Rani Padmavati Devi

Smt. Padmavati Devi, Maharani of Khairagarh, had all a human being could aspire in life. Born into a royal family, she married Raja Bahadur Birendra Singh of Khairagarh, at the age of 17. Living a princely life they raised four children; yet the search for True inner Peace led her to Sri Bhagavan's Presence in June 1946.

Her first meeting with Sri Bhagavan had an electrifying effect on her. The then Sarvadhikari, Sri Niranjanananda Swami, was most kind and helpful and made all arrangements for her comfortable stay at the Morvi Guest House. Thereafter, she had numerous occasions to remain in Sri Bhagavan's Presence in the Old Hall. On Mrs. Taleyarkhan's advice the Maharani's meditation took the form of concentrating into the eyes of Sri Bhagavan . This had a tremendous effect. During the forty-five minutes of her meditation, she forgot her Worldly worries and then the entire outer World, having a clear darshan of her ishta-devata, Lord Siva, in Sri Bhagavan's right eye. Thus she felt convinced that Sri Bhagavan was Lord Siva Himself and that her life's ambition of serving Lord Siva would be achieved by staying at the Holy Feet of Sri Bhagavan.

She had a strong inclination to renounce family ties and spend the rest of her life serving Sri Bhagavan, yet she could not achieve it. She did her first Giripradakshina of the Holy Arunachala, under Sri Bhagavan's guidance. She was an eye-witness to one of the operations on Sri Bhagavan's forearm. She was wonderstruck to watch Sri Bhagavan undergo the operation without anaesthesia. During the entire operation, which lasted a considerable time, she observed that Sri Bhagavan was always smiling and He did not feel the pangs of surgery!

As to all of those who had surrendered their lives to the Master, the Mahanirvana of Sri Bhagavan came as a rude shock to the Maharani. Constant remembrance of Him, keeping His pictures wherever she went and offering Him daily puja did give her consolation. Since then she was attending the Deepam and Jayanthi celebrations at Sri Ramanasramam almost regularly.

She continued to experience the Presence of Sri Bhagavan at the Ashram, which she had been serving all along. In her last days, she wanted to pay her homage to he Master by requesting the Ashram management to build a Guest House within the premises of the Ashram itself. This great Bhakta’s wish was duly fulfilled!

A remarkable bhakta to a Master of the Highest Spiritual Attainment !

Sri Bhagavan in Palakottu