In November of 2007, Mary and I attended Dattatreya Siva Baba’s Muruga and Nadi Leaf Reading and Remedy Trip to south India. The focus of this trip was to visit locations in India at a time when they would be enlivened with the energy of Lord Muruga. This was our first trip to India. We became interested in these trips after having positive results from videos that Dattatreya Siva Baba (Datta) has made available to the public on “You Tube”.

On our trip, Datta had decided to travel with our group for several days. On the morning of November 13, 2007, in Madurai, India, Datta met with the trip attendees and explained that we would go to the large temple on Rameswaram Island. We would first bath in the sea in front of the temple, and then visit each of the sacred wells within the temple. He explained that bathing in the sea was very important, because it was a sea of water and fire.

We then boarded buses that would take us to Rameswaram. During the drive and at the island, we enjoyed a beautiful warm sunny day filled with fresh air. At Rameswaram Island, rooms were reserved where we could change our cloths and take showers. From there, we walked down a short narrow street to the sea. Each of us wore temple cloths that we had purchased earlier on the trip. We entered the sea wearing our temple cloths and then entered the temple, where at each well, priests poured water over our heads.

Bathing in the sea is an important karma removal ritual and water from each of the wells removes a specific kind of karma. However, one participant did not intend to bath in the sea as she was still being treated for a recent illness. She only intended to put her feet in the ocean and drip a little well water on her head from each of the wells.

We reached the seashore at about the same time as Datta’s car. As we gathered along the shoreline, he stepped out of the back seat dressed in temple attire. He then walked to shore, standing about two to three feet in front of both Mary and I. He explained to everyone how to perform a short Tarpanan ritual for our ancestors. He told us that after we performed the ritual, we needed to fully submerge three times in the sea. Standing on the shore, Datta appeared very happy. He reached down and splashed some water on his arms. I then saw him step a few feet out into the sea and dive in head first. I thought it was nice that Datta was going to swim in the sea with us. I was curious to see how long he would stay under water and how far out he would swim. However, as I watched, and looked in every direction, I neither observed him in the water or emerging from it. I continued to watch the water and shoreline even as I performed the ritual. Before I walked into the ocean, I asked if anyone had seen him emerge, but no one responded.

As I walked into the ocean, I continued to look for Datta and did not see him in any direction. So I waded quite a ways out. I continued to look in all directions (including back to shore). I did this until I was well out from shore. By that time, I realized that I needed to catch up with the group. So I submerged three times. When I got back to shore, I looked up and saw Datta approximately fifteen feet away in the back seat of his car.

The group walked up the short distance to the temple, where priests graciously guided us from well to well. As Mary and I walked to the temple, we were both surprised to see that the participant who was not going to bath in the sea, was completely soaked from head to foot and dripping with water. As we went through the temple, we both watched as buckets of water were poured over her from some of the wells.

From the temple, we went to our rooms, where we bathed, changed cloths, and boarded the buses to return to Maduri. On the bus, I had a chance to ask Mary what she had seen. Mary had been standing only a few inches from me but she saw a different event unfold. She said that after Datta had given us our instructions, he laughed happily and splashed the ocean water with his hands and smiled at everyone. He then walked away from the ocean, passing her within a few inches.

At dinner that night and at breakfast the next morning, we asked some of the attendees what they had observed. They confirmed Mary’s observation. Later that day we had the opportunity to relate to Datta what we had seen. He simply responded that what I had observed was a mystical experience, explaining he had to become the ocean to wash away our sins.

Sometime after we talked with Datta, we spoke with the participant who was not going to bath in the sea. We were surprised when she firmly told us she had only dipped her feet in the ocean and only water was poured into her hands at the temple wells. Other participants reported that they had seen her dry and not wet at the sea or in the temple. So again, normal people were reporting very different observations of the same events. When asked about these two differing observations; Datta said that Mary and I had seen her spirit body at the sea and at the temple.

When we experienced these events, they were completely seamless. By that I mean, if other people had not experienced something entirely different, Mary and I could not have concluded that we were seeing a different reality taking place at the same time and location.

[related: Youtube videos: Dattatreya Siva Baba’s Muruga Trip and India Trip, 6 nights of Muruga]