Rajendra Singh's house, you introduced yourself. Even though few people had seen Ravishri after the Dhirpura Yagya, Ravishri's name had become famous in all the surrounding villages.

You told Rajendra Singh, "Rani Kunjawati has given me a dream that a yagya should be performed here." The Sarpanch was a religious-minded person, but he first suggested taking the opinion of the village elders. A meeting of all the influential people of the village was immediately called, and the proposal for the yagya was presented. The only point in Ravishri's favor was that the Dhirpura Yagya had been successfully completed. Besides this, the matter of Kunjawati's dream could also not be ignored. Considering Ravishri's age, everyone thought that even though Ravishri's name was prominent in the Dhirpura Yagya, it was everyone's cooperation that made it happen. Moreover, he was a young boy; if the yagya went wrong, the entire village would be defamed. Thinking this, a proposal for another meeting was set for March 15, 1990. During this time, Ravishri stayed at 'Beti ki Baori' (daughter's stepwell) itself and remained busy playing with children. The people here had realized that he was miraculous, but they were still not convinced that the yagya would be completed successfully, and the decided date for the meeting arrived.

On March 15, 1990, all the elders, Panchas (village council members), Sarpanch, and influential people of the village gathered again, and the proposal for the yagya was discussed. In this meeting, one point made by Sarpanch Rajendra Singh convinced everyone. He said, "Why are you saying that 'the boy's words cannot be trusted?' Forget about him. Can't we all come together and perform a yagya? If God has sent that boy, then even if we make him the head of every task of the yagya, whether he does something... or... doesn't do anything... we will handle everything from behind." Rajendra Singh's point made sense to everyone, and it was unanimously decided that the yagya would take place.

Ravishri had learned a lot from the Dhirpura Yagya, and due to those experiences, it would not be wrong to say that the Khadaua Yagya was a more successful one. Even though the Dhirpura Yagya was more talked about, the Khadaua Yagya was completed peacefully. The main task of managing this yagya was in the hands of the young saint himself, who had mature thoughts. The mistakes that had occurred in the Dhirpura Yagya, such as very few committees being formed, most of the work being in Ravishri's hands, the cooperation of outsiders being more than that of the villagers in the yagya tasks, and the ego of the villagers not being pacified, all these 'perhaps' mistakes were not repeated in this yagya.

The large-scale yagyas that are taking place in Rawatpura today, which are completed in a very well-planned manner, had their initial rehearsals during the Dhirpura and Khadaua Yagyas. In this meeting held on March 15, 1990, the date for the yagya was fixed from May 10, 1990, to May 16, 1990, and various committees were formed for the yagya arrangements, the main ones being the management committee, the night yagyashala care committee, the village goods exchange committee, the water management committee, the cleanliness management committee, and the committee for arranging the discourse pandits.

Receipt books were printed for donations, in which Ravishri was addressed as Shri Mahant Siddheshwar... The yagya was named... Shri Ram Mahayagya... Venue: Temple of Kunjawati Maharani.

Ravishri took the main task of collecting donations into his own hands, in which everyone was cooperating with him. From the words of Shri Madan Singh Jat, an elder of Khadaua, it seemed that all the elders of the village were taking him as just a child. If Ravishri came forward for anything, no one would refuse him; everyone thought that they would step in if this child saint faced any difficulty. This was not the case in Dhirpura; there, everyone was thinking that Ravishri was young and what could he possibly do? But no one came forward to show greatness. Here, Sarpanch Rajendra Singh Thakur was ready to cooperate in every way; without any dispute, he was chosen as the Parikshit of the yagya.

Ravishri himself went to Vrindavan and brought Keshavacharya Vanshivat from Kesari Ghat as the Yagyacharya (chief priest). Mridul Ji Maharaj and Krishna Devi from Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh, were invited for discourses. Ramlila (a folk play depicting the life of Lord Rama) was organized at night, which was called from the nearby town of Therat, district Datia.

While Ravishri was extremely busy with the preparations for the yagya on one hand, on the other hand, he would get busy playing Kabaddi, Ashta-Changa (a traditional Indian game), and sometimes marbles with the children.

He would go to other villages with the elders of the village to collect donations and rest at night in the temple of Kunjawati. Ravishri, who looked serious during work, as soon as he said, 'Let's go to sleep, someone come along, I feel scared sleeping alone,' the elders of the village would look at each other with knowing smiles at the childishness within him.

The Sarpanch of this village, Rajendra Singh, despite being about 57 years old, was childless. Ravishri had blessed him that he would become a father within three years, and two years after Ravishri left, his blessing came true.

In this yagya too, besides the local residents of Indergarh, there was full cooperation from the police administration and revenue officers, as well as Ravishri's personal acquaintances from other places. Virendra Sharma from Dabra says that when the preparations for the Khadaua Yagya were going on, we had gone with our family for darshan (holy visit) to the temple of Unao Balaji, located near Datia. As soon as we saw Ravishri, our faces lit up. He was just coming out after taking a bath in Unao Balaji.

Unao Balaji, which is located near Datia, 'Aari', which is Ravishri's ancestral village, is only 12 km away from Unao Balaji. One of Ravishri's father's brothers, Jagdish Sharan Sharma, who had initially gone to Chhipri after the death of his parents, had returned to Aari in 1974 and started taking care of his ancestral property. Ravishri, like his father, was very afraid of Jagdish Sharan ji. Jagdish Sharan ji says, "He used to visit Aari often, but when I heard about him materializing and feeding prasad once, thinking that he was fooling children, I beat him up. Since then, he used to be very cautious in Aari. If he stayed here, he would go to graze the cows etc., work in the fields, but he would not stay for more than a month."

When Ravishri came to Aari after the Dhirpura Yagya, he was wearing a yellow dhoti, a yellow kurta, and a safa (turban) on his head, but as soon as he approached the village, he took off these clothes and appeared before his uncle again in kurta and pajamas. Meanwhile, some villagers had seen him changing clothes, so they came and told his uncle that 'he was wearing clothes like a sadhu.' Jagdish Sharan ji says, "Then I opened his bundle and saw those clothes and scolded him, 'What is all this?'" Then Ravishri told his uncle about the Dhirpura Yagya, but his uncle, not paying attention to his words, asked him to leave all this. Ravishri, after staying in Aari for a day or two, was preparing to go back to Khadaua via Unao Balaji when, while taking a bath in the Pahuj River and coming out, he met Chandra Prakash Sharma ji. Chandra Prakash ji's son, Virendra Sharma, says, "When we insisted on him coming with us, he told us that he was currently busy collecting donations for the yagya being held in Khadaua, but not disregarding his father's words, he sat in the jeep with us and came to Jhansi." While returning, the jeep suddenly stopped. After getting out and checking the diesel etc., everything seemed fine, yet the jeep refused to start. Finally, Chandra Prakash ji asked Ravishri to do something. Ravishri immediately said, 'Start it now,' and as soon as the self-starter was engaged, the car started, and Ravishri came to Dabra with everyone.

In Dabra, Ravishri was introduced to Ramesh Sharma, another relative of Chandra Prakash ji Sharma, who was a resident of Therat. Ramesh Sharma was a driver for the M.P. State Transport bus. He requested Ravishri to come to 'Therat', which is located near Indergarh, and brought him to Therat in the morning.

Upon reaching Therat, Ravishri appealed to the people here to contribute to the yagya. He had also brought about ten thousand rupees from Dabra for the yagya. Ramesh Sharma says that no one refused him for donations, and at that time, he seemed to be driven by a single passion: to arrange money for the Khadaua Yagya.

Babu Khan, the Kanoongo of Indergarh, narrates, "There was a water problem in the Khadaua Yagya as well. To solve it, my officers told me, 'Arrange for water there by any means; news of Ravishri has come.' The boring at Beti ki Baori, which had been done earlier by the temple trust, had failed. Finally, the water problem was solved by bringing water through a pipeline from another well to this stepwell." Nirbhay Singh from Khadaua narrates, "Ravishri was always in a great hurry in every task. He did not like to be idle even for a moment during work, and during this time, he would get annoyed several times at the fact that night came at all."

Finally, with everyone's cooperation, Ravishri's second yagya was completed very peacefully, and on May 20, 1990, after paying everyone their dues etc., Ravishri bid farewell to Khadaua.

Shaligram, a resident here, narrates, "Once, the bulb of the Kunjawati temple was not working. This was about fifteen days before the yagya was to start. At Ravishri's behest, I went to the temple with a new bulb along with my friends and Ravishri. Ravishri got busy talking to people, and I went and changed the bulb, but when I turned it on, the bulb still did not light up."

Shaligram and his friends narrate that we all went to check the wire, but it was fine... we checked the earthing... but that was also fine. We could not understand what the matter was. The line was correct... the earthing was correct... the bulb was correct... current was also coming, yet the bulb refused to light up. Finally, all of us friends gathered and stood silently near Ravishri. As soon as Ravishri sensed our arrival, he asked, "What is the matter?" We said with great regret, 'Everything is fine, but the bulb is not lighting up at all; the old bulb was fused, and we have replaced it too.'

Ravishri smiled and said, "Why are you saying that... the bulb is not lighting up? Say... bulb, light up," saying this, Ravishri again got busy talking. We thought, 'He is joking, but still, let's try saying it.' All of us were Ravishri's friends, and everyone was around 15-16 years old. With complete disbelief and in a joking mood, we all shouted together... "Bulb... light up!" And the very next moment, the bulb was shining brightly!!

After the Khadaua Yagya, Ravishri returned to Indergarh. In both your yagyas, besides the police administration and the revenue department, there was full cooperation from local and nearby individuals, but everyone's complaint was that despite staying here for so many days, Ravishri had done nothing (for them). The complaint was natural. You immediately announced the recitation of the entire Ramayana in the police station premises. In the last week of May, the Ramayana was recited under Ravishri's guidance, and after that, a Bhandara (community feast) was held, in which about four thousand people participated.

Avneesh Sharma narrates, "After this, Ravishri left saying, 'I have to go to Amarkantak.' When he left, he did not tell or meet anyone. This was in the last week of May 1990."

June 1990 to September 1990

Ravishri's journey during this period began from Indergarh, after you had organized the recitation of the Ramayana at the police station. First, you went to Amarkantak. Returning from Amarkantak, you went back to Ramesh Sharma's place in Therat. At this time, heavy rains started in this area, and due to this rain, you had to stay there for seven to eight days.

When you saw that the rain was not stopping in Therat, you walked about 20 km in the heavy rain with Ramesh Sharma and came to Indergarh. From here, you left for Harpalpur in Chhatarpur district. After visiting Chitrakoot from Harpalpur, you visited Orchha, then Kundeshwar in Tikamgarh, and after staying for two days in your village Chhipri, you returned to Senvdha via Indergarh.

What intention was hidden behind these journeys, what was the purpose, it is not understood. You reached Rawatpura only after these journeys. So, was it a religious feeling that 'now we are going to sit at our place,' and just as we consider it auspicious to go to the temple and remember God before an auspicious work, was there a similar feeling within you? Or did you want to assess the spiritual situations, and for this purpose, you were undertaking pilgrimages?

From a classical perspective, one reason that appears for such seekers' pilgrimage is according to the scriptures, "The holiness of pilgrimage sites is sustained by those great men who have been blessed by seeing God. Such great men come with eagerness to see God in a special way in that place and reside there; therefore, new divine feelings are constantly generated there, and the feelings that already exist become more awakened. When ordinary people go to such places, they are invariably influenced to some extent by those divine feelings there."

September 1990

After the pilgrimages, Ravishri returned to Senvdha via Indergarh again. You stayed in Senvdha for two days, and during these two days, you went to meet Babu Khan, whom you had met earlier when Babu Khan was a government employee as the Indergarh Revenue Inspector.

Babu Khan is a resident of Senvdha. He had helped Ravishri a lot during both the yagyas in Indergarh, and in a very short time, both of you had become very close. When Ravishri reached Babu Khan's house in Senvdha, Khan Sahib was surprised to see him because his house is located inside the city, which is a bit difficult for a new person to find. Khan Sahib could not suppress his surprise and asked, "You here in Senvdha, and then at my house? How did you find it?" Ravishri said, "Even if you were hidden in any corner of the world, I would have found you." After tea and breakfast, when he was about to leave, he asked Khan Sahib, "Why, you used to go to the temple a lot and eat prasad when you were young, do you still go or not?" Khan Sahib was startled as to how he knew all this. It was true that Khan Sahib used to go to the Hanuman temple near his house in his childhood and eat prasad. At this time, Khan Sahib was about 55 years old, but Khan Sahib could not ask anything even if he wanted to, and Ravishri, leaving him in a state of confusion, bid farewell saying he would meet again and moved on. In Senvdha, you stayed with Akhilesh Sharma, who was your relative. After wandering around the Sankua pilgrimage site and meeting other former acquaintances here for two days, the "twenty-two-year-old young saint" left by bus for Lahar, district Bhind.