My Savitri work with the Mother

16 December 1972

In answer to my letter the Mother wrote on 16th December 1967:

I knew that you had no more work for me on the 20th but it is not reason not to see you—on the contrary. We can have a little time quiet. If you have something to say, I shall listen—and if I have something to say I shall speak.

It is not because of the work that I was seeing you, but because of yourself, to help you to reach your goal as soon as it is possible for you to reach it.

With love and blessings always

During that time Ned Solina was in charge of the Savitri paintings in Golconde according to the Mother's wish. He wanted to exhibit some paintings. So this notice was issued with the Mother's approval:

Meanwhile, Jayantilal wanted the Mother to choose 100 paintings of Savitri, so that they could be printed on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Sri Aurobindo in 1972. The Mother was not pleased. Then he got Balkrishna Poddar to write to the Mother in this regard. She answered firmly:

Time has not come for printing Savitri paintings.

Once again Jayantilal tried in this connection. The Mother totally disagreed with the idea.

Later she told me:

I want the whole of the Savitri paintings to be printed in sequence.

Once more Jayantilal requested the Mother to select some of her Savitri sketches and allow them to be printed. She laughed merrily and said:

Ah, you see, when good food is served we must not tell people how it was cooked. Similarly we must not print the sketches and disclose the secret of how the paintings were done. People must find that out by themselves.

The Mother told me on 4th May 1965:

The Supreme Power has the Supreme Humility. The Supreme does not boast, because He is All-Powerful and everything.

Neel apprised the Mother about the two rooms in Golconde given by her.

8th. January 1968.

Beloved Mother,

Yesterday, Mona was asking me if it would be possible for me to allow her, during the coming February Darshan, to arrange to have some of her visitors staying in Golconde to sleep in the room where the "Savitri" Paintings are stored and exhibited.

Mother, although the idea does not please me at all to have anybody sleeping in a room which has such a beautiful atmosphere, I told her to ask the Mother. I even ventured to tell her I was sure that Mother too would not approve of the idea. But instead Mona has asked me to inform you of this, so I write.

I have not uttered a word about this to Huta, because I know the very idea would completely upset her. And then???

Will Mother enlighten me, what should be done?

Salutations of your child, Neel

It is quite impossible to let people sleep in that place. Blessings

The Mother

The Mother taught me how to preserve the Savitri paintings. She herself designed the big wooden cupboards with mesh and with numerous grooves so that each painting could be placed separately without any wrapper. She asked me to get curtains made—out of hand-woven cloth—so that air circulated around evenly. Besides, she indicated to me how the picture-varnish was to be applied on the painted boards:

Apply with a good soft brush a thin layer of varnish on boards—vertically and horizontally. The layers must be even, otherwise it will form bubbles and that is harmful for the paintings. Do everything slowly.

After the application, leave the paintings in the open for some time. Then put them in the cupboards.