Naga Devatha’s secret visit to Prashanti Nilayam!
Naga Prathista in Prashanti Nilayam on November 24th, 1955.
Following Birthday celebrations on 23.11.1955, Nagaprathista was organized by the devotees under Sri Sheshagiri Rao’s supervision. The platform (present East Gate) was kept ready with the young neem peepul saplings. The Naga idols (ordered from Bangalore) were carried by devotees singing bhajans and were accompanied with a nadhaswaram band. The devotees went three times around Prashanthi Mandir. While the priests were chanting, Swami materialized a Copper plate yantra and placed it into a pit, closing the slab, on which these sacred Naga idols were placed. Devotees could see a radiant Swami who was wearing a big fragrant Flower Garland around his neck which fell upto his lotus feet. The grand function ended with an Arathi to Bhagavan.
Swami called Krishnamurthy couples (Sri D.N Krishnamurthi, Smt Lalitha and Sri P.V. Krishnamurthi and Smt Susheelamma) to stand by him for a photograph. Later the photograph was sent to G.K. Vale Studio, Madras (now Chennai) for development. When the prints came out, all were dumbstruck with awe! Instead of a garland around Swami’s neck, they saw a Huge Snake, a Cobra with its head spread, looking at Swami with great reverence.
When the astonished devotees showed this photograph to Swami, Swami said with a twinkle in his eyes, “Oh! the Naga Devatha was very pleased with your devotion. So he personally graced the occasion. I told him not to be visible to all of you. Else, all of you would have fled in fear, leaving me alone”.
The devotees were stunned but it was another reminder to them that Swami was indeed the avathar of Lord Shiva.
[Courtesy.Sri Satya Sai Madura Smrithi…]