The anniversary of the mahasamadhi day of  Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi’s mother is celebrated as Mahapuja inside the Mathrabhuteswara shrine in Ramanashram where her mortal remains were interred.

Bhagavan said, “mother said she would not leave me and go anywhere else. If she went anywhere she was afraid that she might die there. She was particular that she should die in my hands. She used to say, “even if you throw away my dead body in these thorny bushes i would not mind but i must end this life in your arms”.

In 1922 mother’s health broke down. On the festival of Bahula Navami, which fell that year on May 19th, it was obvious her end was near. After his usual morning walk Bhagavan entered mother’s room and waited on her the whole day, even taking his afternoon meal in the room. About sunset the evening meal was prepared and Bhagavan asked the others to eat, but he himself did not. In the evening the devotees sat beside mother in 3 separate groups singing the marital garland of letters. For a further 2 hours she lay there, her chest heaving and her breath coming in loud gasps; all this while Bhagavan sat beside her, and during the last hour he laid his right hand on her heart and his left on her head. There was no question of prolonging life but only of quieting the mind so that death could be Mahasamadhi, absorption in the Self. Later Bhagavan explained, “innate tendencies (vasanas) and the subtle memory of past experiences leading to future possibilities became very active. Scene after scene rolled before her in the subtle consciousness, the outer senses having already gone. The soul was passing through a series of experiences, thus avoiding the need for rebirth and so effecting union with Supreme Spirit. The prana was absorbed in the

heart and the soul was at last disrobed of the subtle sheaths before it reached the final destination, the Supreme Peace of Liberation from which there is no return to ignorance”.
This year the Ramansahram celebrated Mahapuja on Sunday, 6th June. On Saturday evening, devotees enjoyed a Bharathnatyam recital by Vaishnavi Poorna, depicting various spiritual incidents in the life of the mother connected to her Son.

On Sunday morning, the grand Ekadasa Rudram puja-abhishekam was performed in the mother’s shrine with great splendour. The same evening, students of the Ramana Maharshi centre for learning in Bangalore presented a group dance event titled “Adhuvey Sthalam” portraying the life of Alagammal, the mother of Ramana.

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