| It’s unbelievable to think that over fourteen thousand people could turn up on a day’s notice to listen to Maharaji, but yes, it happened. Through word of mouth as well as satellite announcement, news of the impending event in Jaipur quickly spread throughout India. Soon people were heading there in droves, traveling by whatever transport they could find: trucks and buses brimming with passengers, tractors pulling carts full of villagers, families squashed into motorized rickshaws, scooters carrying 4 to 5 at a time, not to mention hired cars and numerous bicycles. Some traveled by foot, while others braved a day’s journey. Two young women, Ritika and Geeta, had started their trip nearly as soon as they heard, taking a train over 700 km from faraway Kanpur. It was one of the hottest days yet in Jaipur, with the mercury just touching 43 ºC (109.4 ºF). Despite the pressing midday heat and a later starting time of 5:00 pm, people began arriving as soon as 1:00, if not earlier. Enthusiasm was contagious as the gathering crowd began to move across the parched Rajasthan soil toward the awaiting field, avoiding the thick, harsh thistles that jutted from the arid ground. While many came donned in fluorescent reds, yellows, and greens, the poorer in the crowd arrived in plainer clothes, wearing smiles as bright as any garland. Many in the audience huddled close to the ground as others stood in watchful anticipation, the field filling to near capacity. Now all they had to do was wait. |
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario