Champaklal Speaks

Arrangement of their Photographs

Nowadays, I am asked by people to comment on the placing of a particular photograph of the Mother alongside one of Sri Aurobindo's: “How is this arrangement? Is it all right?”

At first, I used to remain silent, but sometimes when asked, I give my opinion. For instance, Mother was against placing her photograph with a veil [taken in 1905 or 1906] alongside one of Sri Aurobindo taken in 1950. It is all right if they are kept in the same room but in different places. She would say, “It is not proper to keep a photo of a later period beside one of earlier days. I do not like it.” Mother had specifically told some people that the main consideration is to keep contemporaneous photos of both together.

Now, I will give you an instance of how she conveys the same thing even at present through means other than physical words. Just the day after I wrote about this, someone brought two combinations of Mother's and Sri Aurobindo's photographs arranged by period just as Mother had wanted it! And what is more, he did not do this just for printing them in a book; he told me that even in his house he places them in that way. How interesting! By Mother's grace two combinations came to me on the same day.