Foundation
Laid for the Majestic Temple in Durgapur:
Swamishri
was now disposing of all the remaining assignments expeditiously.
Shriji Maharaj had desired to build a temple on a hillock In Gadhada.
This land jointly belonged to Dada Khacher and Jeeva Khacher.
Dada Khachar was willing to part with his interest in the land,
but Jeeva Khachar refused to do so. This work could not, therefore,
be taken up. Shriji Maharaj then said: "A big temple shall
be built here in the future and my idol along with that of My
choicest devotee shall be installed therein."
In order to fulfil this desire of Shriji Maharaj, Swamishri made
serious attempts to get this particular land on the hillock. But
the opponents exerted their influence through the Bhavnagar State
authorities with a view that Swamishri should not be able to acquire
that land. And the State, too, decided that the sale of that land
to Shastri Yagnapurushdasji should be prohibited.
When Swamishri learnt about this he declared, "Since this
is the wish of Shriji Maharaj, He will certainly get the land
for us even by using His anythakartum (to perform the impossible;
supernatural) powers and for this purpose, He will bring about
a change of power in the State." And indeed India became
independent. The Princely States merged with the Indian union.
Bhavnagar State lost its identity, and Govindsinh Chudasana, a
favourite of Swamishri, was appointed as the District Collector
of Bhavnagar. Through his efforts this land in Gadhada was acquired
without any difficulty.
The eleventh day of the dark half of Kartik of Samvat year 2006
was fixed for laying the foundation stone of the temple. This
ceremony was performed at the hands of His Highness Krishna Kumar
Sinhji, the former Maharaja of Bhavnagar, who was then the Governor
of Madras. On this occasion, he said: "Swamishri is the most
eminent saint in the whole of India. The temple at Gadhada will
become the best and the greatest of all temples in the country."
It was only Swamishri and none else, who in fulfilment of the
wishes of Shriji Maharaj, had the power to build a beautiful temple
entirely made of marble, at an expenditure of thousands of rupees
on the hillock on the banks of the river Ghela.
|