Biren-da (Press)

Once while talking about Centres all over the world, Dyumanbhai mentioned that the very first “Sri Aurobindo Center” was established at Chittagong (Chattagram of Bangladesh). And its influence was considerable. In the late thirties, early forties and even later on many were inspired by Sri Aurobindo’s life and came to have darshan of the Mother & The Master. They didn’t return. One such pioneer was Biren-da. Always in dhoti and Chadar, hair hanging up to the waist, walking on the road head-bent reading a book or a news-paper. He had deep knowledge of Bengali literature, religious books, Puranas, Bhagavat Geeta. I have heard him speak on various subjects with authority where the subject was related to religion or spirituality.

For a year and a half I had lived in the house which was called “Prasad House” where Mridu-di, then Pramod Chattopadhyaya and lastly Lalita lived. I had to shift there temporarily because the house in which I was then living was getting renovated. With me lived Soma-di. She too was from Chittagong. In fact she with five of her cousins were inmates of the Ashram. One of her cousins was Chinmoy da who left the Ashram and became a well-known Guru and he conducted regularly meditations in UNO every week. Soma-di had always been interested in going for outing; any chance any time and she was ready. Biren-da too had the habit of going out and walking for miles in the nature. I was told that there was a period when a few young ladies of the Ashram would join Biren-da and spend the morning in open air, be it at the lake or the “Red Hills”.

Possibly this love for nature created a bond between them and they looked upon each other as siblings. Biren-da lived next door and now and then he would drop in to sit with us and go back to early days of his life in the Ashram.

I didn’t know him very well till I went to live in “Prasad House”. But some of his recollections are quite interesting and I feel some may enjoy knowing them.

He spoke about milking of cows on the road below first floor Balcony of the Ashram. He had joined the Ashram when the local milkmen came and milked the cows on St. Gilles Street. Early morning they would gather and then The Mother came to stand on a small terrace which was above Her car garage. The milking would take place under Her supervision. After which the milk was taken to Prasad House which is at present the Accounts Office of the Ashram. Biren-da carried the milk, boiled it and then brought it to the Dining Hall; which was a part of the Prosperity Office.

He also remembered The Mother’s going out in Her car in the afternoon. The Mother used to go out in Her car at 4 pm (we have a photograph of it) and it was quite regular on “Ayudha Puja” day. The workers of the Ashram departments celebrated the Puja which continues to this day. The Mother on this occasion visited the departments and the workers offered their puja at Her feet.

But after one such occasion The Mother became ill and after that she stopped this routine. She even stopped going out at 4 pm.

After Her recovery She went to the first floor terrace and walked for quite sometime. Seeing Her walking the Sadhaks who worked in the Ashram stood on the courtyard below. Slowly the number increased.

This recollection too belongs to the early thirties of the last century.

The Mother used to give Blessings at 7 AM everyday. First Datta used to go to The Mother then Nolini-da. After that The Mother would come down and sit where we have a painting of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo by Pramod Chatterjee. After she took Her seat there would be a short meditation and then She began to give blessings. But two days in a month there would be no Blessings as The Mother washed Her hair.

It was the period when Biren-da worked with Nolini-da. Biren-da had to go to The Main Post Office and collect the post of the day and leave it in Nolini-da’s room. Biren-da noticed that though there were no Blessings yet Nolini-da had fresh flowers in his room. One day while Biren-da was passing through the courtyard, Nolini-da called him from the terrace of Dyumanbhai’s room and asked him to wait.

Then The Mother came and looked down, seeing Biren-da below waiting, She threw a flower at him to catch. She used to dry Her hair walking on the terrace of Dyumanbhai’s room.

Biren-da shared with us very many other incidents but as I had not written them down, I remember them only in bits and pieces!