Housing Colony in Durgapur, West Bengal
The Mata Amritanandamayi Math first began trying to initiate projects
in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, in 1998. But various obstacles
always arose. But as the saying goes, if you keep knocking, the
door will open — even if it's not the targeted one. In a similar
manner, though the Math was focusing on Kolkata, things started
looking up in Durgapur, West Bengal's foremost industrial city,
located 175 kms from the capital.
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Around the year 2000, the Math applied to the communist Bengal
government for an allotment of land to build an Amritavidyalayam
school and another for an Amrita Kuteeram housing colony.
In 2001, after many meetings, the government allotted the
land at institutional prices for the school and free of cost
for the housing colony. Thus began a new chapter of Amma’s
mission, in West Bengal.
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Amma wanted to start building the school and free homes right away,
but then in January 2001, the Bhuj earthquake struck, and the relief
efforts there took priority. Construction of the school started
in August 2002, and in December of that same year, the construction
of first 108 free homes was well in progress. The beneficiaries
were identified jointly by the District Authority and the Math,
and comprised of people from the lowest strata of society.
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The citizens of Durgapur and the surrounding areas showed
their greatfulness, support and devotion to Amma by arranging
a thunderous reception for Her on 17th March 2003 at the Amritavidyalayam
site. More than 30,000 people attended the function, many
of whom had to walk great distances to come and have Amma's
darshan. During that evening's darshan programme, the keys
of the houses to the first few beneficiaries were handed over
be Sri Bansa Gopal Chowdhury, the Honorable Minister for C&SSJ,
Government of West Bengal. This was the first time in history
that a minister from a communist party shared a stage with
Amma in West Bengal.
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Durgapur means "City of Goddess Durga," and Amma, who
is Durga personified, has come to reside in this town and in the
hearts of the people who live there.
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Durgapur
