One day I visited a bookshop in Shri Dham where I had been before. The shop owner, in the presence of his wife and I had shared a few moments of devotional spree together on a few occasions earlier.

This time, there was another person in the shop. I sat there silently while they interacted, as I always had a lot of patience to exhibit. (Except for when wanting to merge with Lord Shiva)

So, this person had come from Mehandipur Balaji, a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman in Rajasthan. The shop owner and he had known each other before.

By the end of their discussion, this person offered him the golden tilak of Mehandipur Balaji, which he had received owing to his religious connections with the place.

By this time, Neem Karoli Maharaj and Hanuman Baba had already entered into my life.

The person transferred some tilak in a small container (dibiya) using a matchstick to give it to the shop owner and kept some for himself in the original container while both talked about the blessedness of this offering.

As he finished, I said, ‘Agar aapko bura na lage toh kya aap ye tilli mujhe de sakte hain ?’ (‘If you don’t mind, can you please give this matchstick to me ?’)

That person got overwhelmed by my simple request. He did not know me at all, neither shopkeeper much, but bhava was connected.

He immediately offered his own share to me generously, ‘Aap ye rakhiye’ (‘You keep this’).

I showed some hesitation in accepting it. But he and the shop owner insisted that I should not say no to such rare offerings. He added that he will get more again since he conducts rituals frequently at the temple. I finally took it as a blessing from Lord Hanuman himself.

It was very low in quantity and much revered, and he asked me to use it diligently.

I kept it in my temple room and put it only a few times on my forehead as instructed.

Within 20 days or so of this conversation, my elder sister visited me along with her kids. And I gave it to her for the kids.

Around 4 months after this, I happened to visit Mehandipur Bala Ji Temple for the first time with my parents from Shri Dham itself.

After the main temple visit, there was this Maa Kali temple on a small hillock opposite to the main shrine.

Due to their age, parents decided not to climb the hill, so they stayed down, and I quickly climbed stairs and visited the hillock shrine.

As I was returning down and Balaji temple premises came into my immediate sight, I felt a sudden sensation of Tilak on my forehead and I stopped at my feet. Lord Balaji said to me, ‘Tera me kya karu ? Tujhe jo deta hu tu aage de deti hai. Ye le abse ye permanent tere maathe pe rahega.’ ( ‘What do I do with you ? Whatever I give to you, you give it away to others. Now, my tilak will stay permanently on your forehead’)

I felt so blessed and elated and went for darshan again.

Jai Hanuman.  Jai Shri Ram.

Peace.

~ Originally posted on Medium on Aug 26, 2025