I presume that many of you, especially those over forty, must have heard the song Surangani, Surangani. This was one of our go-to songs for dancing at college parties and after-parties. We never bothered about the lyrics; we hummed together and tapped our feet with gay abandon to the raucous music. Even today, a good thirty years later, whenever and wherever that song plays, I simply break free.
There are several versions of the song on YouTube. Through some internet research, I discovered that the original song was in Sinhalese, and a Tamil version was later released in the late seventies, becoming extremely popular. The tune and the music were ahead of their times. No wonder the song remained on popularity charts for long. Just when its popularity dipped, a new, wild version would emerge to go crazy viral again. What’s with some of these Sri Lankan songs becoming hugely popular? It wasn’t long ago that one more Sri Lankan number, Manike mage hite, went viral in India.
Spiritual Guru teaches Dance Moves
Little did I know I would go crazy again dancing to Surangani, and guess where, in a spiritual retreat of all the places. Crowning glory was that my spiritual guru, Mahatria, danced with me shoulder to shoulder, teaching me a few dance moves in the process. Exhilarating stuff, really, a fairy-tale story to narrate to my grandkids, someday. It has been a couple of weeks since that annual spiritual retreat aptly christened Entrainment 25, yet I haven’t got over it. Deeply engrossed in a business meeting, I still chuckle to myself as the memories come flashing back. I break into a random dance jig just like that.
Around 1,300 of the more devoted followers of Mahatria gathered in the city of Hyderabad to experience blissful ecstasy. Music, dance, and spiritual discourses are all delectably choreographed into one celestial experience.
Every detail of that Friday evening is particularly etched in my memory. It was the night Masala Coffee, one of the most popular Indie music bands, performed at Entrainment 25, belting out Surangani. The band originates from Kerala, and fittingly, they performed on the day of Onam, the festival of celebration. I am sure many of you must be wondering, come on, give us a break! What’s all this? Why should a rock band perform at a spiritual event? Weren’t spiritual events about meditation and bhajans?
The uniqueness of this path named infinitheism is that paradoxes here are more the norm than an exception. There is silence amid a symphony, bhajans go hand in hand with popular music, and amazing spiritual insights are delivered with copious doses of humour. Guru Mahatria is a quintessential family man, albeit living at a higher level of consciousness.
The Uniqueness of infinitheism
That is the uniqueness of our spiritual path called infinitheism, where paradoxes are more the norm than an exception. There is silence here amidst a symphony, bhajans go hand in hand with popular music, and amazing spiritual insights are delivered with copious doses of humour. Doyen of the path, the spiritual guru Mahatria is a quintessential family man leading a life like anyone else, albeit at a high level of consciousness. Sample his energy, for he stood and hugged people for five hours on the trot. No sipping, even water, and no, not even bathroom breaks.
People came in from as faraway lands as the USA, Australia, and Europe. The youngest participant was a few months old, while the oldest was 79 years old. Children, youth, senior citizens, and people with disabilities from every corner of the country gathered in Hyderabad to celebrate the glory of being born human. All in unison celebrated Prophet’s birthday, Onam, and Ganesh Visarjan with great fervour. There was loud cheer, gay abandon, tears of joy, and smiles of gratitude. “Airports have seen more sincere kisses than wedding halls, and the walls of hospitals have heard more prayers than any church”, goes a popular saying. Well, I rightfully add here that the holiday resort, which hosts Mahatria’s Entrainment retreats has seen more sincere devotion than any religious shrine.
Why Mahatria fills you with positive experiences
For close to three and a half days, we barely slept. One moment we would be sitting in silence, breaking into a wild dance the next. One moment, we would laugh, rolling on the floor, while shedding tears of gratitude in the next. Mahatria says negative feelings are inherently experienced very deeply. We are conditioned to downplay positive emotions, and that needs to change to bring about a paradigm shift. Those three days we are with Mahatria, he fills us with deep positive experiences. There is another hack, says Mahatria, deep negative emotions once felt never actually go away. You can push them down to some inaccessible corner of your memory by filling your life with deep positive emotions.Like Surangani, Mahatria, and infinitheism are concepts ahead of time. In a world where hate is used to peddle almost everything, Mahatria stands tall by preaching love, shunning the negativity of any kind. I have seen a beautiful community evolve into a vast blue ocean, transforming one person at a time. “Come, let’s go the other way,” says Mahatria. Soon enough, I reckon, we will find the majority with our way.
3 comments
You just made it come alive again for all of us!
So beautifully penned!
For the uninitiated this may take little more time to understand the depth of feeling. But once drawn, one can only feel the positivity and even bliss. Expressed with childlike innocence and exuberance Raju. I was not there physically, but felt the energy through you article. Thank you.
Wonderfully penned the exact feelings of love, laughter, drink divine and dance , celebrations of Ganesh Chathurthi, Onam and Meeladh Nabhi together in the same forum by all of us with utmost divinity and celestial dancing! Heaven on the Earth and dating with God bringing communal harmony to the world through us … Yadha Yadha Yuddharmasth – Yes. We are Infinitheist, representatives of God. Loving All in Infinitheism Way !