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First 24 hours in Australia

Shri Mataji and Her family arrived in Australia on January 14th on a warm summer's night. We had arranged a special VIP room within Sydney Airport to receive Her party so She could rest during the normal processing of documents.

The party looked well after their flight from Singapore, Aarti was performed, refreshments served, and conversations with dignitaries from the Indian Consulate took place. Soon all processing was complete, and we exited from customs to the waiting welcome of around 500 hundred Sahaja Yogis who had gathered in welcome outside within the arrivals areas. Children lined Shri Mataji's passage with flowers and beaming faces.

We made our way to the third floor to the Kingsford Smith function room booked for the welcome program. The room was full to capacity with many hundreds of Sahaja Yogis , the room could not cope with the numbers and many were spilling out into the corridors and walkways, any vantage point was sought to gain any glimpse of Shri Mataji.

The welcome was thunderous with singing, applause and the heartfelt emotions and expressed feelings of children welcoming their Mother home after many, many years. Shri Mataji and the family seemed most pleased with the welcome commenting upon the depth of emotion expressed.

The welcome speech was then delivered.

At the commencement of the welcome program all the children came forward and offered their flowers to Shri Mataji's feet , creating a small mountain of perfumed offerings while the bhajans played. An informal Sankranti Puja was then performed where the offerings of the bounties of the earth were made.

We then returned to the Burwood Ashram and Shri Mataji's home for the next six weeks.

We did an initial tour of the house and Shri Mataji then retired to Her suite of rooms.

We then observing the welcoming protocols, performing Aarti.

Shri Mataji is everything, our very life itself, when we kneel before Her our souls are bared before the Almighty creator, and with Her return it appears as if we are all in a dream, we only pray that now that we are awake it appears as if all our dreams have become real, or if we are in a dream, then please let this dream continue.

When the Ashram was being setup there was much discussion about setting up Her dining suite in the main living room, many advised that She would take Her meals within Her suite of rooms. After the welcome ceremony we offered Shri Mataji dinner and She said Yes, but She wished to be served in the main living room.

There could surely be no happier site than to witness Shri Mataji, and Her family seated around the dining table enjoying their evening meal together, spending happy hours in each other's company at peace, and at ease. For us all it brought tears to our eyes.

Sincerely Chris Kyriacou behalf of the Australian Council.

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