Devotee:
Guru, my respects to you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Blessings, son. Tell me.
Devotee:
Guru, by the Mother's command, or perhaps yours, we will be accompanying you on your journey to the great pilgrimage of Tarapith this coming Friday.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
You said it backwards! But anyway, yes, it has been decided that we will go to Tarapith. You see, since I have become well-known across North Bengal through YouTube, if I go to Tarapith now, people swarm me. People come from Burdwan, Santiniketan, and all over. I didn't want to announce it, but I won't be here for a few days. From Friday to Sunday, I will be with Mother Tara at the Tarapith cremation grounds. After that, it's up to Mother Tara. The roads these days are quite something, as you know.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Tarapith has been my ashram for a long time. Back then, it was a dense forest. We used to travel through it and stay at the great cremation grounds at night. To be honest, the place was terrifying back then. Now, there is electricity and furnaces, so that old fear is gone. The forest is gone too. Even the trees that remain are nearly gone. The Mundamali area is still somewhat preserved, but they are starting work there too. I think the original atmosphere will be lost soon.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This great cremation ground is unlike any other in India. People used to not even wear shoes inside, but now they drive cars right in. No one says anything. And the people sitting there now... most of them are just there for the money. They stay at the cremation ground because they get free food and money from visitors. You won't find many truly spiritual people there anymore—mostly just pretenders. People go there, they put on a show, and they find ways to take money from the public.
Devotee:
But Guru, you still go every year.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, the essence is still there. My father's presence is there. Mother Tara is there. Even if people ruin the place, Tarapith remains Tarapith. Miracles still happen there.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Nowadays, people even use electric furnaces because wood is scarce and expensive. But I hope the sacred fire where Mother Ugratara resides remains. Not everyone uses the electric furnace; some still use wood to properly return the body to the five elements. Even when using the electric furnace, people often include a piece of wood for the ritual's sake.
Devotee:
Guru, I have a question. Why is puffed rice (khoi) scattered when a body is taken to the cremation ground? Why not flattened rice or something else?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
When a person dies, they are considered a Pret (spirit). Puffed rice is the traditional food for spirits. Whether it's a man or a woman, their symbolic food is puffed rice. At that stage, they are transitioning. Also, traditionally, coins or shells were mixed with the rice as a "toll" for the afterlife.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
From a scientific or practical standpoint, in the old days, the cremation grounds were in deep forests. If a family member arrived late, they could follow the trail of scattered puffed rice to find the cremation site. It acted as a signpost.
Devotee:
Guru, we love hearing these stories from your memories. Could you tell us more?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This was about 10 or 12 years ago. They were renovating the cremation ground. A contractor came to me and asked how he should proceed. I told him, "It is difficult to dig in a cremation ground. Before you start, perform a prayer to Mother Kali." Many people have died or faced misfortune while working on such grounds.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
When they dug deep, they found three or four pots of old coins—coins from 100 or 150 years ago. That was quite a discovery. Later, when the electric furnace was completed, they asked me to perform the inauguration and the first prayer because the local priests were afraid to do it. I agreed, but on one condition: I wouldn't take a single penny for it.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
They brought an unclaimed body from the morgue for the first cremation. It was around midnight. I stayed through the whole process. I was amazed to see that the body was cremated in just 35 minutes. With wood, it usually takes two and a half to three hours.
Devotee:
Guru, yesterday you mentioned your personal struggle with having a child. Many people have called me asking how they can receive such grace as you did.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Not everyone can get everything. I have spent 30 to 35 years in intense, painful penance. I cannot even describe the hardships I endured. Mother was kind to me, and now people recognize me and this cremation ground. But it wasn't easy.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
People used to throw stones at me. They would take garlands from the dead and mockingly put them on me while I was meditating with my eyes closed. I had to endure so much. People were afraid of me; they thought I might harm them because I lived in the cremation ground. But later, their perception changed. As the saying goes, "Man becomes a god, man becomes an avatar." Man elevates man to the status of a god.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This cremation ground is my life. If anything happens to this place, it hurts my soul. I have spent my life here, and when my time comes, I want my final rites to be performed here. I pray that if I am reborn, I am reborn right here so I can be near this ground again. My soul is tied to this place.
Devotee:
We can see you are very emotional right now, Guru. We will stop here for today. Our respects to you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Blessings to you all.