As i travel with Amma and the caravan, things look one a certain way. When i took a short break after Mysore program and went to see them all off, it felt so totally different.

In the former case, i was flowing down a torrent, headed by Amma, driving in a packed bus 700 kms a day on road, stopping for chai and dinner and night stay at the same time, be it 10 or 1 in the night; only to rise after a few hours , get ready and go into the bus to get packed in your spot, for the next 600 kms. Of course you have brief pee stops and beautiful three hours lunch stops with Amma under the lush trees on the countryside. It is a flow all along. And there is nothing else other than that. Every bit of the experience is intense.
When we arrive at a program place, Amma diverts attention to the local devotees, expecting us to mind our work, our business. There is a lot of it though. Some of us have to set up stalls and workplaces, while all of us have to find a place to stay, and succeed in the venture of using bathrooms and toilets in time.

Whereas when one makes an entry into the torrent, one still can look on without being carried away. After Mysore, I drove behind Amma’s caravan, and reached the spot where all others had already been seated. Amma entered the set up. At such stops, Amma turns so totally to Her children on the tour! Amma enquires after their health, their well being. Asks them to share their travel experiences, the lessons they learnt and so on. Amma speaks about the road conditions, the care and caution we need to take during travel. Then Amma extends Her attention to the local people gathering on the edges. Amma passes Prasad plates or snacks for all of us there. Amma cannot resist giving darshan to the locals. Amma sings songs. It used to be some short namavalies , but this time on, Amma sometimes sang three long songs and made it a bhajan session. Sometimes Amma sang songs in the language of the next program place.
The stop before Bangalore saw a beautiful meditation session with Amma that evening as the sun set right in front of Amma and the moon rose right behind Amma. The stop after Mysore again saw a meditation session.

There is so much more to write. Next time!

– Sandhya
Bharata Yatra 2013