MAHAKALI

MAHAKALI is of another nature, not wideness but height, not wisdom but force and strength are her peculiar power. There is in her an overwhelming intensity, a mighty passion of force to achieve, a divine violence rushing to shatter every limit and obstacle.

The impulses that are swift and straight and frank, the movements that are unreserved and absolute, the aspiration that mounts in flame are the motion of Mahakali.

-          Sri Aurobindo, The Mother

From the Editor’s Desk (March 2015)

In this March issue of our Newsletter, we continue to contemplate on The Mother’s symbol and what it means in its many aspects respresented by the petals, both inner and outer. We began on this journey proper in our last issue by looking at Maheshwari as the embodiment of Wisdom. In this issue, we consider the great force of Mahakali, the embodiment of Strength. While the nature of the Maheshwari force is characterized by wisdom and wideness, the force of Mahakali is characterized by height, force and strength. Sri Aurobindo’s words give us a vivid glimpse of this Divinity we call Mahakali, “All her divinity leaps out in a splendor of tempestuous action; she is there for swiftness, for the immediately effective process, the rapid and direct stroke, the frontal assault that carries everything before it.” We see leap before us the Devi of might with the capacity to cast her lightning rods where these are needed; to plant mighty seeds of potent power for an immediate flowering of the Divine’s will in the scheme of His creation and the ongoing process of evolution. Typically, her indomitable force depicts her as “the Warrior of the Worlds” all set to unleash her powers against all that opposes the work of the Divine in not only this world, but all the worlds. Hers then is a force that does not differentiate between the minutest of works and one of universal magnitude. Bringing Mahakali into our own spheres in order to understand her force and power may not be necessarily a difficult task. Sri Aurobindo leads us on further in this quest to know her in our lives: “Intolerant of imperfection, she deals roughly with all in man that is unwilling and she is severe to all that is obstinately ignorant and obscure…. Against the treachery and falsehood and malignity, ill-will is smitten at once…” So what then that relation we have with Mahakali? A short glance even, at our surface nature will explain the extent to which we can claim to have had the fortune of her action in us at least to the point of an iota, if that be it. Enclosed within, contemplation on Mahakali by Ramalakshmi teaches us a few lessons from a fellow devotee on how one can learn to adore the fair and golden Mother in the terrible, who is yet the aggressor against all things perverse and undivine and who yet sits effulgent and resplendent on her high throne. Instead of cowering in fear or shying away from her, one could well subject oneself to her wrath, her swift and sharp action with happy confidence in an inner transformation; to tear off one tegument of resistance against the Divine decree and intent. In this issue we begin with a column dedicated to news from Auroville. We start with one article on Sustainable Livelihood from Auroville Today, a monthly English-language publication that documents life in Auroville in its many aspects, such as education, health care, forestry, culture and economics. We believe the inclusion of these articles will help showcase the work that is carried out in the City of Dawn and inspire us towards a greater harmony in collective living.

Savitri

An image sat of the original Power

Wearing the mighty Mother’s form and face.

Armed, bearer of the weapon and the sign

Whose occult might no magic can imitate,

Manifold yet one she sat, a guardian force:

A saviour gesture stretched her lifted arm,

And symbol of some native cosmic strength,

A sacred beast lay prone below her feet,

A silent flame-eyed mass of living force.

(Book 7, Canto 5)

All grew a chaos, a heave and clash and strife.

Ideas warring and fierce leaped upon life;

A hard compression held down anarchy

And liberty was only a phantom’s name:

Creation and destruction waltzed inarmed

On the bosom of a torn and quaking earth;

All reeled, into a world of Kali’s dance.

(Savitri,Book 2, Canto10)

Question of the month (March 2015)

Q:I have heard that the colour of Kali is black and she has four hands. But I saw her in my vision with only two hands and her colour was bright white. Why did I see her like this?

A:  Sri Aurobindo: The black Kali form is a manifestation on the vital plane of Mahakali- but Mahakali herself in the Overmind is golden. What you saw was the Mother herself in her body of light with the Mahakali power in her, but not the actual form of Mahakali.

The Mother’s light is white-especially diamond white. The Mahakali form is usually golden, of a very bright and strong golden hue.

This Kali, Shyama, etc- are ordinary forms seen through the vital; the real Mahakali form whose origin is in the Overmind is not black or dark or terrible but golden of colour and full of beauty, even when formidable to the Asuras.

(‘Sri Aurobindo on Himself and The Mother’, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 1978, Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram,Puducherry)

The Mahakali aspect of The Mother

The Mahakali aspect, she records, first came to the front when she was a child of about 8 years old. At that time in the school there was a big bully many years older who was teasing girls. One day Mother told him to stop and when he refused the power surged in her: she picked him up and threw him aside. Everyone marvelled that this little girl could pick up such a hefty fellow and throw him. That was the first time the Mahakali force acted in her.

Much later, of course, there were many incidents, one of which is specially interesting because of the distinction that it gives us between Kali and Mahakali. It was during the First World War, when during meditation she saw Kali dancing in a frenzy. And Kali said “Paris is falling”. But Mother said “No “with a power and will. Kali, being a subsidiary power, is not the same as Mahakali, thus with the will that the Mother put forth the circumstances changed. The next day there was a news despatch which recorded that the invading armies had come up to the gates of Paris. The citizens had decided not to defend the city and had withdrawn. When the invading army saw the gates open they suspected a trap and retreated. The French Army then fell upon them and Paris was saved. So, this was a case of the Mahakali aspect presiding and overriding the Kali force.

(Extract from ‘The Mother: Some Insights’, SraddaluRanade, Service Letter February 1996)

Mahakali

She has burst open the veil and leaped to the front,

Into the very thick of the combat-

Our Captain, our Warrior- her flaming sword, her battering mace,

Her thundering cry sweep the field.

She brooks no delay, has no mercy for weakness-

Straight is her path and swift she speeds to the goal:

Here and now shall be her victory.

Terrible Mother who presses her children through blazing fire,

The sooner to burn out the dross and free the gold-

The sooner to smother them with her passionate bliss!

Her every tread crushes a demon’s head,

Unseals for mortals a fount of immortality.

-          Nolini Kanta Gupta

(Nolini Kanta Gupta, ‘To The Heights, Vers Les Hauteurs’ , Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Pondicherry)

The Mother on power of Kali working in the earth-atmosphere

Behind all destructions, whether the immense destructions of Nature, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, floods, etc., or the violent human destructions, wars, revolutions, revolts, I find the power of Kali, who is working in the earth-atmosphere to hasten the progress of transformation.

All that is not only divine in essence but also divine in realisation is by its very nature above these destructions and cannot be touched by them. Thus the extent of the disaster gives the measure of the imperfection.

The true way of preventing the repetition of these destructions is to learn their lesson and make the necessary progress.

(CWM- Volume 15, Centenary edition, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry) 

“Now are my illumined cells joy’s flaming scheme” – Meditation on Mahakali.

This has been a difficult meditation to articulate. I am aware of the thoughts racing, of impressions of my first encounters with this form of the Mother. She is present in more than one of the temples in Serangoon Road. In every one of those temples, her fierceness seemed an insurmountable barrier. She stands fiercely over a demon, has skulls around her neck, and carries a trident ready to strike. Her wide, calm eyes are often in contrast to the fierce action she embodies. I have experienced awe at the sight of her, a tentative approach and an automatic prayer that was mainly intended to appease. I could not feel the sweet joy and spontaneous love that I felt in the presence of other forms of the Mother. It was only when I first read Sri Aurobindo’s description of her that I sensed another approach to her. As with so much else of how I understand my world, Sri Aurobindo provided me a path to this power of the Mother.

It is power that defines her. She manifests the “force and strength” of the Divine Mother. The first time I encountered her as Sri Aurobindo speaks of her was in a talk by Prof. Nadkarni. He was speaking of an episode that is recounted in The Mother’s Agenda (v.11):

There was a rather long period: the War was declared in August [1914] and I left next February. Well, between the two, one day while in meditation, I saw Kali enter through the door - Kali of the vital, naked, with a garland of heads - she danced into the room. And she told me (she stayed like that, a little distance away), she told me ... I don't remember the exact words, but: "Paris is captured" or "Paris is about to be captured" or "Paris is destroyed" - something of the sort, anyway the Germans were advancing on Paris. And then, I saw the Mother - the Mother, that is to say ... how does he call her? Maha ...Mahashakti.

Huge!... You see, Kali had a human size, but she was huge, up to the ceiling. She came in behind Kali and stood there, and she said, "NO" - simply, just like that (in a quiet categorical tone). So I (laughing) ... In those days, there was no radio, we would get the news by wire; so we got the news that the Germans were advancing on Paris, and at the same moment (that is, the day I had my vision), at the corresponding moment, without reason they were struck with panic, they turned back and went away.... It was just the same moment.... They were advancing on Paris; so Kali came in, saying, "Paris is captured." And then She came (Mother brings her hand down sovereignly): NO.... Like that. It really was remarkable, because I was simply sitting there, looking. And it happened in front of me. (Mother's Agenda, v. 11 , P.134, 1st Apr 1970)

This distinction between a lesser deity and the Mother as Mahakali was startling to a teen who had only seen images of the Kali as the dark and naked figure. The idea that the Mother’s force and strength were greater than the violent energies that are barely contained in the images of Kali enabled me to recognize yet another path towards the Mother. I have so often been struck by the form of the deity in the temple – never allowing myself to experience “[a] nodus of Eternity expressed / Live in an image and a sculptured face” (“The Hill-Top Temple”). The interiority of the being within the form has always eluded me. But instead of merely describing her form, Sri Aurobindo describes Mahakali’s interiority: “There is in her an overwhelming intensity, a mighty passion of force to achieve, a divine violence rushing to shatter every limit and obstacle. All her divinity leaps out in a splendor of tempestuous action; she is there for swiftness, for the immediately effective process, the rapid and direct stroke, the frontal assault that carries everything before it.” The form is replaced by awareness of energy and force, a movement that enables and strengthens, an awareness that is keener and an aspiration that is capable of rising far higher.

Only recently, partly in the course of this meditation, I have come to realize how much I live in fear, how easily I have accepted my limitations. The world when viewed through this lens of fear is a dark place, a place where even the Divine is seen as remote and awe-inspiring instead of near and full of love. In a real sense, even though I had not thought of Kali, I was viewing the world as I viewed her – with wariness and reflexive need to protect myself. With time and Her Grace, this too changed. As I begin to think of the Mother as Mahakali, I see the fear disappear: “When she is allowed to intervene in her strength, then in one moment are broken like things without consistence the obstacles that immobilise or the enemies that assail the seeker.” Looking back at those fears, I see them as those of a child. I am led to see how She has been present through every moment and in every interaction. I also begin to realize how much my obdurate fear prevented me from experiencing her Presence. I have written here about how I love Sri Aurobindo’s writing – the way he articulates movements of the Divine and of the seeker. “When she is allowed” – what stops her? Who could grant permission to this being and her grandeur? It is the seeker and the seeker’s willingness to be transformed. The answer moves me almost to tears.

Above all else, the Mother seeks to be near her children and if her children run from her in fear, then she shows them a form that is less fearsome and draws them near. Writing to a devotee about the ways in which Mother aids or teaches Sadhaks, Sri Aurobindo says “All these things depend on the person, the condition, the circumstances. The Mother uses the method you speak of, the Mahakali method, (1) with those in whom there is a great eagerness to progress and a fundamental sincerity somewhere even in the vital, (2) with those whom she meets intimately and who, she knows, will not resent or misunderstand her severity or take it for a withdrawal of kindness or grace but will regard it as a true grace and a help to their sadhana. There are others who cannot bear this method—if it was continued they would run a thousand miles away in misunderstanding, revolt and despair. What the Mother wants is for people to have their full chance for their souls, be the method short and swift or long and torturous. Each she must treat according to his nature.” (Letters on the Mother, p.353, 9 May 1933)

Another sadhak wrote to Sri Aurobindo that they feared telling the Mother the details of their life because She might scold them. To this, Sri Aurobindo replies, “If you are afraid of the Mother’s scoldings, how will you progress? Those who want to progress quickly, welcome even the blows of Mahakali because that pushes them more rapidly on the way.” (Letters on the Mother, p. 353, 28 September 1933).

Alongside the Divine Force, there is Divine Compassion and Love. It is out of that love that She will permit the “long and torturous” path of transformation. Yet for as long as we encourage our fears, if I see Her scolding as merely her judgment of me rather than the manifestation of Her love for me, then I am stuck on torturous path. If I reject the fear, then I step out of Her way and allow Her to work as She deems fit. In surrendering to this form of the Mother, I learn to live without fear, to aspire and have the strength to work towards that aspiration, to laugh with joy at her many manifestations in the world – as Sri Aurobindo says, “without her Ananda might be wide and grave or soft and sweet and beautiful but would lose the flaming joy of its most absolute intensities.” To this radiant Mahakali, I offer my salutations.

-                      Ramalakshmi

January–February Sunday Activities at the Centre – A glimpse

18^th January : Meditation on “Savitri” Book X (The Book of the Double Twilight) Canto One, The Dream Twilight of the Ideal

The 4 pictures with lines from “Savitri” saw Savitri with Satyavan’s soul and the the God of Death travelling through darkness finds. Savitri finds herself in a trance of the Real and the Ideal.

These lines seem to tell us that when the Knowledge of the Self  hidden in the darkness of our Ignorance comes out like morning Sun, the dark, dragon body, adversary of the Light will have no go except to slip down from the stair of Time!

Savitri, Immutable like a Fixed Eternal Star, The Divine Mother, goes through these experiences to show us the way to higher plane of Consciousness.

25th January : Talk on How to manage Stress by Mr Karlu Sarkar

Mr Karlu Sarkar talked about Nadi shuddhi. Calm breathing is essential to bring about Peace in the mind. There is a dynamic link between Mind and Matter. Peace in the mind drives out all lurking diseases in the body. Peace is both Bhakthi and Shakthi. Meditation gives intuition to enter the Truth where intellect cannot enter. He also taught us a few exercises to release the pain and bring flexibility to muscles and joints. Indeed it was a joyous session to learn valuable exercises which bring a sense of well being and Peace in us.

8^th February : Words of the Mother on ‘The Integral Yoga’:

The Mother considers three conceptual examples of the manifested world primarily to show the clear difference of understanding and approach by Sri Aurobindo towards   

1.      The views expressed by the Buddhist and Shankarite are that this world is only a projection of the real and is full of ignorance and suffering.   The sooner, the better it is for the individual to get away from this and attain liberation.   

2.       The Vedantic view is that ‘The world is Divine’ but the outer expression is obsure, ignorant and pervert.This condition is going to remain same and it is better for the individual to become conscious of the inner Divine with least attachment to this world.   

Sri Aurobindo’s view: The created world did not happen as it was to meant to be by the Divine and is only in the process of becoming.   Its current obsure and perverted expression has to be developed into a perfect manifestation.  In order to speed up this process, it is necessary for the librated individuals to bring down the realization to this world and change the conditions till perfection.   Hence this is not an individualistic approach, to leave the world unhappy.

15^th February :  Reading from “The Synthesis of Yoga” – The Mother’s Talks

Mother clears the Sadhaks’ doubt on “what is “Egoistic state of Consciousness absorbed in the outer appearances...” She says that Sri Aurobindo’s  “Yoga starts where the others end.” Instead of thinking the body and life as useless after uniting with Divine inside, one should work for the Transformation of both and it is like “Cutting one’s way through a virgin forest.”

21^st February- Mother’s 137^th Birth Anniversary celebrations

The first sight of the galore of beautiful and different varieties of flowers arranged at Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s altar by dear Marty really made the birthday celebration a joy of purity. I thought of reading through the significance of the flowers offered at our Mother’s feet. It goes like this...

Rose – Love for the Divine

Baby’s breath - Blooms without attracting attention

Lily - Joy of Integral peace

Orchid - Emotional attachment to the divine

Garden Gladiolus - Conscious of Divine and surrendered to it

Chrysanthemum - Purified dynamic life energy

Lotus - Supramental wealth

Sunflower - consciousness turned towards Light

Dahlia - Nobility and dignity

Jasmine - Psychic purity and Integral purity

Nerium Oleander - Sweetness of thought turned exclusively towards the Divine, perfect    quietness in the mind.

Just going through the Book of Spiritual Significance of Flowers by our dear Mother gives so much elevation in the thought and spreads joy in the heart!

Meditation music was followed by the Readings of prayers by Mrs Rajah and Mrs Kashyap .

Darshan Message from Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puthucherry was read by Mr C.Krishnamurthy:

“Far-wandering seekers on the Eternal’s path

Brought to these quiet founts their spirit’s thirst

And spent the treasure of a silent hour

Bathed in the purity of the mild gaze

That, uninsistent, ruled them from its peace,

And by its influence found the ways of calm”.

-         Savitri, Sri Aurobindo

The musical offering then began. Ms. Shibani Roy rendered Hindustani Vocal with Mr Mihir Kundu on the tabla. The song, which was on Mother Durga, was very appropriate and brought us closer to The Mother’s grace. The room-full of devotees appeared to be lost in the devotional consciousness that was beginning to settle in the room.  The celebration ended with vote of thanks by Sri C.Krishnamurthy and all of us were treated to the delicious Mahaprasad, prepared by our strong and enthusiastic team of Shakthi Svaroopinis!

Along the Way…

February 2015 - A Walk to remember.

This first Sunday of February 2015 let all the members of Sri Aurobindo Society be informed of the Event mentioned below. Almost 60% of members got together at about 8.45AM at the location of Big Splash-East Coast beach, B-5 Barbecue pit area. It was really a pleasant site for an outing and encouraged everyone with a sense of the windy morning to go for light exercises and walk. Activities started with a Prayer to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and of course with a group photograph. All members have undergone few exercises standing in a circle on soft sands of the beach. After a little warm-up exercises, all were ready for the walk. Some were on Roller Skates. All started walking in few groups on the pavements of the beach for about an hour. All were advised to assemble at same place, where from all started.

Mr Kalu Sarkar from Pondicherry joined this walk. He gave the concept of decay in the muscles, tissues, ligaments and cartilages of the body and then the replenishing process through some special postures supported by breathing on our request. He voluntarily agreed to give us some of exercises, benefiting many of us. This session started at 10am and ended at 10.30am. At 10.30 am, we all walked to the host’s, Nisha Maheshwari’s home and after 15 minutes of walk, we entered their Flat on 12th Floor.

We started with meditation music. Five members read five prayers from The Mother’s Prayers and Meditations. Following prayers and wishes for those celebrating their birthdays in the month of March and some announcements, brunch was served by our gracious hostess. All relished the food so lovingly served. It was a complete lunch full of South and North Indian Dishes with a finishing touch of various beverages and sweet-dishes.

We all enjoyed each other’s company in the midst of an atmosphere full of The Mother’s blessings. We dispersed at about 12pm. In all, it was an excellent Event.

-          S D Gupta

The Banyan Talks...

Our friendly banyan tree has leaned forward across oceans. A branch of the tree has set foot in Singapore. Welcoming the bough, this column of Newsletter offers an account of events happening at Auroville as guiding rays of light helping each one to connect with the miraculous place in unique ways.

Sustainable Livelihood – Auroville’s Outreach Programme

Not so long ago global leaders and the media were talking a lot about ‘development’ particularly in regard to the so-called ‘third world’ where the standard of living was well below that of populations in the West. Since then it is becoming increasingly clear that uncontrolled economic development without safeguards leads to some very undesirable consequences:  hazardous levels of pollution; over-consumption of precious natural resources; concentration of wealth in the hands of the few resulting from globalization; and, most dangerous of all in the long term, an ever-increasing migration of young people from rural areas into the overcrowded cities and urban areas where they struggle find work, while the food producing areas they have left behind go into decline.

In an effort to reverse these trends, responsible people all over the world are actively promoting the idea of sustainability – which demands a new level of awareness of the need for coherent planning at all levels. In effect, it pre-supposes a change of consciousness to correct and reverse a trend that threatens not only the immediate bio-region of Auroville and many parts of Asia and Africa, but ultimately the future of human life on Earth.

Inspired by the Mother’s vision of human unity, Auroville is actively developing a practical approach by setting a good example close to home: “Several outreach units have been operating in spheres like women’s empowerment, micro-finance, literacy, education, adult education, culture, health, art, music, sports, agriculture, irrigation, livelihoods and crafts. While some of the outreach work used to be funded through philanthropic contributions facilitated by Aurovilians, more recent ventures increasingly have to put in place a plan to sustain their project. This includes building the capacities within the community to own, manage and grow with these ventures.”

The New Sustainable Livelihoods Institute (SLI)

Tamilnadu is among India’s top 'developed' states, and yet it has one of the highest levels of malnutrition, as well as high unemployment among its rural population. While the service sector has grown in the cities, and the state is a leader in health care and information technology, less and less of land is available for agriculture, and farming is in decline. Rapidly shrinking natural resources, increasing dependence on global markets, climate change, and rising living costs are some of the factors that contribute to this situation. 

The purpose of SLI is to create a place that can offer increasingly sustainable approaches to the government agency and the community in Tamilnadu, in a consistent manner, through training programmes designed on the basis of local livelihood needs and in a framework of sustainability. Its activities will include aspects of outreach, research, innovation and communication. Auroville’s aim of human unity includes the people sharing its immediate environment (we all live mutually dependent, in a greater whole) and further afield.  A creative, constructive engagement with government and rural communities is crucial and mutually beneficial in view of shaping a common future, and allows Auroville to share its visions, values and achievements, offering elements that may help in shaping the profound transformation in which today’s humanity finds itself.

“Apart from creating courses for public servants and community resource persons, Auroville is encouraged to use all its creativity and vision to make the Institute into a dynamic centre that reflects its ideals and furthers its goals. It is envisaged that SLI can be an inspiring platform inviting the most advanced and promising initiatives from India and beyond for exchange, cross fertilization, networking and collaboration.”

The new Sustainable Livelihoods Institute will operate as an autonomous institution, jointly administered between Auroville and Tamilnadu Rural Development, and academically fully managed by Auroville, with association, assistance and affiliation from other institutions, agencies, and individuals from other parts of the region, country and the world.  Contact sli@auroville.org.in for further detail.

*Quotations in the text are from ‘Auroville Today’.

When will SLI start?

SLI is presently in its preparatory phase, with the first activities planned to take off in November 2014.

Where will SLI be?

The state government is funding the creation of a facility to house SLI, located in the vicinity of Auroville. From this facility, which will showcase the best of Auroville architecture, design, technologies, and conservation practices, participants will use the wider Auroville with its multiple projects and institutions as a campus for aspects of sustainability in action.

Holidays in Singapore

This following article appeared in the Tabla! On the 13^th of February 2015. It was written by our member Mr S.N.Venkat. He makes reference to the Society’s efforts in opening venues for exploration in Singapore through the Monthly Sunday Walks. The article is reproduced below. For a closer look, do get into the website through the link provided below.

The article can be read at -  http://www.tabla.com.sg/jr/jrpc.php?param=2015-02-13 

Vive of Colours

A Change…

A beautiful change has set in. Our blue planet has turned around with an aspiration to embrace itself with multitude of colours. A grand tree stands rooted to the soil. Gently, it responds to this change by flowering variety of blossoms. This vibrant response of the trees, announces the coming of a friendly season, of Spring - Vasantha.

Rainbow…

A conscious place exists on the earth. Her atmosphere is woven with miracles. The colours in her floral gardens reflect Mother’s smile. She has a little water fountain, a very beautiful one with water drops dancing to silent music. A marriage of droplets with the sunshine brings forth a secret rainbow – very secret, one has to look very closely – with a vive of colours in it. I stood there one day, closely watching it, heart filled with wonder.

Holi…

Little Krishna comes running, with his silver anklet bells jingling, a splash of colours in his hand. Radha with her gopis wait under a big banyan tree and His colourful splash answers their call. Bathed in a mix of colours, they dance joyously with a little light glowing in the center. A celebration we bring in to our lives as Holi…

Colours, the sheer joy in watching them being played with – in the painting of sky at dawn and dusk, flowers decorated with love at altar, in the palette of the painter, in the rangoli drawn with skilful hands, wings of a butterfly– rang,Kitni rang!…striking chords of imagination in a child’s mind.

With devotion, we touch on the colours in Mother’s symbol – the passionate violet of Generosity, the humble green of Gratitude, the bold red of Courage – all these adorn our inner temple with vibrancy, giving space to develop in us a childlike trust towards Her.

Lines from Savitri welcoming Spring:

Then Spring, an ardent lover, leaped through leaves

And caught the earth-bride is his eager clasp;

His advent was a fire of irised hues,

His arms were a circle of the arrival of joy.

His coming brought the magic and the spell;

At his touch life’s tired heart grew glad and young;

He made joy a willing prisoner in her breast.

-          Book 4, Canto 1

The above picture is Valley of Flowers at Uttaranchal, India. Mother Ganges flows through the place. It is an enchanted valley that sings and celebrates the Spring season. Image is sourced from http://www.onetikk.com/blog/1195/valley-of-flowers/

With Gratitude,

Sandhya

*The pictures of butterfly and Holi are from google images

*The fountain is the one at Matrimandir gardens and taken from facebook.