My curiosity to know more about our ancient texts and a desire to understand Samskritam is what led me to Ammaji. Although I had come across many forums and platforms in this direction, I could not feel a connection with any of them. None of these avenues grasped my attention to the point that I would want to commit myself to it, until I came across Ammaji. My first Samskritam lesson with her lasted for about an hour and by the end of it, I knew I had found something that would last a lifetime. It is difficult to express in words what it means to have her presence in my life but maybe this one experience might be able to encapsulate just that.
My spiritual exploration started by chance with another yoga school and as those practices evolved within me I saw a very clear path laid out in front of me which took me to Ammaji and her ashram in Uttarkashi. What felt like mis-happenings in that moment, looking back at those events it is clear to me now that all of it happened for a reason. Although deep in my heart I knew well that our paths crossing was not by chance but rather an act of grace, I always wondered what the reason was or if there was any reason. On one fine morning as she asked us to walk along with her in the Uttarkashi ashram, I narrated to her a few of the experiences I had been having over the last couple of years and asked her if there was a deeper meaning to all of them and what could it possibly be. Just a fleeting statement from her was enough to send me in search of my ancestral temple which my family had lost touch with for about 4 generations now and was almost lost in obscurity within my family. The search lasted a few months, I got in touch with family I did not know I had and some whom I had lost contact with for over 30 years. But eventually was led to our Kuladevi and the temple. As the connection with my Kuladevi grew and we brought her home the events that followed were no less miraculous than Ammaji herself. I went in search of Ammaji and Maa Ganaga to the Himalayas and when I finally found her she some how guided me back to my roots, my ancestral village and Kuladevi(Ancestral temple) on the western sea shores of India.
Ammaji is that guiding force in my life who sets me off in the right direction everytime I get stuck and sometimes sends me on an Indiana Jones style of adventure whether that comes through stories of mystical Himalayan beings, Vedas, Samskritam or just a simple conversation.
