I told you that on my journey through Europe in summer 2004, I also visited Luneburg and my friend the doctor about whom I have already written several times. I knew that it would be his 50th birthday in September and when I was with him and his family we were talking about that event. I invited him and said ‘Let’s celebrate your 50th birthday at the Ashram in India!’
If you have been reading my Sunday diary entries, you know already that my friend is a very spontaneous person. He did not only like the idea of celebrating in India, he immediately accepted. I was very happy that I would be able to welcome him in our home and Ashram again and we talked about what we would do. I knew I wanted to make it an unforgettable birthday celebration for him, an event that would remain special in his memory.
When I reached India, I thus came home, was welcomed by my family and after the usual rituals of arriving – a good meal and unpacking gifts I had brought – I told them of the plan to make a big birthday celebration here. We all are good in celebrating and enjoy the preparations for such events very much, so it was fun to talk about all the things that needed to be done and start arranging them.
When the day came closer when my friend wanted to come, he phoned and told me that one of his friends whom I had met in his home, too, would like to join him. I answered that his friend would be most welcome at the Ashram, too, and so they came in September to the Ashram.
We had printed invitation cards and had distributed them to all friends and many acquaintances in Vrindavan to invite them all to the birthday celebration. Additionally we had printed small invitation cards with which we invited additional people in the morning for a big Bhandara, a feast. On all cards it said that it was the birthday celebration of our friend and we gave his name – which probably made a lot of people curious and even more interested in coming.
And this is how the 14th September 2004 came and with the day there were 200 or 300 people in the morning at the Ashram gate. They had come for the Bhandara. Since the evening before, people had been preparing and cooking and so they all sat down in the gardens of the Ashram and had a great lunch there. My friend helped in the distribution of the food and was already then nearly overwhelmed. He and his friend were amazed by the number of people and the happiness it gave them to feed them.
This was not all though. For the evening we had even bigger plans. We had invited local artists, musicians and dancers to give a big performance at the Ashram. The beginning of the evening was made by my friend in Indian style – he lit a candle which was the official beginning. We gave him a crown of flowers and everybody sat down to watch the musical program. While the dancers were on stage and we were watching, the audience filled up and after the program everybody came to my friend to congratulate him for his birthday.
He was so happy and enjoyed the evening so much, it was great to see! He held a speech and gave presents to all artists before we finally sat down to have a dinner party, again with hundreds of people. Maybe 400 people had come all in all in the evening and this is how we actually had a whole day full of celebrations!
We were happy, my friend was happy, his friend was happy, it was just a wonderful day and it will definitely remain in my memory as a very special day. I know my friend won’t forget it, either.
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