Sadhvi Kalp Lata
During the period of organising the bicentenary celebrations of the Terapanth Order, there was a discussion on the historical places related to Acharya Bhikshu, one of them being his ‘Samadhi Sthal’. He had spent last Chaturmas in Siriyari and had taken a vow of lifelong fast. Though the small shops and the big shops were well known to the people nobody knew about the ‘Samadhi Sthal’. In fact there was no concrete knowledge of it. This responsibility was entrusted to young social workers Sampat kumarji Gadhaiya, Ramchandji Soni from Sojat Road and Mannalalji Baradiya from Sardarshahar. They reached Siriyari for initial study of the location. There, they were given abundant help by the local head devotees, Shree Bastimalji Chajer and Jivarajaji Dugar, etc. During the study, they discovered a dome on the slope of a hill situated on the eastern banks of a river that flowed on the northern side of Siriyari. This dome was built on the Samadhi Sthal of the Divan of Pipad. On the southern side of the dome, approximately 125 feet away, a water stream was flowing from the mountain merging "in the river. Swamiji was cremated somewhere in the area between the dome and the stream. After a thorough search, they found a broken tombstone which belonged to Roopchandraji, the traditional Yati of Swamiji’s family. That tombstone had neither any inscription nor any epitaph or any impression of feet. Sampatlalji and his colleagues saw a ray of hope, but were disappointed as they did not get any concrete evidence.
On V. S. 2016, Chaitra Krishna Chaturdashi, Sampatlalji and his colleagues were in Sudhari. Just before sunrise, Sampatlalji saw a beam of light emerging from the ground and spreading across the sky. In the startling light, he could see the dome of Divanji and the tombstone of Guransa. While watching this scene, an unknown voice was heard, declaring, “You will find the real place today, it is Just in front of you.”
After this miraculous event, they went from Sudhari to Siriyari through Sojat Road. Then they went into the mountain valley searching across the area between the tombstone and the dome. Sampatlalji informed his colleagues with a tone of confidence, but today we will find the Samadhi Sthal of Swamiji here itself.
His friends were amazed to hear this. Sampatlalji explained the incident that had happened the night before. Everybody’s enthusiasm increased ten-fold. As they were walking around the area, Bastimalji Chajer also reached there with Ghisulalji Chajer. Ghisulalji informed them that in his childhood he used to go to the forest with his father, and he used to play on a platform that was situated on the slope of the hill close to the river bank. His father used to tell him that the platform was built over the cremation spot of Swamiji. Gradually the platform broke and was swept away with the flow of water.
Their happiness knew no bounds when they heard Ghisulalji’s statement. Ghisulalji showed them two or three pieces of stone of the platform left that still covered the ‘Samadhi Sthal’. After removing the mud from there, they discovered an eight feet wide tombstone that could be seen clearly. Their dream turned into reality.
During the course of this incident, a young man came running from Siriyari. He said, “While I was looking for the “Samadhi Sthal” this afternoon on, I met Nahataji. Nahataji‘s father died at the age of ninety. Once, while Nahataji was strolling with his father on the hill, his father pointed out to the same stones and said that in the past they used to be a part of a big platform. This was the spot where a great religious leader was cremated and that a, religious order was started after his name.
Spatiality's dream, Ghisulalji’s piece of information and the sudden news from Nahataji, proved to be a miracle in discovering the “Samadhi Sthal” of Acharya Bhikshu.
