Anandanagar Anandanagar is situated in calm, quiet and lonely surroundings in the hub of Rarh, the start- ing point of human civilisation. To its south flows the rippling Daksina river. Towards the east and to the north traverses the river Uara right from its source. Ranges of hills and hillocks as old as six hundred million years, which are not so tall now, sprawl around this place. This historical basin of the rivers Damodar and Suvarna Rekha was once covered with dense forests and abounded in ferocious animals like tigers, lions etc. But the all-devouring hunger of civilised humanity has denuded these forests by wanton and merciless felling of trees. Only the name, Baglata (meaning the abode of tiger in creepers and shrubs), is bearing the reminiscence of the remote past. Not very far off Anandanagar, there is a village named Sing-ghagra (the word came from 'Singha ghar ghar', the roaring of the lion) which indicates nat the roar of the lion once filled the air of the area. The Dimdiha Hill stands in its vicinity. The Siberian birds used to come here during the winter and lay eggs. That is why it is named as Dimdiha (a place covered with eggs). There was a big lake by the side of this hill. This Dimdiha Hill was the only volcano of India in the pre-historic age. This is why lava stones have been discovered in a radius of two miles of the hill. Tigers and lions were not the lone creatures here. About four million years ago, during the Cretarian Age, this area was inhabitated by dinosours and gigantic animals of the mammoth group. The fossils of these animals in the Asthi Hill near Anandanagar are still now bearing the testimony of this fact. On the south-west of Anandanagar there is Kapil Hill near Jhalda town where Kapil Muni, the first philosopher of the world, achieved spiri- tual realisation. He was born in the adjacent village, Pat Jhalda, about 3500 years ago. Kapil was not only the propagator of Sam'khya Philo- sophy but also the inventor of Geometry and Algebra. Anandanagar, surrounded by moderately high hills and hillocks with a calm and quiet heavenly environment, has always been regarded as one of the centres of spirituality. Therefore, many spiritual aspirants of different times who had earned fame made their Sadhana pithas (holy places for Sadhana) in different places here. Still now in Anandanagar, there remains the trace of those siddha pithas (holy places where the spiri- tual aspirants got realisations). The flow of subtle spiritual vibrations created by their long meditations is still throbbing through Ananda- nagar. Situated in such a pleasant environment, a vast piece of land of Anandanagar was donated by Raja Raghunandan Singh Deo of Gar Jaipur to Ananda Marga in the year 1962 to make it the biggest educational and cultural centre of the world. Far from the maddening crowd of city life and under a pleasant natural environment, Anandanagar was established as the hub of the universe to save human civilisation from the evil jaws of urban civilisation. Besides the delight- fully pleasant spiritual environment, its climate is very helpful for one's health. Its pure air, free from any pollution of factory refuse, con- tains more ozone which is very helpful for physical health. Again the water here contains a sufficient amount of iodine because of the old rocks. So, the water of Anandanagar is very helpful for the digestion of food due to its high iodine content. Our Rev. Gurudev has, there- fore, named its water 'Tirthodakam' (the Holy water). Anandanagar is enriched with ever flowing spiritual vibrations that transport a person into the higher world of divinity. That is why Lord Anandamurti ji has also named it as KASHII for the spiritual aspirants. By the side of the river or on any rock anywhere or under any tree at Anandanagar one can sit in meditation and enjoy the ocean of bliss flowing in this land. Baba lived here physically for a couple of months and once told a margi brother of this locality I AM THE ANANDAMURTI OF ANANDA- NAGAR'. This land is thus ever blessed by the Lord. The Central Office of Ananda Marga Pracaraka Sangha was set up in Anandanagar in 1963 and since then, multifarious welfare activities and projects were taken in hand over a vast land of 500 acres with tremendous speed. Within a very short time, a Primary school, High school, College, Institute of Technology, Children's Home, Hostels, Academy of the blind, deaf and dumb, Medical unit, Leper's Asylum, Press etc. were established and as a result people, particularly the local people, were immensely benefied by these welfare institutions run by the dedicated workers of Ananda Marga. Clash is inevitable where life is in progress. So, whenever Ananda Marga has made great strides in the field of welfare activities it has faced serious opposition. The first sanguinary opposition at Anandanagar came on the 5th March of 1967, when five dedicated sannyasins became the victims of the mean political manoeu- vre of the then Communist Government and had to sacrifice their precious lives while fighting for the ideology. By striking a severe blow the evil force tried to check the growth of Ananda Marga in a planned way, but providence designed otherwise. No maer how severe the obstacles created by the evil forces, the march of victory of the virtuous goes on ceaselessly. So, after the incident, the various construction programmes of Anandanagar went on with increasing speed. Within a year, in addition to the existing units, the Agriculture College, Teachers' Training College and their hostels, Relief Centres, Meditation Centres, Dairy Farm etc. covering a large area of Anandanagar, developed through the untiring toil and greatly devoted services of the workers of Anandanagar. All the workers and followers were inspired by the vibration of a new life. Again the jealous evil forces felt greatly terrified. Anandanagar again became the victim of a sinister political conspiracy. At the instance of the higher authorities a big contingent of armed police headed by Sri Bimal Sen, S.P. and Durga Das Ghosh, D.S.P. of Purulia, launched annihilation dance on the pious soil of Anandanagar at midnight on 17th July 1968, and after a night long wanton act of plunder and destruction, demolished all the newly constructed buildings. At the same time, they arrested all the prominent workers and fabricated false cases against them. The message of justice was wail- ing silently in seclusion. Those who stealthily invaded Anandanagar at midnight and smashed to the ground all the buildings constructed by the workers with their blood and sweat, became the accusers and the innocent sannyasins stood accused of false and fabricated charges. But the evil forces forget that in spite of their terrible blows the good forces can never be subdued. Rather those blows inevitably ignite sparks of fire which ultimately spread all around like a forest-fire. And so it happened at Anandanagar. After that cruel rampage of the evil forces in 1968 Ananda Marga began to spread with tremendous speed from one corner to another of the country. For so long, the sinners thought that Ananda Marga existed only in Anandanagar and that the destruction of Ananda- nagar would obliterate Ananda Marga Organisa- tion, but all their hopes ended in smoke. Their edifice of dreams collapsed like the house of cards. The victory chariot of Ananda Marga marched ahead with accelerated speed and within a year District level Dharma Pracar Units, Schools, Children's Homes, Relief Units etc. were set up throughout India. By its devoted services, Ananda Marga occupied a seat of honour in the wider circle of the public mind. The History of Anandanagar as well as Ananda Marga is the history of struggle and progress. The more the evil forces tried to crush it, the more it advanced forward with more firmness and vigour. And the evil forces were all out to hatch new plans to crush it. With the sole political motive to annihilate Ananda Marga, a state of emergency was promulgated in the country in the year 1976 and Anada Marga was simultaneously branded an illegal organisation. About ten thousand innocent workers and its followers were arrested from different parts of the country and kept behind bars. Like many other centres situated in different corners of the country, all the structures of Anandanagar were also demolished. But rendering all the vile conspiracies nullified and overcoming the steam roller of oppression, Ananda Marga has appeared as the bright truth like the broad daylight before the eyes of the people of the world. The Supreme Court of India has ultimately accepted Anada Marga as a religious denomination-a way of life. The victory chariot of Ananda Marga has been accepted as the best organisation for the service of the suffering humanity. The sound and infallable philosophy of life, the scientific basis of spiritual cult, the progressive and Neo-humanistic out-look free from all sorts of superstitious, selfless service and highest excellence of sacrifice, have placed Ananda Marga in the heart of the people of the world. Since its very inception, Ananda Marga has been advancing amidst hundreds of trials and tribula- tions, storms and cyclones, thunders and shoot- ing stars. But where there is Dharma, there is Ista-and where there is Ista, there is victory. The flag of victory of Ananda Marga is now soaring in every corner of the world. Today it has got the Universal Human Heart (U.H.H.)- the unhesitating cordiality of the humanity of the Universe. A life spent worthily should be measured by deed, not years.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ANANDA NAGAR
Belamu Hill :
About four kilometers and a half to the south of central Ánandanagar you will see a hill running east west on the longer side. It is called Belamu. It may have been named after Billamukha, a Jaena god. The village Chitmu, named after the Jaena God Citamukha, is near the hills. Belamu is the oldest hill in the world. This Belamu is the solid mass that rose out of water about three hundred million years ago and looked at the sky. Scholars have come to this conclusion after examining its rock. The stones are so old that they break when pressed between two fingers. Gondoana was the oldest land mass in the world. It included western Rárh, Deccan, Africa, Australia, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Indonesia etc. The soil of this area is the oldest soil on earth. The soil of Belamu is even older than the soil of other parts of this arca. Shrii Prabhat Rranjan Sarkar, in his book "Sabhyatar Adivindu Rárh" says the following about creation of this land which have been reffered previously.
HISTORICAL PLACE
We are familiar with the Seven Wonders of the World.
But they are all human creations. Man, marvels at the fact that the ancients could create such wonders without the facilities of modern science and modern machines. Wonders of nature do not create a sensation of surprise in human hearts as they are God's creations. We will now speak of the seven wonders of Rárh i.c., of Ánandanagar which will show both natural wonders and human achievements. The reader will feel a compulsion of visiting Ánandanagar to see these wonders.
A dead volcano:
If one looks towards the cast from central Ánandanagar, one can see at about 8 kilometres a hill which could look as if it has been beheaded. In 1965, Bábá (Ánandamúrtijii, our preceptor) saw the hill and told us that from the flatness of the top, it could be easily inferred that it had been a volcano in the distant past. Its top was powdered and scattered because of frequent eruptions. The volcano is now dead. Years passed. Research on Rárh had started by that time. On 28th of December 1980, Bábá went to Dimdiha Hill. He sat on a stone and said: "Look around for a black coloured piece of stone. I want to find proof acceptable to scholars." Such a stone was found under water in a spot where the river skirted the hill Bábá took it in his hand and said: "Yes, it was formed by lava. That proves that the hill was a volcano in Ráth in India.”
Geologists have been skeptical about existence of volcanoes in India. For India is not in the volcanic belt. Bábá has said in this connection: In the past, the North and South Poles were not at their present location. Shifting of Poles has happened several times. At some time in the past, India, and Rárh in particular, must have been in the volcanic belt. The belt probably went along the western side of Ráth, seeing recent changes in nature, Bábá commented that the poles have again suffered displacement. In the past, numerous birds from Siberia came to the water body below the hill in the winter. They laid their eggs on the hill. Local people collected those eggs. They therefore gave the hill the name Dimdiha (Dim = the Bengali word for egg). Bábá renamed the hill 'Dimbagiri'.
Navacakra Caves:
We found a cave near the bottom of the Dimbagiri alias Dimdihá. Probably, seekers of the Supreme used to perform tantrik practice here about five thousand and a half years ago. Many tantrik symbols are etched on the sides of the cave. It is obvious from the structure of the cave that it dates back to the Bronze Age or the Iron Age. We know that caves are either natural or manmade. This cave is manmade. This is obvious from a look at its walls. It has a depth of about fifty feet. One has to crawl on one's chest to enter into it. But inside the cave, there is space for sitting down. It has two storeys. Eight to ten persons can sit together inside it. The 20th of May, 1986, is a gold letter day in human history. For it was on this day that the Navacakra cave, the oldest cave used for spiritual practice, situated in Dimdiha Hill near Ánandanagar in Western Rárh was discovered. This has been the first such discovery. So, the importance of this discovery can be easily perceived. History does not look very far. Many of its untold stories are lying hidden in in caves created by prehistoric cavedwelers. Many scholars have conducted research on this subject revealing to us a lot of information about development of human civilization. But these scholars are silent on how caves are involved in the spiritual endeavours of human beings.
On 20th May, 1986, Bábá was shown a sketch of the tantric drawings on the cave wall. He said that it was evidence of the tantric Navacakra Sadhana introduced by Shiva. The nine cakrás (plexus) of the human body are shown here. Probably some tantric preceptor Ghere initiated his disciple to tantric cult. It also might be the place where some spiritual A R practitioner practised tantra here. The cave might be five thousand and a half years old. For there is no indication here of Ciinacára (the Chinese school of tantra) tantra. Ciinácára tantra came to our country five thousand years ago. When people of Europe moved about unclad in forests, people near Anandanagar meditated in caves, searching God within through Dhyana.
Dinosaur Fossil.
There is a small hillock at the western extreme of Ánandanagar. Bábá has given it the name of Asthi Pahad (hill of bones). A dinosaur fossil was found on it. On 27th December 1980, Bábá went there, examined a stone and said that it was a dinosaur fossil. He explained that it was a part of a dinosaur's back. There was another piece lying at a little distance. It was a part of the lower back of a dinosaur. It was fossilised about 1.5 million years ago. Bábá said that parts of the tail also might be found. Looking further east, the tail, broken into several pieces, was found. The lowest part is now kept in the museum at Madhumálainca, the Kolkata residence of Bábá. Bábá said that this huge reptile had been fossilized a million and half years ago. The fossil belonged to a postglacial age. Some think that there had been no dinosaur in India. But now we have concrete evidence to the contrary. The dinosaur was the largest animal. Its size was twelve times that of an elephant. There were two types of dinosaurs, herbivores and carnivores. A dinosaur could have a baby elephant for breakfast. A dinosaur's head was disproportionately small when compared with its trunk. Therefore, it was poor in intelligence. Dinosaurs were egg laying animals. Dinosaurs became extinct long before the advent of man on earth. So, no living man ever saw a living dinosaur. The dinosaur and the coctatius creatures were contemporaries. The latter was a carnivore.
Lizards are transformed A descendants of the coctatius. Thus, many animals have become extinct, and many new ones have appeared. Not very far, a red piece of stone was found lying. Bábá examined it for quite some time. A Then he said that it came from a very fearsome prehistoric animal. It resembled both a bird N and a turtle. It could fly. It was huge in size. When it was seen flying, other animals took A cover in fear. Its eyes were red. A Some more fossils were discovered that day for examples, the fossil of a tree resembling, the fossil of a large animal or the waist portion of an animal; the fossil of lower leg of an A R animal resembling a lion, the fossil of a part of the mouth of a wolf; very old hard rock; ancient rock containing silver and mica; etc. In the past a short-lived ice-age engulfed the world. Rárh was not excepted. It is assumed that the large animals and the living beings of the pre-historic age were frozen to death for want of heat. E have found in Ráth the fossil of animals that had been frozen to death in this way. Instead of having decomposed naturally, these suddenly expired animals and men were transformed into hard rocks. We have found samples of all these kinds of fossils.
The Oldest temple on earth :
Ten kilometers to the east of Dimdiha Hill, at Deolghata on the bank of the Kansabati, there stand three very old brick-built temples. One of them has collapsed and is in ruins. These are Jaena temples. According to Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, the distinguished historian, they were built during the region of Emperor Candragupta in Magadh. The temples are more than 2,200 years old. There were more temples here, which have been destroyed. These are the oldest temples on earth. We are not of course taking into account stupas and pyramids. Jaenas were the first on earth to build temples and idols Terra cotta decorations in temple are extremely beautiful.
Kapil Hill:
There is a hill about 25 kilometers directly to the south of central Ánandanagar. It is the Kapil Hill, named after the great sage Kapil, the world's first philosopher. There is cave in the hill where he wrote his treatise on Sankhya philosophy. He was born at village Pátjhálda, a village near the hill. A poet of Bengal said about him: Jináer nidhán ádi vidván Kapil Sámkyakár Ei Bámláya raciyacha sútre hiirak hár "It is here in Bengal that Kapil, a repository of wisdom, the first scholar, the originator the Sankhya school of philosophy, strung a chain of diamonds” The name Kapil is mentioned in the Shriimadbhagavat, the Giita, the Mahabháráta and the Upanisads. We can from this see his unprecedented popularity. Shrii Phabhat Ranjana Sarkar thus speaks of him in his book "Sabhyatár Ádivindu Rárh":
“The greatest proof that someone is a developed person is that person's refined taste and subtlety based on his or her intelligence and wisdom. A person comes to be a philosopher when that person studies his or her environment and thereby learns to see his or her inner self. This very Rárh presented human society the first philosopher, who was none other than Maharshi Kapil. He wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery of creation and bring the causal factors of the universe within a framework of a theory of numbers. We in today's world cannot imagine how much self-confidence and inner daring it took for a person to do this. Maharshi Kapil was born in a certain place near Jhalda in Rárh. He came to the highest philosophical realization at Gangasagar, on the Bay of Bengal, at the furthest extremity of Samatat in Rárh."
The source of the Kansabati.
If we stand in the middle of central Ánandanagar and look toward southwest, we will see a roundshaped hill. It is known to us by the name of 'Round Hill', but its real name is Jábbar Páhár. One must walk through it to find the source of the Kangsabati. The place is called 'Bujbuj'. Water comes out in bubbles from a basin and then flows down. The reason of the place being named Bujbuj is easily understood. This narrow stream assumes large proportions after reaching Midnapur. It becomes even broader after meeting the Keleghai. The cruel river that caused terrible harm to a community through sudden flooding is named Kasai (Butcher). At present this terrible, cruel natured Kasai River has been aired as a woman of leisure in a Benarasi sari and given the name Kamsavati. One should bear in mind that there is no relationship between this river and kámsá [bellmetal]. Moreover the Sanskrit for kámsá is kamsyá or bharan, not kamsa.