BHARATA YATRA 2004 - BHOPAL (MADHYA PRADESH)

OM AMRITESWARYAI NAMAH

"We love Amma not because of who She is, but because of who we
become in Her presence."

Bharata Yatra 2004

Friday, 12 March, 2004 – Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

No one really knew how many people would come to see, hear and be
touch by Amma in Bhopal. She had only visited the Madhya Pradesh
capital once before in 1989, and then only a few hundred came to
have Her darshan. As it would turn out, a crowd of some 70,000 was
waiting at the program site upon Amma's arrival and She was formally
greeted by the state's Governor, Chief Minister and two former Chief
Ministers, as well as Bhopal's mayor and distinguished
representatives of MP's Christian, Hindu and Islamic communities.
Actually, Amma was an official guest of the state and, as such, She
was greeted at the border by the District Collector of Jabua and
given a police escort all the way to Bhopal.

Chief Minister Uma Bharati—a sannyasini initiated by Madhvacharya
Vishwesha Tirtha of Pejavar Math in Udupi—spoke beautifully about
Amma, welcoming Her "not as the Chief Minister, but as Her child."
She said, "We love Amma not because of who She is, but because of
who we become in Her presence." She later added that Amma's love was
like the rays of the sun, the coolness of the moon and the flow of a
river—She gives it to all, without discrimination.

The state's former Chief Minister, Shri. Digvijay Singh, was
emotional during his speech, recalling how he had been waiting for
quite sometime to see Amma and how his desire had now finally come
true.

Shri. Babulal Gaur, MP's Honourable Minister for Urban
Administration, Housing & Development, said the citizens of Bhopal
were overwhelmed by Amma's presence. "She is the embodiment of a
mother's love and protectiveness."

The Arch Bishop of Bhopal, His Grace Dr. Pascal Topno; the Sahar
Qazi, Abdul Latif Khan; and Swami Atma Bholananda of the Ramakrishna
Math all presented Amma with purnakhumba and prayed to Her for world
peace, calling the 70,000 men, women and children surrounding Amma
to join in chanting the mantra lokah samastah sukhino bhavanthu .

Chief Minister Uma Bharati also joined Amma in presenting free
pension checks to Bhopal's destitute widows, as part the Mata
Amritanandamayi Math's ever-expanding Amrita Nidhi program. The Math
also gave away 700 saris to impoverished women and provided free
food to all who came to the program. At the time of this posting,
more than 40,000 people had taken tokens to receive Amma's darshan.

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Amma Sharanam