Pilgrimage to Gurudev's lotus feet crowned with Mahashivaratri celebration
For a true devotee, no distance is too great when the heart longs for darshan of the Guru. Since the beginning of 2026, hundreds of disciples of Vishwaguruji have travelled to OM Ashram to receive the special blessing and grace that comes from seeing their beloved Gurudev.
The first three months of this year have been filled with thousands of moments of love, devotion, and dedication. As Vishwaguruji is currently not travelling to Europe due to health reasons, his disciples now journey to him in Jadan. Along with Gurudev’s darshan, they receive another precious gift: the opportunity to live, even for a short time, in the sacred rhythm of a traditional ashram — a life woven of simplicity, seva, prayer, and inner silence.
The largest international group of disciples arrived just before and during the celebration of Mahashivaratri. The holy festivities began with Vishwaguruji’s blessing. Accompanied by his successor, Swami Avtar Puriji, the mahamandaleshwars, and the swamis of the OM Sri Alakhpuriji Siddha Peeth Parampara, he first offered prayers at Holy Guruji’s Mahasamadhi and then at the Dwadash Jyotir Lingeshwar Mahadev in the ashram’s Shiva Temple.
The Shiva Temple at OM Ashram houses a remarkable Shivlingam symbolising all twelve Jyotirlingas, encircled by 1,008 smaller Shiva murtis — a powerful representation of Lord Shiva’s all-pervading presence. On this most auspicious night dedicated to Lord Shiva, devotees from across India and around the world were blessed with the sacred darshan of Vishwaguruji. After the temple visit, Gurudev spent a long time seated before the temple, warmly welcoming each devotee and allowing everyone a personal moment in his presence.
The Mahashivaratri ceremony continued throughout the entire night. Swami Avtar Puriji, together with the revered mahamandaleshwars, sannyasis and devoted bhaktas of Vishwaguruji, participated in the sacred offerings and the powerful abhishek, while Vedic mantras resonated through the temple and consecrated waters flowed continuously over the Shivlingam. It was a night of deep prayer, transformation, and divine grace.
In the days following Mahashivaratri, life in the ashram returns to its gentle, harmonious flow — filled with karma yoga, sadhana, lectures, satsangs, and, above all, the priceless blessing of Gurudev’s darshan. For as Swami Sivananda beautifully said, “The darshan of a saint purifies the mind and elevates the soul more than years of self-effort.”
Such is the living experience at OM Ashram — where devotion finds its home, and the Guru’s presence becomes a light on the path for all who come.





















