The three main festivals in Shirdi, of two to four days each, are Ramnavami (March/April), Gurupoornima (July), and Vijayadasami (September/October). In Shirdi, these festivals are celebrated with great passion, verve and heartfulness. Thousands flock to bathe in the grace which seems to flow especially freely at such times. There is a programme of puja, music (bhajan), public parayana (reading of scriptures and devotional texts) and exuberant processions with the palanquin and the rath (chariot). The Samadhi Mandir remains open all night during one of these days, with the upper section of Dwarkamai being open the previous night, and there are all-night bhajan and qawali sessions at various locations around the village, including Lendi Gardens. Printed programmes with full details are available from the Sansthan. On the special atmosphere that prevails at such times, Sri Babuji has commented, "When there is a collective activity or endeavour, then it is easy for the love and the experience to sink into the heart. On ordinary days it is as if you have to sail with your oars and row, but on these days it is just like setting the sails and then letting yourself be happily carried along by the wind!"
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