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Noël 1939 in the Little house
Udar,Nishtha(Margaret woodrow Wilson),gauri, Ambu, Mona |
In England Christmas is a very happy family affair, so
Mona, Udar's wife, also followed a simple Christmas
celebration with her friends and family in the Ashram
and sent gifts for the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.
In 1944, during the war years, when all of a sudden
there was a large influx of children, Mother asked
Mona to organise a little celebration for them. Games
were organised and presents were distributed. All this
was done in the 'Red House', facing the Ashram Main
Library, where Udar lived with his family.
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A race at Red House, Noël - 1945 |
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Little house - Noël 1939 Star made by
Nishtha - Gauri at tow |
Noël in the Red House (opposit the Ashram
Library) - 1945 |
Page - 73
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Noël - 1947 Scramble for balloons |
Noël - 1947 in the playground Throwing
balloons from the dortoir terrace Robi, Arun, Abhay, Jayanti-bhai |
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Noel - 1947 |
The children enjoyed the celebrations so much that it was decided to hold it the next
year also. The Christmas celebration was then held at Fenetres after Udar, Mona and Gauri
moved there a few years later. Mother decided that henceforth the distribution of presents
would be for everyone in the Ashram and that it would be held in the Playground. For the
next 10 years or so the Christmas tree was decorated and lit up at the Playground; it was
a simple affair, and young and old participated in the cheerful mood of the celebration.
Mother herself sat near the tree and distributed presents.
In those days the Ashram's finances were very limited, so the presents which were
given to the children were not new toys which were bought. What the children got in their
little packets from Mother was re-cycled material. The tennis balls with which Mother
played were afterwards passed on to the other players. When the balls were completely
worn out they were dyed in bright colours and distributed to the children at Christmas.
And small eggless cakes, with chocolate topping, made in the Ashram bakery, were also
one of the gifts.
- Golden Chain - |
Page - 74
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Noël - 1947 scramble for balloons Alice,
Lakshmibai, Pavitra |
I first met Udar on December 24th, 1968. That night Maggi, Udar and I joined Kusum
at her new shop 'Fleurs en Flacon', a few doors from the back of the Ashram on Rue
St. Gilles. Our mission was to sing Christmas carols to the Mother. Udar brought his
harmonica. After a few practice songs, we walked over and stood under Mother's
window on Rue St. Gilles. And there in the empty street, under the South Indian
sky - with Udar's soulful accompaniment on the harmonica we sang silent Night to
the Mother of the stars and the earth.
- Constance -
Ashram courtyard, Noët - 1945 Waiting
to go to the Mother |
Page - 75
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The Mother distributind gift |
Even though everyone enjoyed this little
celebration, the Playground, as it turned out,
was not the ideal place. Sometimes it rained and
everything had to be hurriedly taken in to one of
the rooms and at other times there were strong
winds and the decorations on the tree would
get blown away. In 1956 the Theatre Hall was
constructed and it was then the biggest covered
space in the Ashram. From 1958 the Christmas
tree was decorated at the Theatre and Mother
distributed the gifts there. Probably the last time
that Mother came to the Theatre for Christmas
was in 1961.
- Golden Chain - |
Noël - 1952 |
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Noël - 1949, playground - choir singing to
the Mother
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Every Wednesday the Mother held classes for a group of
children. Since it was Christmas time Mother was telling us
about the origins of this Festival of Light and why we celebrated
it here, in the Ashram.
Long, long ago, She said, some wise men noticed that the
days were getting shorter and the nights longer at that time of the
year. They felt that the increasing darkness might soon engulfthe
world and life would suffer. So they sat together in meditation
and prayed and prayed. They then noticed that the days were
slowly becoming longer and the stark nights shorter. Since then
the Return of Light was celebrated in Ancient Egypt.
"That is why the 25th of December was a festival of Light long
before fesus Christ. This festival was in vogue long before
Christianity and originated in Egypt and probably the birth of
Christ was fixed on the same day as that of the return of Light."
- The Mother - |
Page - 76
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Noël - 1951
Noël - 1953 Playground stage -
Marie Amelie conducting choir for the Mother |
Noël - 1952 Marie Amelie
conducting choir for the Mother in the playground
Udar dressed as a chef, offering the Mother a gift-Pie for Noël |
Page - 77
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The Mother at Sodalicious booth - Noël
1961 Udar, Pavitra
Noël - 1960 The Mother looking at
the decorations |
The Mother Noël - 1960
Noël - 1953 |
Noël - 1960 The Mother in front of the tree |
Page - 78
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Papa Noël - Udar |
Papa Noël - Udar
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At the Theatre - Noël 1968 |
We remember how happy we were to find a present on top of our mosquito nets
on the morning of 25th December and how Udar would come in his red Father
Christmas costume and a big white beard, ringing a bell.
- Sunayana -
And how can we forget him and his involvement in our joyous evenings by the
Christmas tree?
- Ramraj - |
A message
from Mother for the Noël Board |
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Page - 79
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Baudet Painted by Krishnalal Noël -
1945 |
BAUDET
Mother was giving balcony darshans on the first
floor, before She went up to live on the second floor. And as She wasgiving
darshan a baby donkey left his mother and came and joined the people looking at the Mother upstairs. Now I did not go
to the
darshan and I used to wait upstairs because She used to give me a rose every morning. That morning She said, "Udar, I want
to
show you something. You see, there is a baby donkey there, he left his mother and joined the crowd to have my darshan;
he
wants to come to me, so you go and get me the donkey."
I went without question, but I tell you, Mother arranged the circumstances and everything went off so easily. I went there,
saw the donkey; it took me to his mother, then a man came with a stick; I asked him, "Is it your donkey?"
He said "Yes." I said, "I want to buy your donkey!" "Yes," he said. The donkey was very docile, he followed me back
and I brought it through the Ashram front gate, around the Service Tree and attached it in front of Dyuman's room. Then I
went upstairs and told the Mother. Mother came down
and started caressing the donkey so much!
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At that time we were staying in the Red House. We
had a small garden. We had a beautiful dog named by the Mother 'Beauty'. The dog
and the donkey became good friends. The dog would make the donkey run up and
down the garden. The donkey enjoyed running. Then I asked the Mother what to do
with the donkey.
She said, "Put it to work!"
Well, what other work is there for donkeys beside pulling a carriage.
So I had a specially small carriage made. You may say that donkeys are
stupid but this donkey was not stupid, he knew the difference between
play and work. He absolutely refused to move. So I reported to the Mother.
She said She would ask Sri Aurobindo. When She came back. She said,
"Sri Aurobindo said, 'Typical sadhak!'"
Mother called him Baudet - Richard Pearson used to ride on that
donkey's back. Every year there used to be a donkey race. So we registered
that donkey for the race. This donkey-came first. He ran like a race horse! That kind of thing he liked to do. But work. No!
- Udar- |
Baudet with Christmas hat Noël
- 1945 in the Red House |
Page - 80 |