Lucky Lucknow
Bharata Yatra 2004
21 March 2004 — Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
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Amma arrived in Lucknow just before dawn this
morning, marking the beginning of the final phase
of Bharata Yatra 2004: three one-night programs
in the cities of Lucknow, Varanasi and Durgapur
and then two in Calcutta.
This part of India is so rich with history.
Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, was originally
named Lakshmanapur, after Lakshmana, the younger
brother of Sri Rama who founded the city thousands
of years ago. It is situated only a few hours
drive north of Ayodhya, the kingdom of Sri Rama.
Tomorrow, Amma will be driving to Varanasi—the
city of Lord Shiva, considered by many to be
one of the holiest places in India. |
The Lucknow program took place on the spacious
greenery of the Kolvin Talukadar College, under
a cool, open sky. The chief guest was Shri. Revati
Raman Singh, the Honourable Minister of Transport,
who both spoke and helped Amma distribute certificates
for free homes in the area as part of Mata Amritanandamayi
Math's Amritakuteeram project. Other dignitaries
gracing the dais were Lucknow's mayor, Dr. S.C.
Rai; Shri. Vidyasagar Gupta, MLA; and Shri. Suresh
Srivastav, MLA—all of whom helped distribute
pension checks to destitute women of Lucknow,
as part of the Math's Amritanidhi program. |
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As Amma finished each of the night's bhajans—including "Sri
Rama Bolo Ram"and "Lalitamba"—the
devotees would cheer, saying, "Bolo Amritanandamayi
Devi Ki Jai!"
—Sakshi
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