After knowing Sharma ji’s act other Shishyas also started the Guru pooja henceforth.
One morning, F. C. Sharma ji’s mother, a highly pious soul, guided him and said, “Beta, aaj Guru poornima hai. Toone pooja nahin karni apne Guruji ki ?” (Son, today is the auspicious Guru poornima, would you not do the specific worship of your Guru ?)
Sharma ji got awakened by this command. He took a narial (coconut) and a handkerchief and reached his office. Guruji and Sharma ji both worked in the same office. Guruji was sitting casually in his room when Sharma ji requested Him to come to room no. 1. Guruji agreed. There was a table and Sharma ji asked Guruji to sit on it. Then Sharma ji took out a plate & a glass of water and as he was about to do pooja, Guruji said, “Toa – tujhe pata hai, aaj Guru pooja hai ! (So ! You know, its Guru pooja today)
Sharma ji washed his holy feet and did the special pranaam and offered the narial & roomal to Him. Then he drank the charanamrit (water, which layed in the plate after the wash of the holy feet) Guruji kept the narial and handkerchief with Him.
After knowing Sharma ji’s act other Shishyas also started the Guru pooja henceforth.
F. C. Sharma ji did another commendable thing. He went to Bimla behen ji (Guruji’s elder sister) and enquired about Guruji’s date of birth. It fell on Basant Panchami and early morning on that day he came to Gurgaon and offered a box of laddoos (sweets) to Mataji and requested Her to give him the prasad, as it was a big day. Mataji asked for elaboration and Sharma ji disclosed his discovery. “Haan beta, aaj bahout bada din hai”, Mataji exclaimed with joy and smile. (Mataji said, yes beta, it is a very big day of course). Guruji was away on tour and Sharma ji got the blessings from Mataji on this celebrated day.
But there is one special information very important and exclusive for his Shishyas and some selected devotees.
It so happened that on one Basant Panchmi I was sitting in his room in the refuge of his holy feet, a person came and wished Guruji for a happy birth day and went out. In an amazed happiness I asked, “Guruji, is today your birthday ?”
Guruji looked at me with full love and said, “Son, Shivratri is my birthday and so you shall celebrate my birthday on Shivratri”.
But, I don’t know how and when ! On Basant Panchami the Neelkanth Dham situated at Najafgarh Road, New Delhi is decorated with flowers like a bride . Its observed that nothing can be better than this in any way. God knows how many days are spent to complete the decoration work. And who are the lovers of Guruji who accomplish such an unmatched beautification of the building and the Samadhi Sthal. When you look at the flowers annexed at various places of building and the Smadhi, you shall be forced to think that those who have done it, had nothing else to do till a day before Basant Panchami. Its assumed to be much ahead ‘The five star’ concept of embellishment.
In the other hall a very extensive langar is organized which continues from morning till night on this day. Thousands of devotees come, offer flowers at Samadhi and eat the best langar in the world. Sweet yellow rice is the speciality in this divine food. Those also come and eat who are not linked with Guruji like devotees.
The scene is worth perceiving. The big hall comprising of approximately 3000 square feet floor, remains fully occupied with the eaters from morning till night. Around 1500 people are made to sit and eat. A V.I.P. Treatment is given to those who eat. The way they are served is worth billions.
After they are seated, a group of service men (Sevadaars) enters and places patals before them.
Û The second group comes and serves vegetable on the patals.
Û The third group comes and pours curd curry.
Û The fourth group places the fried chapaties (called poories)
Û The fifth group serves sweat yellow rice.
After they finish they take out the empty patals and deliver to the duty men at the gate.
After the hall is decamped, the cleaning group enters the hall and wipes the entire floor in five minutes.
It takes only 15 to 20 minutes in the complete course of sitting, eating and cleaning. And then the people waiting out side are welcomed and served the same way as before. This fool proof style of serving continues and lasts till night.
The quantum of people who eat can’t be assessed, but are in thousands. The divine feelings which they explore can easily be observed from their expressions and eyes. It can clearly be observed that they are over whelmed with satisfaction as if they have achieved one of their divine goals.
The kitchen scene out side this hall is also unique where over 150 people are busy in cooking. Like, some are cutting vegetable and some are making them, some are mixing the flour, some are rolling the chapaties and the others are frying them. Some are busy to collect the fried poories from various frying stations and store them in a room type chamber of six to seven square feet. Some are busy to remove them to deliver in the hall for distribution to the devotees.
There is yet another unique thing to mention here. The cooking vessels need cleaning before the langar starts. These are so many in numbers. And are so big in size that one has to enter inside to do the job, particularly ‘pateelas’. These are so heavy that two or three people need to handle them.
One group of about fifty devotees come from Abohar (Punjab) for this divine task. They come one or two days before the langar starts and go back the next day or the day after, after having accomplished the entire responsibility. Their devotion is commendable. They feel great for this opportunity and are in bliss. They say that they are too fortunate to be blessed with a chance to do such a Seva and to please Guruji.
This total game plan is single headed. Matarani, the ardhangini (wife) of Guruji organizes the entire grandstand. Whosoever comes and eats is not supposed to pay or to donate any money for langar. Over thirty years have passed and not a single person has come across to say that he gave any money to Guruji.
Many years past, Guruji once said, “This langar is of an utmost spiritual importance, therefore my earning and my Shishyas earnings shall be the source of its expense, not the public”.
It appears to be an arrangement of some multi national who organizes such a vast and big show. But it is not like that. Still there must be some super power who controls every thing in a fool proof manner.
There is only one answer, and that is —Guruji.
Thou art present every where in every circumstance in your unseen form O’ master.
Pray ! Bestow your grace on us– Sahib.
जय गुरु जी शुकराना गुरु जी