Page 26 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

The revered soul i am going to write about had an ashram on a hillock around Jasidih and used to spend three to four months there and thereafter on the bank of the Narmada. and the rest of the year he used to spend his time by visiting different places of worship and pilgrimage.
Revered shri shri hansdev avadhoot was his name. some people used to address him as ‘sadhubaba’, while we called him as ‘Baba’. Years before the ashram of our ‘Baba’ came into being, we went to Deogarh via Jasidih at 9.30 am in 1332 Bangabda (1926 aD) with the sole purpose of meeting our Guru. srimat acharya shri shri Balananda swamiji was our Guru and his ashram is at Karnibag, in the south-east of Deogarh. We used to put up at Lalkothi, at Jasidih.
On arrival at Deogarh we were surprised to see no horse-drawn carriage available as we came to learn that it was a day of strike, called by the carriage-drivers. With no other way left, we walked along. We had never been to the ashram of our Guru by foot, though the road was known. Before long, we lost our way. and when we were all confused about where to go and how to go there, all of a sudden we saw a tall man standing in front of us. he, with his head tonsured, bright complexioned, quiet face, bold physique, elicited an awe in us and we, having paid our obeisance to him, asked for the road to Karnibag. he did show the way to our destination. We walked our way to our destination, though the very impact of the quiet look of the unknown sage cast an imprint on us. his soft voice, quiet and simple robe made him a unique personality. if one chances upon such a sage, one can hardly forget him.
sri sachish Chandra Chattopadhyay, an eminent writer as well as the nephew of the great writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, happened to be the very first disciple of this great sage. sri sachish Chandra Chattopadhyay told us that when in 1330 Bangabda (1924 aD) he was roaming in the Kumbh Mela, Prayag, badly in search of a Guru, he found out a sage from among tens of thousands of sages there, the very look of whom made him shout out, “here’s my Guru.” and that great sage, not only smiled upon him from afar but also singled him out from among thousands of devotees
4 Kailashpati