Tuesday Study Class:  Pilgrimage sites associated with Holy Mother – by Sukalyan Sengupta – Nov. 27
After Sri Ramakrishna’s passing away in August 1886, as per His instructions, Holy Mother went on her first pilgrimage accompanied by a small group of devotees.
Her first destination was Baidynath Dham – Deoghar. She spent one night there on her way to Banaras. Banaras is the place of Shiva. There lived many famous monks. Holy Mother wanted to meet one such monk, whose name was Swami Bhaskarananda. He never used to wear any clothes as a part of his spiritual practice. It was very challenging for the women devotees and especially for a bashful person like Holy Mother to meet him. But the meeting with that spiritually elevated soul was very inspiring and the physical awareness was not an impediment.
From Banaras, they went to Ayodhya, which is the birthplace of Lord Rama and to Vrindavana which is the place of Lord Krishna. On her way to Vrindavana, Holy Mother got a very clear vision of the Master instructing her to protect the gold amulet which she used to wear. Such visions always gave her the solace that Master was still there to protect and to take care of her. The party stayed in Vrindavana for 10-11 months. During this stay, for some period, she was completely absorbed in the thoughts of the Master forgetting her individual existence. It is said that her behavior and actions were resembling to that of the Master. She initiated her first disciple – Swami Yogananda – in Vrindavana as per the Master’s instructions. From Vrindavana the party traveled to Hardwar, Pushkar – Rajasthan and Allahabad and returned to Kolkata.
In 1889, she went to Jagannath Puri. She took Master’s picture with her as the Master never visited this place.
In March 1890, she went to Gaya and Bodhgaya. Sri Ramakrishna’s father got the vision that a son will be born to him at Gaya. Mother visited this holy place and she was impressed to see the wealthy Buddhist monasteries in Bodhgaya. She intensely prayed to the Master to provide better food and shelter to his monastic disciples. Her prayer was granted in 1898 when Swami Vivekananda purchased the Belur Math.
In 1911, Holy Mother went for her pilgrimage to South India. Swami Ramakrishnanada took care of the Mother during this trip. She traveled to Chennai, Madurai, Rameshwaram and Bengaluru. Language was the biggest barrier in this region but the devotees enjoyed the blissful company without any communication.
Other than the above places the following places became holy sites of pilgrimage for the devotees of the Holy Mother due to her association. They are – Mother’s birthplace Joyrambati, Kamarpukur – which the birth place of the Master but Mother spent significant time there. Dakshineshwar – where Mother stayed in a tiny room and quietly took care of the Master and his devotees. Nilambar Mukherjee’s House – which is adjacent to Belur math. Mother stayed there and performed the Panchatapa Sadhana in the summer of 1893. Cassipore Garden House – Mother was in this house accompanying the Master in the last few months of his life. Balaram Bose’s House in Kolkata – Mother visited and also stayed in this house at many occasions when she used to visit Kolkata. Udbodhan/Mayerbadi – This house was constructed by Swami Saradananda as a permanent residence for the Holy Mother whenever she visited Kolkata. Mother stayed here for a long time and she initiated many disciples in this house. She also breathed her last in this house.