BHARATA YATRA 2004 - GRAND FINALE

[Guest guest]

OM AMRITESWARYAI NAMAH

 

300 Hours, 8,500 Kilometres & 700,000 Hugs

 

Bharata Yatra 2004

 

Link: http://www.amritapuri.org/latest/mar/4mar28.htm

 

Sunday, 28 March 2004 – Kolkata, West Bengal

 

When the brahmacharis finished unloading the buses and lorry holding

all the sound-system and bookstall items this afternoon, there was a

feeling of something coming to a close. It was the last unloading of

the tour. Amma's program in Kolkata tonight is the last of Bharata

Yatra 2004.

 

Since 7 January, Amma and Her children have travelled throughout

India—from cities in Kerala to Tamil Nadu to Karnataka, Andhra

Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar

Pradesh and West Bengal. It's been more than 8,500 kilometres and

300 hours on the bus, and—for Amma—more than 700,000 hugs.

 

But if this was somewhat of a grand finale for Amma's children, it

seemed to have no such impact on Amma, who went about giving Her

program as always—full of laughter, energy and enthusiasm. Amma was

also welcomed by a number of dignitaries when She stepped onto the

dais. Shri. Ashok Kumar Ganguly, the Honourable Justice of the

Kolkata High Court, was there to give an address and to officially

release a Bengali version of Jyotirgamaya, Volume One, a collection

of Amma's teachings published by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math.

 

Shri. Ranjendra Kumar, IAS, Principle Secretary, Government of West

Bengal, also spoke and released a Bengali version of Awaken,

Children! Volume Five .

 

Justice Ganguly said that for him meeting Amma has been "a lifetime

achievement," and that how any one who works for Amma's charitable

projects "is blessed in all respects."

 

During Amma's satsang, bhajans and darshan, Amma was the same Amma

as on the first day of the tour back in Trivandrum—cracking jokes,

whiping away tears and talking to the brahmacharis around Her about

the many charitable projects She is planning or already has underway

in West Bengal.

 

The program, which was held at Kolkata's Eastern Railway Colony,

continued on to the early morning.

 

Tomorrow, most of Amma's children will board the buses for the long

five-day ride back to Kerala. But Amma will fly on to Australia,

Malaysia and Singapore to meet Her children there—for Her, the yatra

never really ends.

 

::

 

Amma Sharanam