In the PRESENCE of Sri GURUJI

“Who is a Guru - “Guru is a Guru” wherever he may be. “Guru” is a Sanskrit word that is made
out of two words, “Gu” + “Ru.” “Gu” is “that which dispels” and “Ru,” is “Darkness.” Guru,
therefore means, “The one who dispels darkness” from your life. “Ji” is an honorific expression
in Hindi and in many languages to show respect like that of “Saheb” in Urdu. “Ji” is considered
to be “genderless” and therefore, one can add it as a suffix to both genders. Holy men, gurus,
mystics and saints have been a part of the Indian milieu for time immemorial. Indian wisdom
accords the highest level of respect to a “Guru” and considers “Mata and Pita” (Mother and
Father) as the first Gurus in a child’s life. A guru therefore does not only dispel the darkness of
ignorance from his pupil or “Lagu,” but he dispels all types of darkness and helps his “Lagu” to
overcome every challenge in life including his spiritual challenges.

1. Guru is largely a misunderstood word today and this happened because of the erroneous
translation. According to this, a Guru is a“Teacher.”
1
2. Yes, a Guru can be Teacher, but a teacher not necessarily be a Guru.

3. A Guru can be a Mentor where as a Mentor not necessarily be a Guru because both the
teacher and a mentor need to know much more to be a Guru.

3.Guru as a word carries an essence not found in the English Language. The relative words one
needs to learn in the context of Guru in Sanskrit are, “Acharya” and “Upadhyay.” An Acharya is
the one who does “Acharan” or practice and therefore an Acharya is a “Domain specialist” or “a
domain practitioner.” Drona was an Acharya of “Dhanur Vidhya” who taught archery to
Pandavas. He also had all the qualities of a Guru and hence he was also addressed as Guru
Drona.

4. Upadhyay is a teacher who as per the traditions of ancient India “orally transmitted” the
essence of knowledge to the student who “sat before” him. The meaning of the word Upadhyay
is, “the one who learns by hearing from the face of his teacher!”

In these modern times, we see people claiming to be Gurus wearing different attire often
imitating “Sants” and “Sadhus”(He who has known the “essence of life” – Both these
expressions carry almost the same meaning) and Sanyasis (Rishis or Seers : “the one who does
all his “Karmas” and yet remain detached from the material world) often misleading the
innocents and therefore, one should not get carried away by the fake ones. One should be

2
consciously aware of the fact that a “Guru” can be seen in our day to day life and it is not
necessary that he comes in a particular attire though these attire were worn by them to indicate
their status of what they are.

To write about Guruji or Nirmal Singhji Maharaj by someone like me who has been
immersed in scientific traditions is difficult. There is very little material available on the www
regarding the life and times of this gentle man. A number of emotional narratives do little to
appese the scientific thirst of someone like me. So I accept my failure right at the start and hope
that some divine inspiration will guide these words to logical end through a “holy”(?) path.
“Guruji -- as he is known -- was born in his mortal avtar as Nirmal Singhji Maharaj in village
Dugri in Sangrur district in Punjab on July 7, 1952.”
One of the earliest known incidents of Guruji's penchant for the spiritual was spending time at
the Dera of Sant Sewa Dasji at Dugri. Santji was a saint of high order who had renounced
worldly life and had a large following. Guruji would often go and sit at the Dera much to the
dislike of the family who wanted him to spend time studying rather than sit amongst sages.
At times he would be locked inside a room, but soon they would find it unlocked and Guruji
would be found sitting with the sages at the Dera. The sages would often tell people to leave the
young Guruji alone as he was the 'lord of all the three loks' himself and should not be interfered
with.

3
Guruji's schoolmates recall his famous feat of filling empty inkpots by just touching them with
his finger.
Once during an examination a classmate asked Guruji for some ink for his pen and Guruji just
touched it with his finger to fill it up!
He took great pains to suppress his supernatural powers in front of others and appear normal.
But often would leave his teachers perplexed by his sudden disappearance from the classroom
seat and be back the next moment! His classmates remember him knowing all the questions of
the paper beforehand!
Guruji studied on only to fulfill the wishes of his father, who like any normal father wanted his
son to get a MA degree. Guruji finally did a double MA. His father recalls that his young son
would often help him till the fields and the crop yield would turn out to be many times more than
that of others in the area!
Wanderings: Like many who began as saints and others who did not but achieved greatness,
Guruji too began to wander. I am reminded of Neem karoli baba, or Kailash Kher the singer, or
RamdevBaba founder of Patanjali or Yogi Adityanathji the current Chief Minister of Uttar
Pradesh. During the start of these wanderings, he would leave home to fulfill his spiritual
journey in this world, often appearing in the house of some of his acquaintances -- stay for a few
days and then move off -- to where ever he felt and even disappear for days at a stretch.
No matter where he stayed people thronged to him for deliverance from disease or any other
problem they had. Soon the news of his powers spread all across Punjab and people sought him
out no matter where he was.
He stayed intermittently at Jallandhar, Chandigarh, Panchkula, Delhi, Mumbai etc finally settling
down in a house, now known as his temple in Defence Colony, Jallandhar. He shuttled between
Delhi and Jallandhar till 2002 when he finally settled down in the Empire Estate house on MG
Road in New Delhi, known as the Chotta Mandir. Guruji in his short journey on this earth
touched the lives of millions of people, also of those who had never even met Him. He would
read the persona of a devotee by looking at him and knowing all about his life -- past, present
and future. He would then bless the person as he thought fit for them.
Guruji cured thousands of all kinds of diseases. He helped people to get out of difficulties, giving
peace and happiness to all who came to him. He blessed even those who had never even seen

4
him but their relatives and friends would come to him and beg for his help to overcome their
problems.
During the 90s he also made the Shiv Mandir in Bhatti Mines area in Chattarpur, known to his
devotees as the Bada Mandir. It now houses his samadhi.
He attained mahasamadhi in Delhi on May 31, 2007.
Sangat: During his Sangat -- as the daily congregations were called -- melodious Gurbaani and
Shabad would flow in the hall where the devotees would be sitting on the floor in front of him
and meditating. He would bless them, not by touching them, but by altering the path of their lives
merely by his spiritual powers! Often he would cure, heal or bestow upon his devotees things
they did not even think of asking!
There were times when he would ask a devotee to stand-up facing the congregation and relate his
divine experience of Guruji's blessing. This was also a way of inculcating faith in the supreme in
case any devotee had any 'ifs and buts' in his mind -- as he put it! This was called a satsang.
Each sangat would end with a generous helping of langar served to all. Guruji's langar had his
divine blessings and there are endless incidents where devotees would get cured just by partaking
in it.

5
Guruji loved tea and made serving of tea a ritual. Just half a cup was supposed to be enough.
This was also his way of telling his followers to be frugal in their ways. The same is said about
the tea served as prasad during the sangat.
Guruji is believed to be Lord Shiva incarnate who as it is said had revealed himself in the divine
form to his devotees. It is said that a divine fragrance would emanate from his presence akin to
that of heavenly roses. Even today, long after he is no longer there in his physical form, disciples
of many satsangs a attes to this fragrance- which is felt as a proof of his presence very much in
spirit!
Today, long after Guruji's physically gone from their lives, devotees visit the Bada Mandir to
receive his countless blessings. He had always said that anyone who entered his temples would
be blessed in some measure or the other -- something which continues to happen even today. The
air is thick with all the new miracles happening especially to those who have never even seen
Guruji. Lucky are those whose lives have actually been touched by him! 1

Raghu Rai the world famous photographer who himself has had encounters with many saints and
famous people of the world was his die-hard disciple. In his book on the Guruji he speaks thus
“THE ULTIMATE GIFT"
ALL through guruji gave us only two core messages make a connect and seek the blessings of the
supreme power.This twin messages encapsulated his wisdom and concern for our spiritual as
well as physical well being .
Let us walk the path together that shall take us into light, you can do it very simply. just submit to
the supreme power with all sincerity.Then the journey on this path will take care of our mundane
problem and spiritual well being . you need to first make a connect.
If you have accepted me as your guru you don"t ask for anything .But get connected with me .
Once you have made that connected with me then we have a complete one to one bond .All that is
yours is with me and then you don"t have to keep always petitioning me for anything like help me
,save my job , help me get rid of pain, or please rescue me from this mess or give a son. This is
one bond is like complete data transfer between two interlinked systems.each is in sync with the
other .you need this rhythm and synchronicity and guru shall take care of the rest . You are here
in your entirety.
You are here with your mind , body and soul , your pains, your pleasure,your minuses and

6
pluses. when you and me complete one to one correspondence.
Your spiritual elevation and liberation from the mundane concerns is my main mission to
connect you with the supreme power and seek the ultimate self realization . All of you seek this
and that from me ,why you don:t ask for the ultimate gift .seek and shall get the blessings of this
supreme presence...... JAI GURUJI

From the official website of Guruji

Guruji is the "light divine" that came on earth to bless and enlighten humanity. On 7th July
1954, the sun rose in Dugri village at Malerkotla, Punjab (India), to herald the birth of
Guruji in a hamlet. Guruji spent the early stages of his life around Dugri, went to school and
college and finally graduated with a Masters degree each in economics and political science.
He had a spark of spirituality in him right from childhood--say those who knew him then.
It did not take long for the spark to get fully lit; the shower of Guruji's blessings began to
fall on the earth to lessen the sufferings of hundreds of thousands of people. Guruji sat at
various places including Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Panchkula and New Delhi--
and satsangs1 began happening. It was here that people came from all over India and other
parts of the world to seek his blessings. The tea and langar prasad (blessed food) served at
Guruji's satsang had his special divine blessings. The devotees experienced his grace in
7
various forms: incurable diseases were healed and the entire matrix of problems ranging
from legal to financial to emotional were solved. Some members of the sangat also had
divine darshans (visions) of deities. There was nothing impossible for Guruji, for he wrote
fate, and could re-write it.
Guruji's doors were open to the high and low, poor and rich, and people of all religious
affiliations. From the most ordinary of men to the most powerful of politicians,
businessmen, bureaucrats, armed service personnel, doctors, and professionals, everyone
came to seek his blessings. All were equally in need of him and Guruji blessed all alike.
Those sitting close to him, touching his feet, benefitted as much as those seeking his
blessing in their prayers anywhere in the world. What mattered most was complete
surrender and unconditional faith reposed in him. Guruji was a giver, he never expected or
took anything from anyone. "Kalyan karta", Guruji would say and "Blessings always" is
what the devotee would get. He once explained that his "Blessings always" were not for this
life alone, but ended with nirvana.
Guruji never delivered any sermons or prescribed any rituals, yet his message was received
by the devotee in ways known only to the devotee. This "connection" with him was not only
elevating and energizing but also a deeply transforming one. It lifted the devotees life to a
level where joy, fulfillment and peace came easy. Guruji's form exuded a divine fragrance,
similar to roses. Even today, his fragrance is felt as proof of his presence by his devotees.
Guruji took mahasamadhi 2 on 31st May 2007. He left no successor : for the "light divine"
there is none. His emphasis was that the devotee always get connected "directly" with him ,
and more so, through the medium of prayers and meditation. Guruji has a temple, popularly
known as Bade Mandir located at Bhatti mines in South Delhi. Today, when Guruji is no
more in his mortal guise, his blessings are working the same wonders, with his grace falling
equally on those who never met him in their lifetime .2

1
Satsang: the company of the "highest truth", the company of a Guru; an assembly of
persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the truth
2
Mahasamadhi: the act of consciously and intentionally leaving one's body at the time of
death

8
 REFERENCES
1. https://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-lensman-raghu-rai-on-the-guru-who-
changed-his-life/20110914.htmPhotographer Raghu Rai on the Guru who changed his life,
2. Copyright © Gurujisangat. All Rights Reserved

Satsang / satsaṅga / satsangam is a word which comes from Sanskrit, meaning to associate
with true people, or to be in the company of true people. It is also related to sitting with a sat
guru, or in a group meeting seeking that association. Satsang is a Hindi term derived from the
Sanskrit सत्सङ्ग Satsaṅga) based on the following root words:

 Sat (Sanskrit) = true; see also Sacca, Sacha and Satyagraha

 Sangha (Sanskrit) = company or association
Satsaṅga can be translated as an association of the good and is usually employed to denote a
group of pious individuals and, in common usage, a devout audience receiving religious
instruction.

 According to Liselotte Frisk, Frisk, Liselotte (2002), "The Satsang Network", Nova
Religio, 6: 64–85, ISSN 1092-6690
It is a traditional activity in the Indian spiritual context, meaning "being with good/righteous
companions." Satsang is a sitting together with an enlightened person who usually gives a short
speech and then answers questions.
This typically involves listening to, or reading scriptures, reflecting on, discussing and
assimilating their meaning, meditating on the source of these words, and bringing their meaning
into one's daily life. For adherents, satsang becomes a way of being and a practice that governs
actions and interactions with others.[3] It has been likened to being part of the universe and
contributing to it in their best capacity while learning and getting support from it at the same
time.[4]
According to Jiddu Krishnamurti, satsang means "association with the good:
Needleman: [...] I was reading a book the other day which spoke of something called "Sat-san".
Krishnamurti: Do you know what it means?
Needleman: Association with the wise.
Krishnamurti: No, with good people.
Needleman: With good people, Ah!
Krishnamurti: Being good you are wise. Not, being wise you are good.
Needleman: I understand that.
Krishnamurti: Because you are good, you are wise.

The idea behind satsang is that a favorable environment such as the presence of holy people,
listening to holy scripture or music, allows an individual to elevate his mind from one that is
worldly towards a higher level of thought. It is said that Satsang constitutes one of the four ways
- along with contentment, the spirit of inquiry, and self-control - by which people who are

9
"drowning" in samsara (repetitive history) can be saved. For the followers of Guruji Satsang is
all this and also inviting Guruji in spirit to grace the gathering.

Preparing for the Satsang at Home

My former Boss Mansse Bhandari who introduced me to Sr Guruji

10
Preparation for the satsang starts with preparing a sitting place for the Guruji who visits
the satsang,it is believed, in spirit. Hence a Chair is decked up nicely and a picture of his
countenance is kept on the chair and a pic of his feet below the chair to signify his presence

11
12
13
14
15
At the bada Mandir, Chhatarpur, New delhi. India

16
Aarti also- arti, arati, arathi, aarati, aarthi, aarthy, arthy (In Hindi: आरती ārtī) is
a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a part of puja, in which light (usually from a flame) is
offered to one or more deities. Aarati(s) also refers to the songs sung in praise of the deity, when
the light is being offered. Aarati is derived from the Sanskrit word आरात्रिक (ārātrika) which
means something that removes rātrī, darkness (or light waved in darkness before an icon). A
Marathi language reference says it is also known as Mahaneeranjana (Sanskrit: महानीराञ्जना).

Aarti is said to have descended from the Vedic concept of fire rituals, or homa. In the traditional
aarti ceremony, the flower represents the earth (solidity), the water and accompanying
handkerchief correspond with the water element (liquidity), the ghee or oil lamp represents the
fire component (heat), the peacock fan conveys the precious quality of air (movement), and the
yak-tail fan represents the subtle form of ether (space). The incense represents a purified state of
mind, and one's "intelligence" is offered through the adherence to rules of timing and order of
offerings. Thus, one's entire existence and all facets of material creation are symbolically offered
to the Lord via the aarti ceremony.[6] The word may also refer to the traditional Hindu devotional
song that is sung during the ritual.

Aarti can be simple to extravagant, but always includes flame or light. It is sometimes
performed one to five times daily, and usually at the end of a puja (in southern India)
or bhajan session (in northern India). It is performed during almost all Hindu ceremonies and
occasions. It involves the circulating of an 'Aarti plate' or 'Aarti lamp' around a person or deity
and is generally accompanied by the congregation singing songs in praise of that deva or person -
many versions exist. In most versions the plate, lamp, or flame represents the power of the deity.
The priest circulates the plate or lamp to all those present. They cup their down-turned hands
over the flame and then raise their palms to their forehead – the blessing has now been passed to
the devotee.
The aarti plate is generally made of metal, usually silver, bronze or copper. On it mustAarti can
be an expression of many things including love, benevolence, gratitude, prayers, or desires
depending on the object it is done to/ for. For example, it can be a form of respect when
performed to elders, prayers when performed to deities, or hope when performed for homes or
vehicles. Emotions and prayers are often silent while doing Aarti, but this is determined by the
person carrying out the ritual or the holiday involved. It's also believed that goodwill and luck
can be taken through symbolic hand movements over the flame.

Performance: When aarti is performed, the performer faces the deity of god (or divine element,
e.g. Ganges river) and concentrates on the form of god by looking into the eyes of the deity (it is
said that eyes are the windows to the soul) to get immersed. The flame of the aarti illuminates the
various parts of the deity so that the performer and onlookers may better see and concentrate on
the form. Aarti is waved in circular fashion, in clockwise manner around the deity. After every
circle (or second or third circle), when Aarti has reached the bottom (6–8 o'clock position), the
performer waves it backwards while remaining in the bottom (4–6 o'clock position) and then
continues waving it in clockwise fashion. The idea here is that aarti represents our daily
activities, which revolves around god, a center of our life. Looking at god while performing aarti

17
reminds the performer (and the attendees of the aarti) to keep god at the center of all activities
and reinforces the understanding that routine worldly activities are secondary in importance. This
understanding would give the believers strength to withstand the unexpected grief and keeps
them humble and remindful of god during happy moments. Apart from worldly activities aarti
also represents one's self - thus, aarti signifies that one is peripheral to godhead or divinity. This
would keep one's ego down and help one remain humble in spite of high social and economic
rank. A third commonly held understanding of the ritual is that aarti serves as a reminder to stay
vigilant so that the forces of material pleasures and desires cannot overcome the individual. Just
as the lighted wick provides light and chases away darkness, the vigilance of an individual can
keep away the influence of the material world.

Aarti is not only limited to god. Aarti can performed not only to all forms of life, but also
inanimate objects which help in progress of the culture. This is exemplified by performer of the
aarti waving aarti to all the devotees as the aarti comes to the end – signifying that everyone has
a part of god within that the performer respects and bows down to. It is also a common practice
to perform aarti to inanimate objects like vehicles, electronics etc. at least when a Hindu starts
using it, just as a gesture of showing respect and praying that this object would help one excel in
the work one would use it for. It is similar to the ritual of doing auspicious red mark(s) using
kanku (kumkum) and rice.

Hinduism has a long tradition of aarti songs, simply referred to as 'Aarti', sung as an
accompaniment to the ritual of aarti. It primarily eulogizes to the deity the ritual is being offered
to, and several sects have their own version of the common aarti songs that are often sung on
chorus at various temples, during evening and morning aartis. Sometimes they also contain
snippets of information on the life of the gods.
The most commonly sung aarti is that which is dedicated to all deities is Om Jai Jagdish Hare,
known as "The Universal Aarti" and is another common aarti song. Its variation are used for
other deities as well such as Om Jai Shiv omkara, Om Jai Lakshmi mata, Om Jai Ambe gauri,
Om Jai Adya Shakti, Om Jai Saraswati Mata, Om Jai Gange Mata, Om Jai Tulsi Mata and Om
Jai Surya Bhagvaan. In Ganesha worship, the aarti Sukhakarta Dukhaharta is popular in
Maharashtra.

Guruji Bade Mandir Address and Timing

P.O. Sawan Public School,
Bhati Mines,
Mehrauli,
New Delhi 110074.
Days & Timings

Monday: 8 am to 7:30 pm
Mandir is open for satsang. Langar is not served.

18
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 6 pm to 10 pm
Chai prasad and langar is served.

LANGAR: The word langar has origins in the Punjabi language. Langar is traditionally a
practice which promotes the idea of equality and people sit together on the floor with no
discrimination of class, race or income and everyone sits as equals to have Langar which is a
vegetarian meal served by the volunteers and anyone can volunteer in Langar no matter if he is a
Sikh or not.
Langars are held in gurdwaras all over the world, most of which attract homeless population. The
volunteers feed them without any discrimination, along with the other devotees who
gather Almost all gurdwaras operate langars where local communities, sometimes consisting of
hundreds or thousands of visitors, join together for a simple vegetarian meal.Langar in the case
of Guruji’s followers means that either the mandir or the person who is host to a satsang serves
simple food to the congregation. In all Mandirs of Guruji Langar Parsad is served at specific
timings which can be partaken by the following.
prasāda is derived from the verb prasād which consists of the verb सद् (sad - to sit, dwell) which
is prefixed with प्र (pra - before, afore, in front) and used as finite verb प्रसीदत्रि (prasīdati -
dwells, presides, pleases or favours etc). 'Prasāda' literally means a gracious gift. It denotes
anything, typically an edible food, that is first offered to a deity, saint, Perfect Master or
an avatār, and then distributed in His or Her name to their followers or others as a good sign.
Prasāda, is a material substance of vegetarian food that is a religious offering in
both Hinduism and Sikhism. It is normally consumed by worshippers after
worship. Mahaprasāda (also called Bhandārā) in Hinduism, similar to the langar in Sikhism,[1] is
the consecrated food offered to the deity in the temple which is then shared and eaten by the
masses without discrimination. Sometimes this vegetarian offering will exclude the prohibited
items such as garlic, onion, roots, etc The cooking of prasādam is done without tasting, because
it is not for the believer's own consumption, but to offer to the diety— they will receive the
remnants of his food.All Guruji’s temples are known for providing free prasāda meals to all who
come, as they believe that this is not only feeding the poor but providing them with Guruji’s
mercy as well.

19