Since yesterday it has felt like the birthday is really closing in. Amma gave darshan all day and so didn’t make it for bhajans.

The whole ashram is preparing for the event of the year. The bridge building and road construction seva is going on full swing. The brahmacharinis were clearing the southern entrance to the ashram from all kinds of debris according to Amma’s instructions until 2 o’clock in the morning. Building of the festive arches and temporary shelters are well on their way.

People are starting to pour in. Tomorrow we will have to vacate our rooms to make space for the devotees. That is Amma’s wish.

Today Amma is again giving darshan as I write this (10.00 pm) and will probably continue late into the night.

Just now it started raining really hard. As far as I remember, it always rains heavily before Amma’s birthday. It really purifies the place on many levels and I believe that it’s in accordance with Amma’s sankalpa that nature acts like this.

For Amma the birthday means more work than for anybody else. It is really her way of gifting her children even more than usual. She turns everything and anything into a gift for the world. She is actually rebirthing us all.

Vishwanath
24 Sep 2006