Once we reached Mumbai, many of us in the tour group came to know
of the terrible events that took place a few days earlier in Ahmedabad
precipitated by the tensions between religious groups in the region.
There was a lot of talk about whether Amma would go ahead with the
tour at all. The last day of programs in Mumbai we were told that
Amma had cancelled Ahmedabad, Baroda, Delhi and Calcutta programs
but was planning to attend the Bhuj program.
 The
program venue was to be the community hall of one of the three villages
that Amma had rebuilt after the earthquake devastated the region
a little over one year ago. Amma decided to proceed to Bhuj for
the inauguration of approximately 1000 homes that have been completed
to date as part of All of the nearly 350 devotees, who had been
traveling with Amma on the North India Tour, decided to continue
the journey with Amma to Bhuj. The buses were left at the Mumbai
ashram and everyone boarded a train for the 15-hour journey. With
Amma present with us on the train, there was no cause or indication
of fear among us. Upon arrival, 6 buses were provided to take us
to the program site. During the hour-long journey we passed through
many other villages the reconstruction efforts by the ashram. .
We observed that when the villagers noticed Amma's photo on the
buses, they would often fold their hands with palms together and
hold them over their heads in a gesture of respect and thanksgiving
for the humanitarian aid they have been receiving from Amma and
the ashram. Once we landed at the program site, we quickly understood
that we had arrived at a construction site. For although the houses
had been mostly finished along with cisterns, a school, hospital,
etc., the community center was still under construction. The villagers
had been working day and night for the past week to get everything
ready for Amma, but needed substantial help to make the deadline
for the next morning's program. Needless to say, they were overjoyed
to see the 350 of us. By Amma's Grace, even after the tiring train
ride most of us could rise to the occasion, and after a quick meal
we sped to the stage and program tent to clear rocks and debris,
spread sand, paint walls, decorate and plant banana trees.
We worked alongside villagers who would be soon moving into the
simple homes that had been built for them. That afternoon the site
transformed quickly into a festive atmosphere ready to receive Amma.
All of us were touched deeply by the genuine warmth and loving nature
of the villagers toward us, as well as their joy in the midst of
having suffered so much. We felt a special kinship with them. At
least 50 Japanese students were present at the site when we arrived.
They were devotees who had been spending three weeks focusing on
the reconstruction efforts. They had mingled with the villagers
and learned folk songs and dance, which they performed for Amma
during the program the next morning. We also discovered that many
of the Hindu villagers believed that they are descendants of Lord
Sri Krishna.
When Amma arrived for the program the next morning, they had stopped
her car at some distance and asked her to board a decorated horse-drawn
chariot that they had built for her to ride to the hall. Devotees
surrounded the chariot on all sides and the sight of Amma on the
chariot surrounded by her adoring devotees made one think of Lord
Sri Krishna's triumphant entry into his kingdom after slaying…..
It was a grand and divine site to see. The inauguration program
was attended by Shri LK Advani, the Union Home Minister, Shri Raj
Gopal, the Union RR Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, the Gujarat Chief
Minister and Shri SS Bhandari, the Governor of Gujarat. It began
with about 3.5 hours of ceremony during which Shri Advani and Shri
SS Bhandari symbolically handed over the key, earlier blessed by
Amma, for close to a thousand new houses built by MA Math, to the
villagers.
One by one, the ministers spoke praising words and singled out
Amma and the Math for the exceptional progress made in these villages
and for keeping all the promises that were made soon after the earthquake
destruction. The three villages were re-named in honor of Amma and
the Math. Modsar is now Amrita Nagar, Dagara is now Amritamayi Nagar,
and Mokhana is now Amritapur. Aside from having at least 1000 houses,
each village has a school and small hospital and plenty of good
water. Still in the building phase, each village will also have
a community center, church, mosque and temple for the use of the
three major religious groups that comprise them. In a region recently
disrupted by serious religious conflicts and only 30 miles from
the Pakistan border, Amma has sown the seeds for understanding and
healing by making equal provisions for all groups in a loving atmosphere.
All of us in the tour group felt so fortunate to experience this
for ourselves and begin to glimpse the magnitude of the impact that
Amma, a Great Soul, is making in the world. After the ceremonies
and speeches, the ministers left the program and Amma continued
with giving satsang, singing bhajans and giving darshan until 7
pm that evening. Before boarding the train for the 15-hour return
trip to Mumbai, she visited the other two villages being rebuilt
by the ashram.
Om shanthi shanthi shanthihi
|
Amma 
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