Aum Guru kripahi kevalam Maatru kripahi kevalam - In the Divine blessings of Maa Sri Durga and Kali Guru Paramhansa Sri Siddheshwarananda Bharati swami and mother Sri Vijayasree, Sri Siddha Lalitha Peetham, Sree Vijaya Kali Ashram has been established. The traditions of the Peetham hail from the siddha traditions from the Himalayas, one of the holiest spiritual dhaams. Some of the siddha purushas from such siddha loka related to our mutt can be seen in the mandir. Some of the maha yogis are Sri Buddha, Sri Padmasambhava, Maha Avatar Babaji, Yogi Milarepa, Sri Trailing swami, Sadhok Bamakhyepa, Ramkrishna Takur, Sri mouna swami, Sri Loknathbaba and many others. The worship of the Divine Mother, Sri Adya Shakti is predominant in the Siddhalok.
Sri Siddha Lalitha mata is the third form of Shakti Durga, also worshipped as TripurSundari (devi of three worlds), Shodasi (sixteen lettered mata), Maa Kamakhya (goddess of all great yogas), Siddha Mata (Maa of Siddhalok). Maa Siddha Lalitha is the devata, goddess of Prayag (Triveni sangam UP) and has been invoked in our pith. There are ten main aspects of Maa Adya Shakti Durga called the Dash Mahavidyas. Sri Siddheswari is the Shakti of all the ten energies merging together, and situated in the plane of Siddhas. The ten Shaktis are around all the eight sides covering top and bottom protecting Sri Siddha Lok.
“Kali tara maha vidya shodashi bhuvoneshwari, bhairavi chhinnamasta cha vidya dhumavoti tatha, bagala siddha vidya cha matangi kamalatmika, Ataaha Shakti vidyaah Siddha vidyaah prakeertitaaha.” (all the ten Shaktis are Siddha Shakteya Vidyas).
Kali awakens and dances out from Durga who then glitters as Tara to cut out all sins and plays the game of great yogas lead by shoroshi to land on a destined plane of Bhuvneshwari while hearing the laughs of Bhairavi emerge from sounds of the chakras forcing Chhinnamasta to let out the true soul from within followed by eliminations made by Dhoomavoti to grant siddha mystic shaktis from Bagala rendered with artistic talents of Matongi finally relaxing in the waves of the cosmic oceans blossoming up into a thousand phased kamola. Thus, the Maha vidyas care for their children. Kali settled down in the place where the ganga merges in the bay of Bengal, giving it the name Kalighat (place of Kali). All shakteyic traditions are practiced in Kalighat, flourishing the Dhaam with Maa’s sadhana. The days spent serving Maa in Kalighat ran mystically under her vision to bestow her true form. The grace of Gurus shined the path with artistic integrity. Thus Maa of time, Maa Kali molds antique sadhana sweetening it into new nectar. Mysterious ways of the Maa protect the world embossing the motherly heart. Viewing the life of great sadhoks shows leelas and plays of the Divine Mother, their sadhanas emphasize the various powers of Maa Kali. Sadhanas of various kinds and paths are practiced by different yogis in the sidddhalok. Sri Maha Avatar Babaji is an avadhoota yogi from the siddha lok protecting and guiding many sadhaks. Padmasambhava also a yogi in the siddha lok, was a sakteyic, tantric siddha purush. Padmasambhava spent his early life in the region of Oddiyana, which is the home of the Shakti Maa Girija Devi. Padmasambhava established many mutts brought forth ancient texts of tantras dedicated to many Devatas such as Vajra Yogini, Dakini, Bajrakali, Bajra Barahi, Tara, Maha Cina Bhairavi, Kurukulla, Maha Kala and many more. He created many sadhakas, practiced and spread out Vajrayana Tantras and achieved astonishing heights in different Sadhanas. Vajra Bhairava was one of the Devatas who blessed him with his Vajra shaktis. Many siddha shakta vidyas have been protected and handed down to his sishyas by Sri Padmasambhava. Milarepa is one of Tibet’s most famous yogi and poet with mystic powers and visions of great Devatas. Milarepa practiced sorcery on the order of his mother and finished certain tasks and then left for the guru Marpa. Milarepa had many difficult experiences with Marpa, but by great sadhanas he achieved the state of Bajradhar (complete enlightenment) in one life time. Milarepa’s caves are located about eleven kilometers near the town of Nyalam above the Matsang river in the Nyalam county, Tibet where the Vajrayana mahasiddha spent many years in tapas. Takur Sri Ramkrishna performed different methods of practices in different times from tantrik to vedantic to islam and many more. “Jatomath tatopoth” says Ramkrishna, Many paths lead to the Supreme. Khyepa takur Sri Bamakhyepa, was a mad saint of Tara pith in Birbhum, West Bengal. Bamdev was born in the village of Atla three kilometers from Tara Pith, worshiped Maa in many tantric rites performed austerities on the renowned panchamundi ashan in maha smashan and became a great siddha purush in the fields of bamachar. Shadhok Bamakhyepa used his mystic powers to help, and protect others who came to him in need and guided them to Maa Tara. Sadhok Bamakhyepa had many visions of Maa Tara in her ferocious forms in the cremation grounds of Tara pith, and Tara took him to her breast and protected him. Sri Sri Triling Swami (Ganapati Swami) ashram is located in Panchaganga Ghat, Kasi. Sri Trilinga swami lived for 280 two hundred and eighty years from 1607-1887 AD and wondered in the streets in Kasi as digambar avadhoota. He was born in the village of Holia, in Andhra Pradesh, performed tapas in the burning grounds for about fifty years guided by the visions of his previous births. With the mantra deeksha given by his mother Vidyavati Devi, Trailingdhar practiced tapas on Maa Kali. Kali blessed him with her wrathful Kankalkal darshan, and finally came before him in the form of a twelve year old girl with name of Mongal Kali. He obtained the grace of Maha Kali and Kal Bhairav and had such powers of bringing dead people to life, transforming any object into gold, walking on the Ganga river, disappearing in one place and appearing elsewhere and such more. Sri Triling Swami had been given the Sanyas deeksha by Sri Bhageerata Swami in 1685 at the age of 78, with the name of Ganapati Swami. Sri Triling swami's teachings and puja are practiced in the mutt at Kashi. Sri Takur Ramkrishna said he was the walking Shiva of Varanasi. The siddha traditions also were practiced by Sri Mouna Swami in Courtallam, Tamilnadu. Sri Mouna swami has established Sri Siddheswari Peetham in Courtallam a holy place of many powerful herbs. Sri Siddheshwari Peetham follows the paths of Sankaracharya and follows a lineage of swamis carrying on the siddha tradition. The present swamiji of Sri Siddheshwari Peetham is Sri Siddheshwarananda Bharathi Swami, a renowned poet, yogi and siddha purusha. A Peetham is a center for practicing spiritual sadhana derived and dedicated to one Shakti (or Goddess), which follows traditions blessed by the Maa. This Peetham follows the Siddha traditions according to the path of the Siddha Gurus, guided by Maa Kali. Worshipping and surrendering to Maa Kali will grant her protection, what else will one soul need than be in the caring hands of Divine Mother Kalika. Devotees may come and perform worship and be blessed by Maa Durga and Maa Kali for spiritual upliftment and sadhana. You can visit www.siddhalalitha.org for more information on Mataji, Swamis, festivals, activities and events in the mandir.
Jai Bhavani Jai Kali Jai Tara
Priest Bhavani Tejasvi Athmaram
Founder, Sri Siddha Lalitha Peetham.