They broken our Deities into pieces, I loved them more than my life🔗

Since childhood he had a profound connection with deities, in particular Devi (the Cosmic Mother). In 2010, he was brutally attacked. More than the physical attack, what devastated him was witnessing the deity he served and loved the most humiliated and destroyed by

Hindu extremist militants. Completely unprepared and defenceless, attackers abused the harmless and unsuspecting priest.

Sri Nithya Ambananda Swami is a poorna Sanyasi (Hindu Monk) the chief priest in the Bengaluru Aadheenam (Temple-Monastery Complex) in South India. He grew up in an elite traditional Brahmin priestly class. Since the worship requires one to be well versed in the Sanskrit scriptures and to have a perfect knowledge of the rituals, he aspired for a masters degree in Sanskrit. He leads an austere and disciplined life. He is well-versed in the Hindu scriptures and ritual knowledge.

Here is a personal sharing by Sri Nithya Ambananda Swami where he was brutally attacked physically. He was powerless to save himself or the deities he dedicated his whole life to serving:

“What happened in 2010 was I was brutally attacked and about to be killed! On the March 4th, 2010 evening, as usual, we were three brahmacharis were doing Arati to Nithyanandeshwara Shiva (deity). I was waving the arati, when suddenly I fell with severe pain along with the arati (sacred fire ritual). I fell down with severe pain behind the knees because I got hit. The moment I got hit the burning lamp fell and it started burning immediately, but I put it out. Right in front of my eyes the two brahmacharis who were doing Arati, one on the left and right of me got attacked with huge iron rods and their heads were bleeding. On the spot, they fainted.

I don’t know what to even say. I have not seen any accident in my life. 10-15 people all speaking Tamil, dragged me and tied me under the banyan tree, because I was standing in the center of aarti they took me out. As they tied me, they started hitting me with huge logs. This place in my hand till now I am not able to hold anything properly. This place in my hand broke off and was hanging loosely. Immediately, it got swollen. They had brought at least 1.5 feet big stabbing knife. I have not seen anything like this. Usually I don’t even see in horror movies. They asked ‘Where swamiji is, I will kill you if you don’t tell me where Swamiji is. We want to kill Swamiji. Save yourself’.

Ambananda Swami, suffering from shock and in severe pain started to go in and out of consciousness. Fearing for his life and for the lives of those in the Aadheenam, he sat trembling and helpless. He remained conscious enough to continue watching the destruction unfold before him.

“I did not know what to do! At the same time fragmented scenes flashed because of severe pain. Two guys went inside the Garba Mandir (Sanctum Sanctorium) pulled off all the dresses of all the deities. Nithyanandeshwari gold mangalsutra (gold necklace of the deity of cosmic mother) they snatched. With one huge hammer, the shivalinga (Deity form of primordial Hindu Divinity) base broke off, still you can see the broken piece in the temple. Right in front of my eyes, the Shiva which I use to worship broke. Swamiji murthy was chopped off.”

I didn’t know what to see. Two brahmacharis who were assisting were stripped and naked in front of me, Nithyanandeshwara, Shiva and Swamiji. Even the memory of these, I am not able to tell anything. I was shouting, screaming for someone to see this. Hearing the loud noise, ashramites came and these people started running away. I was immediately carried out of the temple. I didn’t know what to say. As they were ready to be taken to the hospital, I saw a huge blast in the kitchen, I saw fire. I fainted off. It was a huge attack. I was about to be killed.”

Kind hearted and gentle in nature, the unsuspecting and ruthless attack on Ambananda Swami is not one that he has been able to recover from emotionally. He still suffers from pain in his back and his hand; as the pain in his body arises so does the trauma of his beating. His continued love for humanity, his guru, and all that his tradition stands for gives him the strength to continue with his position in the temple. It is a bitter reminder of what militant Hindu groups are willing to do in order to destroy his very way of life.

Sri Nithya Ambananda Swami, the chief priest at Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam sharing brutal life attack when assassins came hunting to his Guru’s life, attacked the temple and his brother disciples brutally during persecution in the year 2010.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-AG-CKUBdl&feature=youtu.be]

07-30-2017