By Lai Siong Chai, Malaysia
My experience of performing the Foundation Puja for the Temple of Lord Dattatreya in MDT Sri Lanka
On Tuesday evening, I received a call informing me that I would be performing the Foundation Puja for the Temple of Lord Dattatreya at the Mohanji Datta Tapovan, Sri Lanka. The ceremony would also be live-streamed. The moment I heard this, I became extremely nervous. I had never performed a formal puja in front of people before.
I had only one day to prepare. I did not know exactly what to do, how to prepare, which mantras to chant, or what the proper sequence of the rituals should be. My mind was clouded with nervousness and a lack of confidence.
I reached out to members of the Mohanji family in India and to a priest in Slovenia to understand the process. Although they guided me, I still had to organise the entire sequence myself. I carefully wrote everything down step by step—the order of the rituals, the mantras to chant, the materials required, and a checklist to ensure nothing was missed.
In truth, I was panicking. I tried to calm myself by practising Anulom Vilom breathing, rehearsing every step, chanting the mantras repeatedly, and invoking Lord Ganesha, Mohanji, making the Sankalpa, invoking Vastu, Sai Baba, and Lord Dattatreya again and again. Yet the nervousness remained. At one point, I even questioned why the ceremony had to be live-streamed.
Before going to sleep, I practised once more. When I woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I practised again. The next morning, before leaving, I rehearsed everything one final time.
Before beginning my preparations on the day, I completely surrendered to Mohanji with all my nervousness. “Mohanji, since you have chosen me to perform this puja, I surrender everything to You. I do not exist. Only you exist. Whatever needs to be prepared and done is all in your hands. Please guide me and show me the way.”
Gathering the materials was surprisingly effortless, except for finding flowers. Looking for a florist in such a small town almost became a joke. I asked one of my neighbours if they knew where I could find flowers, and they laughed. The following morning, two trays of beautiful, colourful flowers with a delicate fragrance had already been picked and were waiting for me at my neighbour’s house to be collected. Mohanji does his job!
This was the first formal puja I had ever performed as his instrument. When I woke up that morning, my state of mind had completely changed. I felt ready. I packed all the materials with complete focus and headed to the sacred land. As I prepared for the ceremony, all the fear and mental chatter had completely disappeared. I was no longer anxious. I was simply focused on my duty.
While chanting the Mohanji Gayatri Mantra, I felt a strong, stable energy entering my body through the crown of my head. I began the invocation,
“Beloved Mohanji, I humbly invoke Your presence. Please be here and work through me to perform this sacred foundation ceremony. I do not exist; only you exist.“
I suddenly felt my face, hands, and entire body becoming bigger and bigger. It felt as though my whole being was expanding—like an inflated, weighted balloon, like the majestic form of Lord Ganesha. Mohanji had granted me the experience of expansion!!!
Remaining in that expanded state, I felt Mohanji completely take over. He guided the rest of the puja effortlessly. Every step unfolded with clarity, precision, and focus. The ceremony was completed sharply, cleanly, and gracefully.
Even after returning home, I remained in that state of expansion. A powerful current of energy was moving vertically, up and down through my body. It was so intense that I could barely manage it. I found myself unable to do anything except simply observe and experience the movement of the energy within.
By the time my body gradually returned to its normal state, it was already dusk. I had no desire for food for a whole day until I truly felt my body again. “I do not exist; only you exist.”
The presence and existence of Mohanji were beyond obvious—beyond words. Even as I write these lines, I can once again feel the expansion in my cheeks. My entire body is filled with vibrant energy, vibrating from within.
For me, this is the unmistakable sign of a true spiritual experience. My love and gratitude, Mohanji, for allowing me to be your loving and humble instrument.
|| JAI BRAHMARISHI MOHANJI ||
Edited & Published by – Testimonials Team, 6th August 2026
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Mohanji Testimonials team