I was too young to remember when swami took me into his folds. My parents were devoted and I was around 11 years old. They were actively participating in all the activities of Swami. Me and my dad once went to Kodaikanal to do seva and be with Swami. Like me another young boy was doing seva, the boy narrated how he got padanamaskaram from Swami. As a young boy I too wanted to experience the same. As the thought was going on and I turned around to see Swami standing right behind me and I immediately took Padanamaskaram. This event makes one understand how close Swami is to all of us. Truly a Heart to Heart connection.

As the days rolled by I finished my studies got a job and in due course got married also. My son was suffering from skin allergies and at that time I was placed in Bangalore. That time my family used to visit Puttaparthi very often. This was my blessing which I realized after Swami took Samadhi. On the day the news reached all of us I was doing my regular Pranayam in the morning and telling myself that there would be a lot of rush, tickets won’t be available for me to travel even If I want to. Suddenly I remembered my friend Tippu who is an ardent devotee of swami. I asked him if he is planning to go to Puttaparthi. He said yes and offered to take me along in the car.

By Swami’s grace we reached Puttaparthi in the evening. Tippu had made arrangements for us to stay also. Next day morning I reached the place where Swami’s physical body was kept to pay my last respects to my beloved Guru and God. We got to sit very near him and got a chance to relive our memories with Swami with a lot of love and gratitude. Later I had to move leaving space for others and left for Chennai the next morning. Neither I had a ticket to travel and nor any plans to travel. I met a driver who was returning to the International Airport at Bangalore. I got a ride for a nominal cost of Rs.150/. From the airport I got another ride to reach KR Puram. Incidentally my sister and her family was going to Chennai. So I joined them immediately from KR Puram and travelled to Chennai in their car. So I reached Chennai less than 24 hours with a nominal cost and without any trouble. This was a greatest experience of my life that when Swami decides everything is taken care off. This reminds me of the quote “You take one step and God will take 99 steps to reach you”.

The miracle doesn’t end here. One fine day my friend Tippu called me and asked me how many photos would have been taken that day when devotees were paying their last respects to Swami. May be thousands or ten thousand or even more I said. He said the Sanathana Sarathi of the following month had a photo of Swami which included us when we went to pay our respects to him in Puttaparthi. This was icing on the cake. When lakhs of devotees were visiting the place and ten thousand photos would have been taken, Swami at that time chose our photograph to be printed in the magazine. No wonder people say His love is equal to thousand mothers. One small wish in the mind of a devotee far away was fulfilled so flawlessly. I would like to conclude with Swami’s quote “Man must remember that the heart is the very seat of God and live constantly immersed in the thought of God”. This is the way to live joyously Holding on to Him to cross this life called Samsara Sagara. Jai Sai Ram!