Jharna-Kala News

On Saturday, 8 March, hundreds of jubilant disciples gathered on Manhattan’s famed Madison Avenue to celebrate Sri Chinmoy’s completion of 10,000 paintings in 100 days with a parade and free concert. The disciples, dressed in brilliant saris, sparkling whites or the uniforms and costumes of their particular groups, paraded up Madison Avenue from 59th Street to 72nd Street, and from there into the 72nd Street Mall in Central Park, carrying banners, flags, helium balloons and flowers, escorted by balloon-bedecked police cars and motorcycles.

Mahavishnu and Devadip played guitar during the entire parade from a sound-equipped flatbed truck decorated like a traditional parade float with a profusion of brilliant-coloured tissue paper flowers proclaiming JHARNA-KALA and FOUNTAIN-ART on the two sides, and C.K.G., Sri Chinmoy’s artistic pen-name on the front. Four giant-sized reproductions of Guru’s paintings and a huge tissue paper palette also adorned the float.

At the bandshell in the park, a quiet and appreciative audience enjoyed an hour of music by Devadip and Mahavishnu as well as a few Bengali songs by various groups of disciples, a short speech by Brahmananda (N.Y.), president of the United Nations Federation of World Federalists, a song by Navajanma (N.Y.) and a song by the Mahavishnu choir.

Sri Chinmoy has received many congratulatory letters and telegrams from his disciples as word of his completion of this marathon project reached them. Below is printed a most soulful letter from Akuti, president of the Connecticut Centre and one from Savitri, president of the Victoria, British Columbia Centre in Canada.