Editor Carla Geerdes
All washing, cutting, and getting ready for the cooking, was done every day only for the day's meal. Food was daily fetched fresh from market, and tasted very good, not a single complaint was heart. The well organised food facilities made it easy for the many families to participate in the event. Everyone enjoyed his stay for Pratishtha; new aquaitances were made, and friendships about to begin.
Master of the kitchen was him. He had come from India and was well known to some members of the Oshwal society because he cooked for the first Oshwal Charity Walkers in India 1998. He was remembered for his flexibility and capacity to stay equanimous even in adverse circumstances. Details on the second Oshwal Charity Walk, planned for midst of October 2005, will be available here sooon.
Even Samanijis Pratibha & Punya Pragya took their Gochari from the kitchen. They were provided a separate location to eat.
Backstage, many considerations had to be taken, and necessary measures had to be coordinated. Fast and effective communication was required, and trust in the capacity to realise what is needed in a specific situation. Nobody could anticipate, how many people would really be there. On the last day, there 11,000 visitors!
Perhaps everything was worked out so perfectly because all energies were concentrated on the higher reality; all had the same motivation in their hearts and minds. Every day, before food distribution, the volunteers recited Namokar Mahamantra together.
All was neat and clean, and the distribution well organised. The meal contained five items: salad, dal & rice, tchapati, cooked vegetables, sweets for dessert; it was changing every day, no meal was cooked twice during the ten days.
All were peaceful and happy; they were from all walks of life, and from all generations. Nobody ran around orientationless, whenever someone needed support, he immediately got it from the volunteers. About 250 volunteers were on the spot every day. The organisers had planned meticiously the details, and the participants were all relaxed. Many people said that they had never seen so many young families at one place.
In the tents, people could follow all activities inside the temple or the wonderful video clips from locations of Jain pilgrimage.
The young children enjoyed the playground, parents alternately took care of them.
Dedication and devotion, sharing of responsibilty and goal oriented coordination brought together around 30,000 people for the Pratishtha, visitors, sponsors, and volunteers. All were united in their aiming to create or visit a location of peace and respect, where energies can rise and one feels uplifted after having been there. Everybody, from baby to aged, had imbibed the energies from the sacred place.