Amma Blesses the three Villages
Sunday 10 March, 2002
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It was a hard time for Gujarat. A year after
the devastating earthquake, the region was falling
victim to communal riots. Amma was in Mumbai.
She was scheduled to leave for the earthquake-struck
region of Bhuj, in Western Gujarat, where She
was to inaugurate the three villages that the
M.A. Math had reconstructed. But in order to
reach there, She would have to travel through
areas that had erupted in violence. Many people
were discouraging Amma from making the trip—even
the government's Central Intelligence Bureau.
But Amma would not be deterred. "I have
decided to go, come what may, and those who fear
for their lives don't have to come." |
The programme was a huge success and no one
was hurt. Later Amma commented that the thousands
of villagers had been waiting to meet Amma for
a long time. Since they had lost everything,
they didn't have enough money to visit Amma anywhere
else. They also badly wanted Amma to bless their
homes before they moved in.
Photo:- India's Union Home Minister Sri. I.K.
Advani applauded the Math for its relief efforts |
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When Amma did arrive, thousands came to have Her darshan—the
men in their serious and weighty turbans, the women
in their flowing rainbow-coloured dresses. This region
was once travelled by Sri Krishna, and the people are
still his devotees. Looking at them in their colourful
attire, it was easy to imagine they were flocking to
see the Lord. And they even arranged a horse-drawn
chariot, like Krishna's—in which to carry Amma
to the darshan stage.
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Also present for the occasion were Union Home
Minister of India Sri. L.K. Advani, the Governor
of Gujarat Sri. S.S. Bhandari and Chief Minister
of Gujarat Sri. Narendra Modi. All three of the
politicians helped symbolically handout the keys
to the newly constructed homes. In his speech
Advani applauded the Math for its relief work. |
Here it was also officially announced that the villagers
and the state government had officially renamed the
three villages after Amma. Modsar is now Amrita Nagar,
Dagara is now Amritamayi Nagar, and Mokhana is Amritapur.
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