Shri Vidyamukambika of Oregon
Historic Reference
1. She descended as a force on Navaratri ashtami night in 1979 to Smt Vaasanti Gopinath Jayaswal, in Westchester, California. Vaasantiji had an intense mental vision where the Mother's force descended due to hearing the agony and cries of the Bharatiya people who live in America, who struggle daily while trying to adhere to the principles of Sanatana Dharma.
2. Later this force was explained to Smt. Jayaswal, as the force of Bhuvaneshvari Tattvam, by the late Pujya Swami Chidananada Sarasvati, of the Divine Life Society, who was lecturing at the East West Cultural Center, Shri Aurobindo Ashram in Los Angeles, run by Jyotipriya (Dr. Judith Tyberg) at that time.
3. In 1987 Smt. Vaasanti experienced several mystical occurrences in Kutachadri, Kollur after which she met the late Brhmashri Eashvaran Namputhiri of Vedira Mana, Manakkadu, Trivandrum. Under his direct guidance, she was trained in Moola-durga upasana and other esoteric Vedic and Tantrik paddhatis of the Kerala Namputhiri-Dakshina marga sampradaya.
4. During this period Vaasanti's shareera experienced many transformations. Later some of these experiences were interpreted by Shri Bhupendra Soneji, a reputed teacher of Yoga in Orange County.
5. As suggested by Shri Easwaran Namputhiri, a deity based on a particular dhyaana shloka made popular by Vaasantiji's father was sculpted by the famous Shri Karamana Shashi of Trivandrum after he undertook a special observance. In March 1988 the pranaprathista ceremony that was conducted by Shri Easwarana namputhiri in the kalari of the late Guru Gopinath, in Vattiyoorkavu . Trivandrum, then this charamurthi (non attached murthi), the Devi, was hand-carried from India to Westchester, a community of Los Angeles and installed in a kaavu (sacred grove temple) in the home of the Jayaswals.
6. From 1988 to 2004, many families attended the various events and drew solace from the Devi's presence there. The temple was open to the community but not as a public temple.
7. Each year Pt. Ravichandran of Livermore came to officiate as the Chief Priest to conduct the elaborate Annual Festival which often ran for 3 days.
8. In 2005 when Smt. Vaasanti responded to the need of establishing a stronger base for followers of Hinduism/ Sanatana Dharma and coincidentally requested by Shri B.V.Shastry of the Hindu University of America, the Devi was brought to Orlando, Florida.
9. In this transition, the sankalpa of puja was reduced to a bare minimum as requested by the University. After this transition, the Devi has assumed the role of Shree Vidyamukambika in addition to her previous status as Shree Vishnumayadurga.
10. Due to very peculiar circumstances at HUA when the acharas suffered in Florida in summer of 2007, Smt. Vaasanti was approached by some of the staff to rescue the Devi from that campus prior to Navaratri of that year.
11. The suggestion from Bhrhmacharai Svar Chaitanya of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Pennsylvania, and the call from Sadhvi Vrinda Chaitanya, both disciples of Pujya Swami Dayananda Sarasvati, led to the Devi landing in Eugene prior to Vijayadashami of 2007. Sadhvi Vrinda Chaitanya was blessed with the darshan of this Devi, long before she actually saw Her.
12. Having brought this gift or daanam to completion, Vaasanti is free from any association with the workings of this shrine.
13. Many a follower of Bharatiya darshanas finds solace in the presence of this Devi whose praanashakti is the sankalpa of the late Brhmashree Easwaran Namputhiri, a unique personality in the field of Tantra Kerala Sadhana in Kerala.
SHUBHAM
EUGENE