I Remember

He was known as the "Father of physical culture" in Gujarat. He also taught English and Dyuman-bhai was one of his students. He was an accomplished writer. His Evening Talks with Sri Aurobindo in English is an invaluable book. Towards the end of his life he went to England to do some research on Sri Aurobindo's life as a student, all the houses he lived in, how he studied, what his life was like. He shed light on all these aspects of Sri Aurobindo's life that were totally unknown to us.

In 1942, when I came here at the age of 19, I stayed here for about four months. I had come to find and understand the vision and path of Sri Aurobindo and to decide what I would do in life in the future.

Four of us, Sunil, Gora, Ranju and I, stayed at the Chettiar House. I do not know how Purani-ji found out that I was interested in physical culture and had been involved in organising physical culture associations. One fine morning he turned up there while I was alone. We talked about physical culture and when he found out that I liked wrestling he got down to a bout at once.

Nirmal-da had a garden in the open space in Chettiar House. Some earth had been dug out for planting trees. With Nirmal-da's permission we got into that excavated portion and started our wrestling bout there! He taught me a lot of holds in wrestling: saukhini tang, harin fansh, tabak faad, machhi gota and many others. After the bout he washed himself under our house-tap and said that he was very happy to see my wrestling. If I wished to learn wrestling well he could make the arrangements. He knew someone in Gujarat who was an expert. By spending five or six months with him I could learn wrestling really well. He would make all the arrangements for lodging and boarding.

Naturally, I never went to Gujarat to learn wrestling. But when I came away to the Ashram for good and was setting up the physical education department, I built with

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Purani-ji's help a beautiful wrestling pit in 1949. The earth for the pit was prepared under Purani-ji's instructions. A special kind of soil was brought from the Lake. Then oil, turmeric, neem-leaves, khuskhus, sandal powder, lodellium, soapstone, etc. were mixed into it. And then Purani-ji himself taught me wrestling with a lot of interest. How can I ever forget his gift of affection?

In my work of organising the physical education department, he always lent me his support. He always kept track of all the developments and never ceased to encourage me.

In 1957 our swimming pool was built. The opening was fixed for Mother's birthday. Arrangements were made for a swimming demonstration. Mother came to see. There was a special item that day: Purani-ji's swimming and diving demonstration. He was already sixty then. I announced: "Now a young man of sixty will give a demonstration on swimming and diving." Purani-ji gave demonstration as planned and impressed everyone.

To me he was always a source of inspiration. And the love he bore for me was unlimited and constant.

(61)

My first meeting with Sudhir-da took place in 1942 at the Pondicherry station. It was one late evening at the beginning of April. On that day four of us, Sunil, Gora, Ranju and I arrived in Pondicherry for the first time for the April Darshan. Sudhir-da had come to the station to fetch us.

I did not know Sudhir-da then. But when he looked at me I could see in his look the love and trust he bore for me. I too felt a strange attraction for him, an attraction mixed with respect and love. And the bond that we formed on that first day remained firm till the very end.

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Sudhir-da accompanied us to Chettiar House, where arrangements for our stay had been made. We had a quick shower and then he took us for dinner to the Dining Room. After our meal we were taken to Nolini-da.

In those days, there used to be a collective meditation in the Meditation Hall at 8 in the evening. After the lights had been turned off in the Meditation Hall, Mother used to come down and stand on the staircase. After the meditation was over, in about thirty minutes, she went up and stood at the landing. People would then line up and go to her one by one, do pranam, receive a flower, etc. After that we either returned home or we went to the sea-front for a walk. This was our usual programme.

It was Sudhir-da who took us for our first darshan of Mother that evening. It was on that day that I asked Ranju at one point who he was. Ranju replied: "He's Sudhir Sarkar. He worked .with Sri Aurobindo." Hearing this about him my respect for him increased even more. I felt that we could not have met a better man on the first day.

Sudhir-da was an extremely simple, cheerful person. He normally wore shorts and a vest and he had a crop of short pepper-and-salt hair. Later his hair turned completely white. I was told that he used to cut his own hair. His wrinkleless, taut-skinned figure spoke of the solid, robust health he possessed in his youth. His heart was simple like a child's, but he had tremendous will-power and stamina. If he saw or was told of any act of courage and heroism he would exult with joy. A few years later I took a photograph of Sudhir-da's to show to Mother. After seeing the photo Mother remarked: "His face looks exactly like an ancient Roman's."

He loved his country more than his life and kept himself informed about both the positive and negative developments in the country. He identified himself completely with everything of the country.

During the 1947 riots and a few days after the partition

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of India, he fell very ill. When Mother was informed she fully-agreed with the doctor's reading: it was the news of the riots that had resumed once more that had upset him so much and that is what caused his physical illness. He reposed in Mother and Sri Aurobindo his total faith. And this he has exemplified with his entire life. It is hard to believe this without having seen it.

After the April Darshan, I stayed till August and then returned home in order to complete my studies. The first time I came to Pondicherry, it was to see for myself what was going on here even though my family was in contact with the Ashram from 1934 and I already knew something about the Ashram and Sri Aurobindo and Mother's ideal and vision.

I came away to the Ashram for good on May 1st, 1945. Within a short time at the Ashram, and with Mother's blessing, I started my work for the physical education department.

I used to stay with my mother and brothers at the Fanovard House that Mother had chosen for us. Now it is Captain Mona's family's house. Sudhir-da used to stay in the house on our right with his children.

Right from the beginning, Sudhir-da always encouraged me in my work. He was helpful in my starting group-activities for the elderly. I used to conduct gymnastic marching for the elderly. He was extremely interested in this and would say: "Pranab, they do Bharatnatyam whereas we do Mahabharatnayam!" And he encouraged everybody to actively participate in the gymnastic marching and in physical education.

While we remained neighbours, I used to seize the least occasion to go and listen to his stories about former times. And he would tell us so many stories. I have forgotten a lot but if I had known then that I would write about Sudhir-da I would have noted those stories down. I regret it immensely now.

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I have heard from Sudhir-da that during the Swadeshi movement's inception, when their Revolutionary Volunteer Force went to Jamalpur for action, he was part of the team. He was then a mere teenager. The group leader had taken him along impressed by the young boy's courage and eager­ ness. The group-leader's name was Sri Indranath Nandi.

The Volunteer Force got into action, the police started firing and soon encircled the whole group. But Sudhir-da, being small, managed to slip out from under the nose of the police. On the way he stopped by a cobbler's house. Taking the cobbler's tools he disguised himself as the cobbler's son and after walking for many days he reached Mymensingh and stayed at the zamindar's palace. He was worried that since he had escaped, the elders of the group might dismiss him as a little coward. But later he saw that just the opposite happened. Everyone was impressed with his presence of mind. He had done the right thing by slipping out. Otherwise no one would have ever found out about their action.

On another occasion, he told me how Sri Aurobindo took upon himself the responsibility of he educating him. They would all sit round Sri Aurobindo and would recount to them the stories of the French Revolution even while he continued to directly translate on his typewriter the Mahabharata into English poetry.

One day, Sri Aurobindo told Sudhir-da that unless one read the Mahabharata, it was impossible to know anything about India. And he asked Sudhir-da to go and buy a copy to read to the others. Sudhir-da took the money from Sri Aurobindo and went to a bookshop. He found there that the best version of the Mahabharata by Kaliprasanna Sinha was much too expensive. And so he bought another cheaper version. "After all, this too is the Mahabharata,” he said to himself, "it should serve their purpose." They were going through a severe financial crisis at that time. So that was the justification.

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When Sudhir-da gave the book to Sri Aurobindo he did not like it at all. He told him that it was not possible to learn the essence of the Mahabharata from that book And so he asked him to go back, return that book and buy the Kaliprasanna Sinha edition. One ought to remember one thing though. The revolutionary group was going through a terrible financial problem at that time.

In the Alipore Bomb Case, the whole group was caught. Along with Sri Aurobindo the co-revolutionaries were all plunged in deep thought. At that time Sudhir-da used to do all the personal errands for Sri Aurobindo. They all would be discussing something but everyone seemed to be holding himself down. Sri Aurobindo would not say anything, he was lost in some other state. Sudhir-da was looking after his personal needs then. He would feed him and Sri Aurobindo would silently eat. He was not conscious of what he ate or how much. The fact that Sri Aurobindo could trustingly leave the entire responsibility for his life on Sudhir-da showed how much faith and reliance he placed in him. It is amazing even to think of it.

The government convicted Barin Ghosh, Ullaskar Dutt, Upen Bandopadhyaya and, along with these principal revolutionaries, Sudhir-da was also sent away to the Andamans. And there, in spite of the thousand and one tortures and pains, he did not let either his ideal or his inner strength flag. He remained in good spirits even there. A senior officer in Andaman Jail began trusting him but never once did he think about himself. He could have obtained a lot of advantages for himself from him. But instead of that, he would sneak out the personal printed envelopes of the officer. And in these envelopes Barin Ghosh would send news to the mainland about the country's revolutionaries imprisoned in the Andamans. The police, never suspected anything as the envelopes were government stationery.

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After the end of the First World War, Sudhir-da was released and returned to India along with all the others who had been jailed in connection with the Alipore Bomb Case. But the police did not let him live in peace. Through all these experiences, Sudhir-da lived on with great courage and dynamism. Then he brought his five sons and one daughter to take refuge in Mother and Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry and dedicated his own life in one-pointed service of Mother and Sri Aurobindo.

I have seen a lot of political sufferers make a lot of effort to try and obtain the "Freedom Fighter's Pension" get the amount increased. But when Sudhir-da. received the offer of this government pension he said: "I worked for the country only out of love and not to get a pension. And now that Mother has taken charge of me, what need do I have to take advantage of the government's generosity?" It is seldom that we come across such a selfless person and one with such trust in Mother.

Mother told me that whenever an avatar comes down the earth he brings with him his instruments for his work. Sudhir-da undoubtedly was one such instrument. He consecrated his entire life to the given work with single-minded devotion. Today, I can say with conviction that among the followers of Sri Aurobindo, Sudhir-da walked in the foremost rank.

(62)

I had come to the Ashram for the first time in 1942, for the April Darshan.

At that time, I saw a slim, fair, energetic young man, always moving busily to and fro in the Ashram main building and he immediately caught my attention.

Then I asked an old sadhak who he was. I was told that he was a Konkani youth called Madhav. He was

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coming and going for quite some time. Whenever he was coming to the Ashram and staying for a few days, he was helping Nolini-da in his secretarial work as his assistant. So I knew him at that time as the Assistant Secretary of Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

When I came to the Ashram permanently in May 1945 he had already come and settled here.

At first, I did not have much contact with him. But from time to time we were meeting in connection with our work, and I could feel that both of us were gradually growing in an genuinely friendly relationship between us.

Very soon Mother had taken me close to her and my time in the Ashram was flying very fast. During this time I had an opportunity to see Madhav-ji from a close range, in various activities on various occasions. I came to know him as an able organiser, an efficient executive, a good writer, an erudite scholar, and a sadhak of high order, serving Mother efficiently in various capacities.

Back in 1936, my father had sent a photo of mine to Mother. Madhav-ji was keeping the disciples' files. When Mother had heard from me in 1947 about my photo sent to her, she wanted to see it and told Madhav-ji about it. In five minutes he had brought the picture out and gave it in Mother's hands. I was astonished to see his meticulous care in keeping disciples' files.

Occasionally, I was writing something or the o on certain subjects and I was taking my write-ups Madhav-ji, for the necessary corrections. He was ma1' them with much sympathy and interest, and with a strokes of his pen, or changing one word here and word there he was bringing life in my writings, wit changing my style and mood. Those were excellent corrections.

He had a sharp intelligence and a wonderful memory and I have seen him serving Mother with utmost sincerity and dedication.

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In the later part of his life, he was often going out on foreign tours and also on various tours in India in connection with Mother's work that he had taken upon himself. That had made the impact of his presence in the Ashram a little weaker, and his hold over Ashram matters got a little loose. His health also deteriorated very much.

When he came and settled in the Ashram quietly again, I had felt that he was not the same spirited Madhav-ji. I was feeling sorry for him. But he was still attending to and taking keen interest in Ashram work.

All along, he had a very soft corner for me and he was keeping all my news. We had a long and interesting correspondence between us about the present situation in the Ashram.

Now Madhav-ji is no more. Mother's beloved child has gone back to Mother's lap and is enjoying Eternal Bliss.

We all know that an incessant war is going on between the Divine and undivine forces. The Divine Force wants to establish a Divine kingdom in this world, and the undivine forces, with all their might, are trying to prevent it.

I feel strongly, that all our elders, who are leaving us one by one, are no less than able generals and great fighters in this Holy Battle, and falling one by one, fighting heroically for the Divine Cause, and Madhav-ji was surely one of them in the foremost rank.

May we take all the benefits of their efforts, toils and sacrifices and bring fulfilment for the Truth they stood for.

(63)

Many people often ask what Sri Aurobindo Ashram does for society. I would like to put before the readers my ideas on the subject.

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Indirect work

(a) The Ashram provides an unparalleled opportunity for the aspirants of the Higher Life to live in a dynamic atmosphere, conducive to spiritual growth, under the direct guidance and protection of Mother and Sri Aurobindo and to perfect themselves in the Truth of the Divine Spirit

(b) The vast literature of Mother and Sri Aurobindo and their disciples, continuously published and circulated by the Ashram, is a force for widening of the intellectual horizon of humanity, and has gone a long way in rooting out beliefs and traditions of a dead past and sowing in their place new seeds of a luminous future.

(c) Thousands of visitors coming to the Ashram go back with the breath of a new atmosphere, charged with the vibrations of a collective endeavour, to grow in the ways of a Higher Knowledge, Power and Beauty, and they carry back with them a living inspiration.

(d) Many of the disciples and followers of Mother and Sri Aurobindo staying outside the Ashram have organised themselves into groups and centres all over the world, and are working effectively, in ways suited to their environment, to spread the light of their inspiration among the public in different spheres of their life.

(e) The Ashram is helping the economy of this place by opening up job opportunities for the common men in Pondicherry. The Ashram provides work to about 2000 people directly for domestic work and in its various departments. Shopkeepers, vendors, restaurants, hotels, rickshawallas, house-keepers etc. get their clients from the thousands of visitors coming regularly to the Ashram. Devotees of Mother and Sri Aurobindo, wanting to stay independently near the Ashram, open business centres, workshops, factories, mills, etc., and a good number of people get employment there.

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Our work

Why do we not want to go out of the Ashram?

For the practice or sadhana leading to the fulfilment of our ideal, certain conditions are needed in the environment. Mother has organised the life of the Ashram with this object in view, namely, to provide surroundings, conditions and opportunities for such a growth and she is actively helping it to blossom under the protective wings of her Divine Grace. We have no wish to lose this golden opportunity even for a moment. Besides, it is futile to go out on any mission until we are really equipped in an adequate measure. That is not yet.

Why do we not work for the uplift of worldly people?

Though on the way to fulfilment we do not claim to have achieved it yet. Our gains are still to be gathered and consolidated. At present, we neither come in the category of men of the world governed and guided by their own standards of life and conduct, nor have we arrived at a full status in the higher life with its own godly values. It would be helpful to no one but only add to the chaos if anyone in this transitional stage were to set out on "work for the future".

Truth is active

But one thing is certain: the Divine Force embodied in Mother and Sri Aurobindo is actively at work in each individual, not only in the Ashram but everywhere in the world in proportion to each one's capacity to receive it and his or her aspiration. The power may not be visible but it is acting and to those whose eyes are open, the results are fully visible, though man in the mass is not conscious of it or perhaps is unwilling to recognise it.

Slowly but certainly the Ashram is taking humanity through a process of a silent revolution.

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(64)

Some time ago, Tark, Amit and Anuradha, all 12 or 13 -year-old, asked me a few questions. My answers to their questions are given below.

Q: How did you feel when you first met Mother?

A: I felt as if she was our "Buri-Ma", Grandmother, looking after us and taking care of us.

Q: What did Mother tell you on your first birthday?

A: Many things, but I do not remember them now. In those days I used to go to her while she would give Darshan to children at midday in the hall above the Meditation Hall in the Ashram. She would greet me with "three cheers" in a French way together with the children.

Q: How did you feel when Mother gave you the responsibility of looking after the P.E.D.? Do you feel that it has been a success?

A: I felt that she had given me a big responsibility and I had to do it well. Yes, it is a success, but I am not satisfied with it. I wanted it to be better in many ways.

Q: Could you please recount an interesting incident with Mother?

A: It was a Prosperity day. From the morning Mother was doing everything very quickly so that she could have some time to get ready and come for Prosperity blessings in the afternoon. She would be in a hurry during the children's darshan too. That day I was to take the boys to a football match in which our Ashram team was playing. During the children's darshan I wanted to inform her about it because in those days nothing was done without Mother's approval. But being in a hurry she did not let me tell her about taking the children to the match. I was hurt and I quietly returned home.

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Q: What do you think of the new generation? What do you expect of us?

A: They are very good. I have great hope for them. They are bold, upright, straightforward and fearless. Most

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of them know what they want. When I started my work amongst children, I thought that we would make finished jewels out of them, so that wherever they go, they would emit light. I want our children to become strong, healthy, honest and capable and so build a better India and a better world.

(65)

A long time back, some boys and girls requested me to speak about the Physical Education Department. I have included here the text of what I told them.

Brothers, Sisters and Friends,

Like many other activities of the Ashram, the organisation of Physical Education here, as you see it now in your daily routine, has had a long history of development behind it. You find the facilities offered by this Department so natural, easy and normal, and you are accustomed to taking them in such a carefree, casual manner that I often feel whether any of you ever sit to ponder on how all this came into being. Yet each and every item in connection with physical education such as our student-groups, uniform, equipment, grounds, instructors and captains, medical examination, the Ashram Band, afternoon tiffin, our programmes and competitions, etc., each one has an interesting story of its own to tell. About thirty six years of thinking, planning, hard-work and sacrifice have gone into the organisation of physical education. It has not grown out of nothing!

We started our work in May 1945, with the blessings of Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Mother must have seen some possibilities in physical education as regards physical transformation and integral education for making a more complete being. So she gave her help, support and guidance in all possible manner and the Department of physical Education shaped up as you see it today.

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Mother inaugurating the "Body-building Gymnasium" on 24.4.52

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In the early phase of its development, Mother once told me: "The organisation you are going to build up will be so nice that people from everywhere will come to see it." And her prediction has come so true! People who have seen and travelled much tell us that they have not seen such an organisation anywhere in India and few of its kind exist abroad.

I should like to mention here the special features of our organisation, each one of which can be an interesting topic for discussion. They are:

1. We draw our inspiration and motivation from the teachings of Mother and Sri Aurobindo. The object of our Physical Education is to help individuals in their efforts at physical transformation. For students, it is a part of their integral education and for sadhaks, it is part of their sadhana.

2. We have a hundred percent participation of our student community who follow a complete programme.

3. We have an all-round programme as far as our present condition permits us, catering to an all-round physical perfection.

4. Our programme of Physical Education is conducted round the year, during all the three hundred and sixty five days in a year.

5. We offer boys and girls the same programme and facilities and do not stop the girls from participating in any activity simply because they are girls.

A friend of mine once asked me how I see the future of this Department. I would like to say that all depends on how best we can utilise it for our ideal, the ideal of physical transformation. Things live and grow as long as they are useful. When the utility is finished, they die out. As long as we are able to take advantage of this Department for the achievement of our ideal, it will survive and grow and there is no end to its possibilities. If we cannot make use of these opportunities, it shall be denied to us.

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Shaungey roeychhey bhogini Minoti, Smriti, Hiro ar Nirata

Galaye tader mitha kaj bhari aachhey jey loyer sthirota.

Bhayeydeyr majhey roeychhey Aumor, Tapos, Bishwojit,

Gaular awaaj baj podey jeno, kenpey othey griho bhit.

Taubia baajabey chhoto Raja bhai, Milon baajabey bongo,

Tublu-dadar banshir shureytey kheley jabey kauto raungo.

Saub sathey korey himshim kheyey khatichhey Tinuda jauto,

Satya-didio biskut chayey ador janayey tauto.

Gaaner malati gentheychhi je ami prana-bhaura shob gaaney,

Auntar theykey theyley ber haoa jey kautha bajilo kaney.

Tinkodi-dar maurom shureytey prana eyney dilo tatey,

Akash batash runrun kori bhaurey othey moutatey.

Ogo Ma jaunoni, tabo payey ditey arghya eneychhi aji;

Modeyr milito proyashey amra bhoreychhi gaaner shaaji.

Shauto bhuley bhaura upoharkhani lauho tuley O Ma aaj,

Tomar tareytey kichhu korey bhabi shaarthok holo kaaj.

Translation

I get all sorts of letters. Some are very interesting. Once a 13 or 14-year-old girl wrote to me asking about God and his work. It is very hard to explain this to such a young girl. But I took up the challenge. What I wrote turned out to be a short essay which I sent to her. From her reply I understood that she had understood and enjoyed my answer.

Here is that answer for the readers and I hope they too will enjoy reading it:

What is God and Why?

(As learnt from Mother)

God is a conscious Being, who is present everywhere, who is all-powerful, who is all-knowledge and who is all-perfect.

He cannot be recognised by the mind, understood by the intellect, known by the reason; He has to be felt in the heart.

God expresses Himself through whatever is true, whatever is beautiful and whatever is good.

He wants to taste Himself through many. That is why He has created trees and plants, pests and insects, birds and beasts, animals and men, and this whole universe! Through the evolutionary process, He is taking everything towards His perfection, so that, ultimately, everything becomes Himself. In this whole universe, good or bad, whatever is happening, whatever is becoming, all are His will, His play and His plan.

His presence can be felt everywhere and in everything, everything is a part of Himself, everything is moving under His law and in accordance with His wishes.

Through the evolutionary process, man has reached such a stage that he can be conscious of God within

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Mother distributing prizes for sports at the Playground on 21.2.53

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himself. That is why, in the Divine's play, he has a special role, a special responsibility. When everything else in the universe, including nature, moves unconsciously through this evolutionary process, man alone, if he so desires, can realise God within himself, make his will one with His will, go through the evolutionary process consciously, realise within himself God's truth, God's beauty and God's goodness, and establish them in the material world.

Then, in the play of God, man's special role is - to realise God in himself, make his will one with the Divine's will, express Him through all his efforts and make his life and his surroundings God-pervading.

(68)

Some of the big boys of the Ashram, who became inmates after finishing their studies here and are now working in various Ashram departments, asked me a few questions in April 1991. Hoping that my answers might be of interest to the readers, I have included them here:

Background

How did you and your family come to the Ashram? What did Mother say in your first meeting? What was the work that you were given? How did your contact with her develop?

My grandfather died in 1934. My father and my uncle (Motakaka) wanted some spiritual guidance and were in search of a Guru. The late Ananta Kumar Sarkar, a disciple of Sri Aurobindo, residing in our town, had put them in contact with Sri Aurobindo and his Ashram.

My uncle came to the Ashram for the first time in the year 1936. My father came in 1938. Then they became regular visitors. I came to the Ashram for the first time in 1942

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Mother blessing children on 11.10.54

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During my first visit to the Ashram, I wanted to do some work as a service. In those days, Nolini-da used to assign work to people. I told him to give me a work that needed plenty of physical labour. He sent me to work at the laundry. I liked the work very much and when I came here permanently in 1945 I went straight to the laundry and started working there.

My mother joined the Ashram with four of my brothers in 1944. My uncle and aunt came and settled here in 1950. And a little after that, my father retired and came to the Ashram.

In my first meeting with Mother, we did not talk but I felt she had put a special Grace on me. That grew more and more and she took me more and more into her fold. She did not say anything special during my first meeting with her.

Did you ever have an occasion to talk to Sri Aurobindo?

Yes.

Physical Education

How did sports commence in the Ashram? What was her purpose in introducing sports? What was your role in the organisation?

Before the Second World War (1939-45), children were not admitted into the Ashram. Calcutta and Vizag were bombed by the Japanese in the early years of the War. Some disciples of Sri Aurobindo, thinking that the Ashram was the safest place for their children, requested Mother to accept their children in the Ashram. Mother could not refuse and these children got a place in the Ashram. Once they were here Mother thought of making arrangements for their education and play. That is how the School and Playground gradually came into being.

Whatever Mother did she always oriented it towards

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Mother distributing groundnuts to the Dining Room workers on 23/24.4.50

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a great spiritual ideal. Education and children's sports were no exception. The children's play gradually developed into Physical Education and through education in general, and physical education in particular, Mother wanted to prepare the youth for an integral perfection which would ultimately lead them towards an integral transformation of which physical transformation would be the ultimate aim.

Using me as her instrument, Mother has built our organisation of Physical Education.

When did the physical education get properly organised? When were the groups formed and how were the colours for each group chosen?

Starting from a small beginning our Department of Physical Education grew slowly and got organised into its present form. It grew by stages. In the beginning children used to play on the road and then in the passage of the Red House. Mother offered the Playground in the beginning of 1945. At that time it was just some play and fun. I came here in May 1945. At the end of the month, on my proposal, Mother put me in charge of Playground work. The rudiments of organisation started then and began to grow.

We got the Volleyball Ground in 1946 and when we got the Tennis Ground in 1948 our programme and activities truly started growing. Regular age groups for children, youth, men and women with distinct uniforms were made. The colour for each age group was chosen by Mother. She distributed uniforms to each member of the different age groups herself. Before receiving the uniform, each group said a prayer and Mother responded to it.

In 1951, we got the Sports Ground and our programme was further enlarged. With the addition of the Swimming Pool in 1957, our swimming activities started. Then in I960 we got the Sports Ground Annexe and the three

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Mother taking the salute from Biren-da at the daily Marchpast (before 1954)

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basketball courts to the north of the Sports Ground. The programme got further impetus. Our Judo section started in 1957, first in our Theatre and then the section got a permanent place in our present Dojo,

In the Playground the old School hall Was used for gymnastics. A very small room on the western side of this hall was used as tiffin-room for the children. When our School shifted to its present building, the old dilapidated School building was broken and we got there a courtyard, a covered verandah and a room for keeping some body building instruments, a storeroom for keeping body-building apparatus and a room for the caretaker of this place. The whole place was used as a weightlifting and body building gymnasium.

In the year 1976 we started building our gymnasium complex and the work was completed in 1986. We have in this gymnasium complex a storeroom, an office, a caretaker's quarter, a gymnastics hall for the practice of Olympic gymnastics with bathrooms, toilets and changing rooms attached; a covered terrace for roller-skating, a warming-up place before starting gymnastics and for various other uses; an open terrace as big as the Playground, for the practice of various activities. This is on the northern side of the gymnasium complex.

On the southern side of the gymnasium complex, we have a spacious weightlifting and body-building gymnasium, a bathroom and changing room and fourteen toilets on the ground-floor. On the first-floor we have an Asana room, the caretaker's quarter, a covered terrace for the practice of various exercises and our Projector Rooms with recording and T.V. facilities constructed earlier. On the second-floor we have just finished the construction of our Sports Medicine and Research Section. There is another open terrace here for certain activities.

In the year 1986 we took up the complete renovation of our swimming pool which we had been using since

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Mother distributing groundnuts to Group members after their physical education activities on 23/24.4.50

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1957. After finishing this work we built the galleries in the Sports Ground to accommodate more spectators for the programme of 2nd December and other programmes.

In the early days, in 1946, we started giving afternoon tiffin to the children from the Playground and side by side we would distribute roasted groundnuts or sometimes coconut with jaggery after the children's physical education activities. We did this in order to supplement the diet that our students got from the Dining Room.

When we acquired the Corner House in the year 1967 we shifted our tiffin-room from the Playground and started giving afternoon tiffin from the Corner House. This arrangement gradually grew and took the present shape of the Corner House arrangement, giving four meals a day to the children, boys and girls, captains, teachers and sadhak workers in our School and playgrounds. At present we are building on top of the Corner House seven residential rooms for our sadhak workers, a video and T.V. room for our students and teachers, an area for indoor games for the children, a computer room, photocopying room and an air-conditioned storeroom for keeping our films and video cassettes. We expect to finish this construction work by the end of 1991.*

The Library of Physical Education had also a very small beginning with a few personal books of mine. Now we have about four thousand books on various subjects relating to physical education in this library. We also receive about forty physical education magazines from various parts of India and abroad.

Our medical examination room, from a very humble beginning, has become a very practical and decent place;

We have a batch of dedicated captains, instructors and workers, full of good-will, who have kept our stupendous work running.

So now we have everything to do our work properly.

* The work was finished as scheduled.

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Mother taking the salute from all the different Groups (before 1958)

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What was the uniform of the women when they started the sports? Why was it changed later on?

When I first started the women's group with 33 girls they used to wear salwar and kameez as their uniform. On the 13th of July 1945 our boys participated in the route march that the French Government here used to organise with the sporting clubs of the town on the eve of their National Day, 14th July. In 1946 Mother wanted our girls also to participate in the route march of 13th July. Mother changed the girls' uniform of salwar and kameez to trousers and jackets for the occasion.

This uniform continued for some time. Then it was noticed that girls could not make free movements during vigorous activities and also, while running, they often fell when their back foot got caught in the front leg-opening of their trousers. So Mother introduced the present type of uniform. She chose white as the colour for girls.

In the beginning, when the number was small and the members were almost all of the same age, white shorts, shirts, shoes with socks and kitty cap were all right. But when the number increased very much and the age difference among the members became great, we had to make first two and then three groups for women. After a few trials we gave three colours to the three groups, as they are now.

When was marching first introduced? Who taught us? Which marching system was adopted?

I started regular physical education in the Ashram with only fourteen boys, and marching was introduced as a part of their training. I used to teach marching myself according to the English pattern. One day Mother told me 'that as in the School French was the medium of instruction so marching commands and all commands for the different exercises should also be given in French. Mother

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Mother at the "concentration" of all Group-Members of Physical education in 1954

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herself translated the English commands necessary conducting the different drills.

Madame Baron, wife of the Governor of Pondicherry at that time, was in the Army during the Second World War. She was a devotee of Mother. So Mother asked her to teach marching to the girls in the French way. She continued for some time but this stopped when she for France.

Then, at Mother's request, two sergeants of the French Army of Pondicherry came and taught us marching in the Playground, according to the French method. One was called Sergeant Muttukrishna and the other Sergeant Duerot. Both of them are dead now.

When I had finished learning French marching with French commands I made our own marching system, taking something from the French, English, American Swedish systems, but with French commands. This system is still being used in the Ashram at the present time.

On 24th April 1948, Mother wanted us to do a marchpast in front of Sri Aurobindo before the Darshan (in the Darshan Room). Our elderly members wanted to have some training before the actual March Past. So I had to give special marching training to our elderly members, so that they could walk smartly before Sri Aurobindo. The March Past on 24th April 1948 was very successful so Mother fixed up 24th April every year for the March Past in front of Sri Aurobindo. We had this privilege up to 1950 when Sri Aurobindo left his body. Then for some years we did the March Past on 24th April around the Samadhi

After the first March Past on 24th April 1948 our elderly members wanted me to continue the marching as an exercise every day. I thought that marching as an exercise every day would seem monotonous. So I introduced some free-hand exercises for the whole body into the marching and it was very much appreciated. I called it "Gymnastic Marching". Mother herself had translated my English commands of Gymnastic Marching into French.

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Mother with Nehru, Kamaraj and Indira Gandhi, Amrita-da, Nolini-da and Pranab are on the left.

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Mother on her way to the "Island" on 18.3.59

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Mother visiting the Handmade Paper Unit on 9.12.59

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