Sathya Yuga Srishti Koil (108 temples)

Turmeric Blueprints

After making arrangements for purchasing the land for Mukthi Nilayam Ashram, it was decided to go to Coimbatore to a devotee’s house where Swami blesses items and has a strong presence.

Amma asked the venerated devotee for a blank sheet of paper. Immediately, she drew the rectangular shape of the parcel of ashram land along with the four directions of the compass relative to the plot. She laid the paper on the floor next to the altar where Swami showers His blessings and the door of the shrine room was closed.

Following the conclusion of a 45-minute satsang, with her eyes filled with gleeful expectation Vasantha Sai, along with her assistant Yamini, headed for the shrine room. All wondered what surprise was in store for them behind the door; the door was opened. ‘Oohs and ahhs” were heard. It was discovered that the papers left for blessing were covered with lines of turmeric!

With an uncanny eye for interpreting the meaning of every line and curve of the yellow powder, Amma saw what was clearly the symbolic layout for the land and where the buildings and temples should be placed: thus ‘turmeric blueprints’.

Swami had drawn a line cutting the land in half. All the buildings appeared to be on the western portion of the plot and the main ashram building would be facing east. Indications for Ganesha and a RadhaKrishna temple were also given along with the position of the main gate and Amma’s private gate. To the surprise of all Swami had drawn something with kumkum. Amma said it looked like the face of Mother Durga with a star on her crown. Later when Amma asked Swami in meditation, He said, “It is the Stupi with Amaratharaka (the eternal star). Build the Stupi in Mukthi Nilayam.”

In her own words…

We kept the site map of the Ashram in the pooja room and asked Swami where to construct the various buildings. Swami divided the land into two sections and indicated the Westside of the property be used for this purpose. Swami also indicated where to build the Durga Temple and the Ganesha Temple. Swami drew the Ganesha statue in front and then the Durga statue and thirdly a big RadhaKrishna picture. Swami told to build a RadhaKrishna Temple although we had not asked Him about the temple!

On the site map that Swami had blessed, there was a line of turmeric on Durga’s crown. I asked Swami about it. He said, “It shows the stupi that should be built in the Ashram. This pillar must rest on a lotus base and have six sections denoting the six chakras of the Kundalini.          

Swami also said that my body is the pillar and my head is the Sahasrara Lotus. He said, “The Sahasrara opens and the light that comes out of it will guide the world like the star. Swami further said, “Kamala Peetam is Goddess Mahalakshmi’s asana (throne). You are Mahalakshmi. You are seated on the throne.” Swami instructed us to build the pillar in front of the meditation hall. The pillar was hand-drawn and kept for Swami’s blessings. Swami blessed it with ample amounts of kumkum. Swami chose the land for construction; we put the site map for blessings in a house where Swami’s miracles occur. Swami blessed with a line drawn of turmeric. I asked Swami about it. He said, “It shows the Stupi (pillar) that should be built in the Ashram. You have to make a Red Lotus base called, ‘Kamala Peetam’ the throne of Goddess Mahalakshmi. You are Mahalakshmi. You are seated on the throne. There should be a six-foot pillar on top of this ‘Kamala Peetam’. This pillar should have six sections denoting the six chakras of the Kundalini. There should be a golden-colored lotus on top. This symbolizes the Sahasrara chakra. Above this should be a five-pointed gold star. Four points of the star indicate the four directions. You will take the people who come from the four directions upward (to spiritual attainment) as indicated by the fifth point of the star.”