county.

Thus Mission centres, with the help of innumerable Bhava Prachar centres
and devoted individuals working in tandem, had succeeded in reaching Holy Mother
to millions, cutting through economic, social, sectarian and astonishingly diferent
religious barriers. The natural ame of devotion to !od, smothered by the grind of
daily living, was fanned by all these activities. The response everywhere was
overwhelming and unprecedented. Holy Mother has herself said" #He $%ri
&amakrishna' left me behind to manifest the Motherhood of !od.# Many must have
wished to be present at Belur Math but only a few of those who had participated
and helped in the year(long celebration could make it. The delegates, though from
diferent states, cultures, and linguistic backgrounds were bound by the common
cord of Holy Mother#s love. They were housed in the sprawling educational
institutions of &amakrishna Mission %aradapitha ad)acent to Belur Math. %umptuous
food and refreshments were arranged for them and for the si*able local delegates at
the Math premises. The dignity and demeanour of the participants was throughout
enhanced by a camaraderie that can be best described as +lial. This was an added
recompense to hundreds of monastics and non(monastics that worked tirelessly
round the clock to synchroni*e all arrangements, big and small. , rdinarily, visitors
throng Belur Math daily. , n ut s ava or celebration days the Math is packed. Holy
Mother#s t it hi pu)a on - .anuary /001 saw devotees streaming in continuously.
%uddenly the e2pansive grounds of Belur Math seemed woefully inade3uate.
4evotees waited patiently in serpentine 3ueues for their turn to pay obeisance to
Holy Mother and also at the other temples. The tremendous attraction for Holy
Mother overawed even skeptical minds. There was no vestige of doubt that this
setting would endure for the ne2t three days and continue even after the
celebrations. %ri &amakrishna had said of Mother that #she is a cat under ashes#,
meaning, her true nature was not easily recogni*able. !oing by what can be seen
around, the ashes have been blown away, revealing Mother and vindicating
%wami)i#s words" #5ou have not understood the wonderful signi+cance of Mother#s
life6 none of you. But gradually you will know. 7 ithout %hakti there is no
regeneration for the world.# The inaugural session on 8 .anuary saw devotees sitting
e2pectantly by 9 am. Mother#s huge picture was beaming down benignly on
everybody from high above the stage. The proceedings commenced with the
auspicious :edic mantras chanted by brahmacharins . %wami %maranananda,
!eneral %ecretary, &amakrishna Math and &amakrishna Mission, then welcomed the
assembled devotees. ;ll eyes were riveted on Most &evered &anganathananda)i
Mahara), President, &amakrishna Math and &amakrishna Mission, for his
benediction. Most &evered Mahara), was his usual spirited self despite ill health and
advanced age, and e2horted all present to make Mother the centre of their lives for
individual and social good. The benediction was then translated into Bengali and
Hindi for the bene+t of all. %rimat %wami !ahanananda)i, :ice President of the ,
rder, then read out his comprehensive inaugural address that showed how Holy
Mother was becoming the focus of our lives. This session closed with a beautiful
song on Mother by %wami %arvagananda and delegates took time out for tea and
snacks. The second session chaired by %rimat %wami ;tmasthananda)i Mahara),
:ice President of the , rder, commenced at <0"/0 am with a devotional song by
%wami =kavratananda. %wami Prabhananda then delivered a learned discourse in
=nglish on #The Mother of ;ll#, which was followed by 4r >edarnath ?abh#s #Mother
as a great karma(yogini# in Hindi. ; chorus song preceded Prof %hankari Prasad
Basu#s talk on #Mother and %wami)i#, which the speaker delivered with academic
+nesse. Then %wami ;tmasthananda)i@..-A