Welcome to Deva Bhumi (India Series #1)

Kainchi Ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas

Welcome to Deva Bhumi “This is a very special place, filled with the vibrations of great beings who lived in the area and did their practices here. I have just had a very special experience, unlike any other before.” -Swami Vivekananda on Deva Bhumi

Certain areas on this planet are, simply put, energetically charged. While we may not always have an explanation as to why that can fully fit into words, there is a certain innate feeling when walking the land in certain places that is distinctly palpable. One might say, “Oh it’s the jaw dropping views!” or, “It’s the people that live here!” or, “It must be something in the air!” but these are all just topical blankets we are throwing over what is an intrinsically ineffable vibratory experience that so many people intuitively sense while visiting areas so mystically compelling. Deva Bhumi, translated as Land of the Gods, is one of those places. It is a powerful, spiritually potent area of India resting in the foothills of the Himalayas. Residing in the current state of Uttarakhand, this breathtakingly stunning expanse of rolling land tightly nestled along the Northwestern edge of the country, has a deep and rich history swathed in sacred sights, siddhas, and saints.

K.K. Sah of Nainital, a dear satsang brother and one of Maharaji’s closest devotees, describes his experiences walking side by side with many powerful beings of this region in his aptly titled book, Deva Bhumi: The Abode of the Gods in India. I could not recommend this book enough for a personal, in-depth uncovering of the magic that this natural mountain expanse has offered for thousands of years to people open enough to fully expunge themselves into the ongoing Lila, the divine play, of this auspicious area. If India is The Mother, then the luscious curves of Deva Bhumi are what have birthed so many great beings and transformational experiences that, completely unknown to many, have helped shaped the landscape of this remarkable world into one that is more in tune with Love, Compassion, Wisdom and Service.

While the long history of great holy beings from this region is far too rich to even brush the surface on today, most pertinent to our satsang, the Land of the Gods has been an ephemeral home to contemporary saints such as Sombari Baba Maharaj and Neem Karoli Baba Maharaj, both of whom we will delve into in later pieces and discussions. As K.K. Sah so eloquently and resolutely alludes to in his book, “True devotees like nothing better than to sit together and hear stores of those who have inspired them along the path to God. May these recollections, many from people who have since passed on, inspire your path.” This speaks of true satsang, and that is what we are here with today, walking not only in the footsteps of Ram Dass, but in the footsteps and blessings of all the great beings who have found themselves nestled in the pure natural divinity of Deva Bhumi.

All Love, James