Above: Sri Sri planting the Peepul tree on the side of the museum on 12th January, 2010, Swami Vivekananda and Jijabai's birthdays. For the first time in the history of modern India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will get the recognition he deserves and Indian History will be portrayed as it happened, not as it has been written by mostly British historians
13th January, 2010
Pune: The Bhoomi Puja (foundation stone laying ceremony) of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum of Indian History was performed on January 12th by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Wagdaon, Pune. It was a most auspicious day as 12th is not only Swami Vivekananda’s, but also Jijabai, Shivaji’s mother’s birthdays.
We had erected a colourful pandal on top the land and laid down carpets and chairs. As Guruji arrived with a caravan of cars, the Pandits started chanting Vedic hymns. Guruji looked at the three concept panels which the architect had prepared, liked them and remarked that the roundness of the buildings would blend in the hilly terrain. He then proceeded to plan a Peepul, the tree of Knowledge, as indeed this is conceived not only as a museum of history, but also a place where students will come to browse in the libraries and scholars to fine-tune their researches.
Then Sri Sri began the puja. He made Namrita and François Gautier trustees of FACT - India (a new trustee, Mrs Gayatri Chauhan, FACT - India’s representative in Maharashtra for many years, has just been added), sit next to him. It was a moment of strong emotions and one felt that at last Shivaji Maharaj would be properly honored in his own territory and that something momentous was starting. Guruji then performed a small puja on the old stone taken from one of Shivaji’s forts, which will go in the foundation.
As Guruji left for other commitments, the four pandits continued the puja and the Museum’s team, along with a few friends, sat quietly in concentration or meditation.
We now start fencing, tree planting, repair one of the abandoned small houses for a watchman and to store materials. As soon as the architect gives us the first plans, foundation will start, which should be sometimes beginning of March.
