Interviewer:
Pronam (salutations), Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pronam. Yes, tell me.
Interviewer:
Gurudev, today I would like to learn about Addya Ma from you. Many of our viewers have been asking about her. If you could share her story with us today.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Addya Ma is none other than the Divine Mother herself. To understand her, we must look at the life of Annada Thakur. He originally came from Chittagong to study in Kolkata. He studied Ayurveda, earned his degree, and intended to start an Ayurvedic business. However, by a twist of fate, he was unable to succeed in business.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He used to spend a lot of time with two of his close friends. Often, he would suddenly say to them, "Look! Mother is passing by!" His friends would be sitting right there, but they couldn't see a thing. He would say, "Look, four young girls are carrying Mother away. They are taking Mother Kali." Because of such visions, many people labeled him as "mad."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Later, his father took him back to their village for treatment, thinking his son had lost his mind. But the doctors of that time failed to "cure" him. Eventually, his mother went to the Mongol Chandi temple and sat in prayerful protest (dharna). There, Mongol Chandi told her, "Let him go. He is destined to be a saint. Do not fret over him; let him follow his path."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
After his mother cried and prayed for several days, she finally gave him permission to become a sannyasi (saint). Despite this, Annada Thakur continued to spend time with his friends, constantly chanting "Thakur, Thakur." His father was still displeased with his behavior.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
After some disagreements with his father, Annada tried once more to return to Ayurveda. He even attempted to open a factory, but again, he was unsuccessful. In the meantime, he received a Swapnadesh (divine command in a dream) from Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Ramakrishna told him, "On the banks of the Ganges, near a pond, there is a coconut tree and a Pakur tree. Beneath them, Mother is sitting. Go, bring her, and worship her."
Interviewer:
Where was this pond located, Gurudev?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It was in Eden Gardens. Annada and his three friends went there and, with much effort, retrieved the idol of the Mother and began worshipping her. It is said that whenever he performed the puja, the Mother's eyelids would move, and she would appear to be alive and moving. Many people witnessed this, including his own mother and his wife, Manikuntala Devi.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
When his mother was very ill and near the end of her life, she asked him to marry. He married Manikuntala, and shortly after, his mother's health improved. He remained deeply devoted to Addya Ma.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
One day, Mother appeared to him and said, "Throw me into the water. Do not continue this ritual worship, or your lineage will not survive." Annada was stubborn. He replied, "Why should I throw you away? I brought you here to worship you."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He refused the first time. The second time she appeared, she was in a very angry and fierce state. She asked, "Have you still not immersed me in the water?" He still refused. When she appeared the third time, he became frightened. She warned him, "If you continue to worship me this way, your lineage will end, and great danger lies ahead. Immerse me in the Ganges."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Out of fear, Annada Thakur finally immersed the idol in the water. However, he was instructed to keep a photograph of the idol. The Mother told him, "I do not want grandeur or elaborate rituals. I want simple devotion. Whoever calls to me with a sincere heart—'Mother, eat; Mother, wear this'—I will be with them."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Annada then sought a place to build a temple for Addya Ma. Ramakrishna appeared in another dream and told him that the Sabarna Choudhury family had a plot of land they were willing to give. He was told to build the temple by collecting alms (bhiksha).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He started the temple but was unable to complete it. Mother then commanded him in a dream to go to Benaras and worship an ashtadhatu (eight-metal) idol of the Mother. Ultimately, that did not happen either. He passed away at the young age of 29.
Interviewer:
That is the same age at which Jagadguru Shankaracharya passed away.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Precisely. Like Shankaracharya, he left his body at 29. He had immense devotion, even though people called him mad. His two closest friends, Sachin and Girish, witnessed many of these supernatural events.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Annada Thakur eventually immersed the idol as commanded and kept only the photograph. That photograph is still kept in his family home to this day. He breathed his last at Swargadwar in Puri. There is a small shrine or Samadhi dedicated to him there, marked with the name Sri Sri Annada Thakur.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Regarding the land, the Sabarna Choudhury family, who once held the zamindari of Kolkata, provided the space as directed by Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna had also given a strict command: "Do not let anyone enter this temple or touch even a single brick."
Interviewer:
Gurudev, there is also a story that he once brought a newborn child, and the Mother showed him a terrifying vision where the child's head was cracked open and blood flowed everywhere?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, that is true. She showed him that vision to illustrate that if he continued the formal worship against her wishes, there would be bloodshed and tragedy. She insisted on being immersed in the Ganges. Terrified by these signs, he obeyed.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He was truly an "Unmad"—a man intoxicated by divine love. Though he was highly educated in Ayurveda, he was never meant for the material world of business.
Interviewer:
Thank you, Gurudev, for sharing the story of Annada Thakur and Addya Ma with us. Pronam.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pronam, my child.
Spiritual Insight
Guru Shyama Khyapa narrates the extraordinary life of Annada Thakur, the "divine madman" who established Addya Ma in Kolkata. The story reveals the mystical path of a man labeled insane by society who was actually experiencing profound spiritual visions. Through divine commands from Sri Ramakrishna in dreams, Annada retrieved a living idol from Eden Gardens, witnessed its eyelids move during worship, and ultimately had to immerse it in the Ganges against his deepest wishes. His life exemplifies the theme that true devotion transcends formal ritual—Addya Ma desired simple, sincere calling rather than grandeur. The parallel between his death at age 29 and Adi Shankaracharya's suggests the intense spiritual fire that burns in such beings.