NEWS
- August 2000:
August 5: The first Saturday of August, the month of our Guru's Birthday, featured an audio of Shri Nolini Kanta Gupta's Review of Sri Aurobindo's Life and a video of Sri Aurobindo in Calcutta, highlighting His revolutionary activities between 1906 and 1910. A pot-luck supper followed.
- August 13:
Sri Aurobindo's and Free India's Birthdays (15th. August) were celebrated with much joy and reverence at the Center and in all Sri Aurobindo Communities around the world. At the Center, the Darshan Day program was celebrated with selected readings, chanting and collective meditation. The photo used in the altar was the one of Sri Aurobindo's bust from Alipur Jail - full of Fearlessness and Courage. There was an awesome Presence about His photo as we celebrated the Darshan - a grand, majestic and stark gaze of Truth looked upon all of us through those special eyes of our Lord, the Guru. They spoke of His selfless servitude to his nation, Mother India, his servitude to the world and to humanity at large.
- September 2000:
- September 2:
Annemarie Rawlinson, an artist cum labyrinth-facilitator offered a labyrinth walk presentation at the Center. There was a transparency presentation, showing various labyrinths around the world and labyrinthine organs and chemicals found in the human body - eg. ear, heart, intestine, DNA, etc.., followed by a real labyrinth walk. Interestingly, we were visited that day by a couple from Aurovillians, who were visiting the LA area. All got to walk a real labyrinth designed by Annemarie, spread out in Sri Aurobindo's garden in the back of the Center. Overall it was a pleasant experience for all. A pot-luck supper followed - equally pleasant.
-
-
-
- Mid - End September:
Durga Puja. The Bengali festival to the Mother Durga was celebrated in two different areas in Southern California. The Mother gave Darshan on days of Durga Puja at the Ashram and manifested the Power and Grace of the Mother Durga on those days.
-
-
-
- October 2000:
- October 10: A pot luck dinner reception was held in honour of our guest-musicians, Pt. Budhaditya Mukherji and Shri Abhijit Banerjee. Pt. Budhaditya Mukherji, besides being a top-class Sitar player also turned out to be a doctorate in metallurgy and a hypno-psychotherapist. Shri Abhijit Banerjee is not only an accomplished traditional Indian classical tabla player but also a world-music percussionist. A great rapport was seen between the two musicians.
-
-
-
- October 14:
Pt. Budhaditya Mukherji and Shri Abhijit Banerjee gave a delightfully captivating Sitar Concert for the Center at the Savla residence in Pasadena. About 150+ attended and enjoyed the concert.
-
-
-
- November 2000:
- November 4:
The first Saturday of November featured an audio recording of 'The Ideal Center' by Shri Nolini Kanta Gupta and a video of M.P. Pandit on the Mother. Meditation and Pot luck supper followed.
-
-
-
- November 16:
Mother's Mahasamadhi Darshan was observed by a collective watching of an Ashram video of the Mother's showing several of Her Darshans till Her Mahasamadhi. It showed glimpses of the Mother's Room, Her Balcony Darshans and Her Material Envelope post-withdrawal from It. A meditation in the Relics Room followed.
November 18: Trudy King (Tatyana) left her body in Oregon. She had served our founder, Judith Tyberg for several years and had been a dedicated volunteer of the Center for many years.
November 25: Siddhi day was celebrated at the Center with selected readings, music, chants, meditation and 'prasad'. It was a most joyous Darshan with a profusion of beautiful flower-arrangements everywhere.
- December 2000:
- December 2: Sri Aurobindo's Mahasamadhi Day was observed by a collective watching of an Ashram video on Him, followed by a silent meditation in the Relics Room. The Mother's Homage to Sri Aurobindo was read and remembered. Also a passage from The Supreme was read, relevant to the occasion.
-
-
-
- December 23:
Christmas was celebrated with readings, chants, carols and prayers followed with a meditation and a pot-luck supper. A real Christmas tree with decorations and strings of lights adorned the Center. All received Christmas presents of fruits, cookies and candies.
-
-
-
- December 31:
New Year meditation was held at the Center in the Relics Room. Blessings Cards and Calendars from the Ashram were received by all.
-
-
-
- February 2001:
- February 18:
The Mother's Birthday Darshan (Feb 21st.) was celebrated at the Center with readings, chants meditation and 'prasad'.
- The Message card read as follows:
-
- 21 February 2001
- Self-surrender to the divine and infinite Mother, however difficult, remains our only effective means and our sole abiding refuge.
- - Sri Aurobindo
-
-
-
-
- February 10: On this first Saturday of February was observed a video on the Sanchi Stupa taken by Debashish on his sebatical to India. It showed the architectural and spiritual values of this monument enshrining the Budha's Relics. Following the video was a pot-luck supper.
-
-
-
- February 23:
In continued celebration of the Mother's Birthday, the Center staged a play, The Glory of The Divine Mother scripted from Sri Aurobindo's Savitri. There was an encore presentation of this play again, on April 7th.
-
-
-
- March 2001:
- March 3:
On the first Saturday of March was observed a video on Auroville followed by a pot-luck supper.
-
-
-
- April 2001:
- April 7:
The Glory of The Divine Mother was re-enacted as a special program for the first Saturday, followed by pot-luck supper.
-
-
-
- April 22:
The Mother's final arrival to the Ashram at Pondicherry (April 24th.) was celebrated with readings, music, meditation and 'prasad'. The message for this auspicious Day was:
- In the name of the Lord with the Power, the Grace and the Love of the Lord I bless you.
- - The Mother.