A Talk : 'It rained'

11

It Rained

  Shraddhavan

Shraddhavan

I came here in 1970.

It may be interesting for you to know what the system of admission into Auroville was at that time. There was an application form to be filled in and on that one's photograph was affixed and the form had to be given to a member of Auroville Administrative Committee (Comite Administrative d'Auroville)—which at that time consisted of Monsieur Andre (the Mother's son), Roger and Navajata.

I had come to Auroville through somebody and that person took me to Roger. I had filled in the form and from the form Roger saw that I had some experience working with children and immediately got quite enthusiastic and said: "Oh, Mother is encouraging us, She is pressing us to start a school in Auroville and you can do that!" So, because he was keen that I should join in that work, just after a day or two, he took me to the Mother—at the time allotted to him with the Mother. She used to start early in the morning; I think even as early as six o' clock in the morning. She started seeing Her regular people who had some special work for Her. So Roger's time was, I think, about 9 o' clock and I was asked to meet him on the stairs to Mother's room. As I waited for him there, he went into the Mother's room,—and there were many people waiting; the stairs were packed with people—and he must have spoken to Her, because I was called in. It was the 19^th of November 1970 and was a rainy day and I think the electricity must have been off.

In my mind, when I think of that first meeting with the Mother, it's as if it was happening under water. There was a kind of greenish light—and I didn't see any details of the room—I saw

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Her only, sitting in a chair, in a bluish green dress. I had some flowers which I had been given to present to Her. I looked into Her eyes and She looked into mine and after some time She gave me a beautiful creamy rose; and then I knew it was time to go. I knew that I had to try and open myself as much as possible but I can't say that at that moment I had felt anything earth-shattering. But I had completely forgotten about Roger, about Auroville, all that—I went down the stairs and Roger had to come running after me to say, "Yes, Mother says it's alright, you can go and work in the school." That way everything was taken away without me feeling that anything extraordinary had happened. So, that was the beginning of my life in Auroville. It was in June 1972 that She gave me my name, "Shraddhavan".

The last time I saw Her physically was at the August darshan of 1973; that must be a very memorable occasion for many people. I remember, I had been told that it never rained on the darshan days. Three of the darshan days fall in times of the year when rains can be expected; but people had told me: "No, Mother has it under control; it never rains at that time." On the darshan days there would be a meditation in the morning; one could visit Sri Aurobindo's room and then in the evening, at sunset, about five or five-thirty, Mother used to come to the balcony, the balcony above Sri Aurobindo's room overlooking the Dispensary street and the people used to gather there; She would stand and look down on everybody. So on that occasion, 15^th August 1973, as She was standing there, the rain came down. I remember that one sadhak, Anil Mukherji, was standing next to me. Afterwards he said, "Every drop is grace." I don't know. But, maybe also, the elements were weeping because it was the last time.

O Savitri, thou art my spirit's Power,

The revealing voice of my immortal Word;

Book XI

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