The individual darshan I used to have of the Mother did not take place during Sri Aurobindo's centenary year. However, on two occasions, I came to know from Nolini-da and Navajata-

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ji that the Mother had remembered me. The Pondicherry government celebrated Sri Aurobindo's centenary. Shri B.D. Jatti, a disciple of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, was the lieutenant governor of Pondicherry then. He had informed the Mother that the Pondicherry government was keen on celebrating Sri Aurobindo's centenary. During this time, Nolini-da and Kireet-bhai used to communicate to us the Mother's words and instructions for whatever work in question, since we could not go to see Her individually. One day Nolini-da sent for me. I came to know that the Pondicherry government had- requested the Ashram to organise a programme for its celebration of Sri Aurobindo's centenary, and especially requested the Mother for Her consent. The Mother had asked Nolini-da to hand over this responsibility to me. And so, I prepared a programme entitled Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on India and Her Future which was conceived to evoke and invoke the soul of India. The core of the programme was composed of extraordinary lines from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother touching upon India's past, present and Her future. Interspersed with these lines were patriotic songs in Bengali and Hindi by Rabindranath, Dwijendralal and Dilipkumar Roy, poems by Ashram poets set to music and hymns from the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita. The Mother had already seen this programme that was performed a long time ago in the Playground and had liked it very much. Besides, as this programme was to be put up on 15^th August, we informed the Mother. She was happy with the idea. Manoj, Richard and Jhumur read the lines from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Sahana-di recited the Bengali poems from Rabindranath. The programme was put up on the beach, in the Gandhi Square, under a large pandal that was especially erected for the occasion. The lieutenant governor Shri B.D. Jatti and other dignitaries expressed their appreciation of the programme. The Pondicherry government had offered 1100 rupees for this programme. I handed over this money to Nolini-da to offer to the Mother. The Mother returned one portion of this money to me.

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In honour of Sri Aurobindo's centenary, numerous programmes were held throughout India. Several directors of radio stations, film directors, organizers of different schools and colleges, music and dance directors came to Pondicherry to look at the Ashram as it had grown under the Mother's guidance. Meetings took place at the governor's residence over two-three days. Udar-da and perhaps Kireet-bhai, if I remember rightly, participated in them as the Mother's emissaries. The Mother had told Udar-da to take me with him to the meetings. I did attend the meetings but I am not so sure today if Kireet-bhai also came with us. I met a lot of well-known people from India in these meetings. I requested the different directors of radio stations to play Sunil-da's music in the course of that year from their centres. On the second day, I made them and others present there, hear his music. I tried to impress upon them that such music had not been composed anywhere in India or even in the rest of the world. It was a most unique piece of musical inspiration. They heard and appreciated the music but complained that its recording quality was not adequate for a radio broadcast. I then realised that in order to truly understand and appreciate Sunil-da's music, the instrument has to be prepared. When I met the Mother, I shared my experience with Her and said that all the people who had come for these official meetings would be able to do only that which their individual consciousness and personal interest would allow them to do. Even though they could not quite comprehend the significance of Sunil-da's music, the various radio stations all over India had broadcast talks on Sri Aurobindo, devotional songs, and very many dance-dramas were also organised everywhere. We too had organised several programmes at the Ashram inspired from Sri Aurobindo. Towards the Future was a programme in English that I had taken charge of. This took place on 16^th August at the Playground. The theme of this presentation was the trail-blazing mantras from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on the dawning of the new world, of the new consciousness that was progressively being felt everywhere on the planet.

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I had incorporated Sanskrit hymns from the Vedas and the Upanishads to the musical accompaniment of the beautiful deep-toned chords of the organ given to me by the Mother and the moving strains of a violin, all of which had created an uplifting atmosphere in the Playground. A huge crowd of Visitors and ashramites, disciples of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo had gathered to enjoy that very special air that the programme had succeeded in creating.

The following day, Navajata-ji arrived accompanied by a gentleman in Red House. Navajata-ji introduced him to me as Mr Angadi who was from Karnataka but based in London. He was the editor of a journal called Asian Music. Handing me a copy of this journal, they sat down. I flipped through the journal and noticed that there were photos of very reputed musicians. Mr Angadi said, "Miss Shobha, I have come to you with a proposal. My work is to bring celebrated musicians from the West to India and organise their concerts in the metros here and take good musicians from India and organise their concerts in Europe, America, Japan, China, etc. After seeing your programme last night, I was greatly impressed. I have listened to the best of musicians from both the East and the West but I had never felt before the kind of spiritual atmosphere your programme created last night. It was absolutely unique. That's why I would like to show to the world the kind of work that is being carried out in the Ashram. I would like to spread the Vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother throughout the world, which you did so beautifully in your programme. I would like to take you and your twelve participants on a world tour. We shall begin with the metros in India, then go to Europe, America, Japan, China, etc. It will be a 26-day tour after which you will all be brought back to the Ashram. The financial responsibility for this tour will be entirely mine. Your work will be simply to present Towards the Future wherever we go. That is my humble request to you." After listening to the gentleman, I requested him to write about his project to the Mother in detail. We would do whatever the Mother decided. Navajata-

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ji could take the letter as he met the Mother daily. Both agreed with my suggestion and decided to send a letter to the Mother the following day.

After they left Red House I became somewhat nervous. My mind was burdened with all sorts of thoughts and ideas. What would happen if the Mother did agree to his proposal? It is so difficult to imagine staying out of the Ashram for a single day, how would I stay out for 26? Moreover, I had never been on a plane either! How would I take flights between all these countries? I was wracked by such unsettling thoughts. Until the Mother replied, my mind was all restless and jittery, and a real battle was going on inside. Besides, the entire group of participants had turned up at Red House on hearing this news. Everyone was so excited! When they cam to know that the decision would be entirely left to the Mother, some of them were slightly crestfallen. One of my students blurted out, "Why did you have to inform the Mother, Shobha-di? We could have simply gone. Now if the Mother says 'no', it's all over!" Everyone burst out laughing listening to her childish reaction. However, we spent a lovely evening that day all together.

The following day, Navajata-ji arrived with Mr Angadi. Handing me a letter, he sat down quietly in a chair. I was terribly nervous once again. I quickly opened the Mother's letter.
She had written:

I do not want my boys and girls to go out to do programmes.

Naturally Mr Angadi was disheartened but he accepted the Mother's decision silently. Nolini-da sent for me the next morning. Hardly had I entered his room that he exclaimed, "Come, come Shobha. The Mother has asked me to tell you that people will know your worth only here. She doesn't want you to go out to do programmes." After hearing this, I told Nolini-da that if the Mother asks me not to go around the world because She considers me Her child, then that is my greatest reward. That is my supreme wealth. What can be greater than that? Nolini-da offered me some flowers and

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said, "Here, take these blessings from the Mother."

After this incident, quite a few other requests have come to me to go out to do programmes but I have always declined the gracious offers without the slightest hesitation.

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