Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati as Chief Guest
for Inauguration of "Shri Shiva-Shakti Nilayam",
on 27th January 2013, in Virbhadra, Rishikesh

On 27th January 2013 was the main and final day of a three day celebration for the Inauguration of "Shri Shiva-Shakti Nilayam".

Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati, President of Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas, had been specially invited to grace and bless the Function as Chief Guest, by the Founder of "Shri Shiva-Shakti Nilayam", Shri Swami Abhinavshekhar Teerth.

"Shri Shiva-Shakti Nilayam"  is a newly constructed building in Virbhadra, Rishikesh, which serves for residence and education for Sanskrit-Students and Sannyasis.

Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati inaugurates Shiva-Shakti Nilayam while cutting the ribbon.
On his left are Kumari Somashekhari and Swami Abhinavashekhar Teerth holding the ribbon.

Swami Vishveshwarananda offering Arati to Lord Adishankaracharya.

Kumari Somashekhari offering flowers to Adishankaracharyaji.

When Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda, along with Kumari Somashekhari, General Secretary, Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas, and a team of Omkarananda Ashram Members, arrived there in the morning, he was very warmly received by Shri Swami Abhinavshekhar Teerth, along with other Sannyasis and Pandits, who were reciting Vedic Shlokas and showering flowers and flower-malas on Swamiji.

Besides Sannyasis and Pandits, also many Devotees had assembled in front of the entrance-gate of "Shri Shiva-Shakti Nilayam", waiting for the auspicious moment of its inauguration, which was done by the holy hands of the Chief Guest, Shri Swami Vishveshwaranandaji, with a short Puja and the cutting of the ribbon among prayers and joyous clapping of everybody present.

Entering the premises of "Shri Shiva-Shakti Nilayam", Shri Swami Vishveshwaranandaji and his team were guided to the Yajna-Shala and from there to a special Prayer-Room, where Murtis of Shri Adishankaracharya and Shri Ardhanarishwara had been installed. Swamiji worshipped the Murtis with flowers and prayers. Then he was taken by Shri Abhinavshekhar Teerth to the roof of the building and seated on the dais.

Shri Swami Abhinavshekhar Teerthji first took the mike and specially thanked Shri Swami Vishveshwaranandaji for providing his precious time to grace this holy event. He informed the Devotees, among whom many had specially come from Maharashtra, Goa and other places of India, about the great works Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda is doing by the Grace of His Guru Paramahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati since many decades in the field of Education and Spirituality, in the beautiful, but neglected area of Garhwal Himalayas.

Then Swami Vishveshwaranandaji was requested to take over the mike. Swamiji talked for quite some time, inspiring all Sannyasis and Devotees with his words of Wisdom. He appealed to the spiritual Seekers, not to lose much precious time in concentrating merely on worldly things, which will never last, but vanish, and which one cannot take along, after leaving the physical body - instead we should concentrate on our true Self, our true Treasure, the Divine. In his speech Swamiji further on enlightened the audience with a very important spiritual advice. He said, that one should never feel, that one is a "great person", otherwise there will be always two separate things: one's ego, as a "great person", and GOD. Swamiji told, that he prefers, not to think of himself as a "great person", since there is no place for GOD, as long as the ego exists. Swami Vishveshwaranandaji continued to educate the audience with many more practical advices in his wonderful, inspiring speech, which naturally flowed from his divine Heart. All Devotees, sitting in front of Swamiji, were mesmerised by his words of divine Wisdom and many of them continuously recorded his speech with their Cell phones or Tablets.

Shri Swami Abhinavashekhar Teerth welcomes all and introduces the Chief Guest
Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati, President Omkarananda Ashram.

Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda inspires the audience with his lecture.

After Swami Vishveshwaranandaji had completed his interesting and extensive speech, he was surrounded by a lot of Devotees, who heartily thanked him for his valuable advices and requested him to bless them.

This wonderful event concluded with a Bhandara for all.