Mahalakshmi Saras and Amma.....

Mahalakshmi Saras and Amma.....

The 17th Mahalakshmi Saras, the largest exhibition and sale of products made by Self-help groups in Maharashtra held annually every year at Mumbai ended day before yesterday and with it the flurry of activity. I felt a sudden vacuum.
The exhibition of products made by self help groups of women from the MSRLM and the SRLMs of other states and NABARD did take up a lot of our time. Most of us had to be there all day and many times at night but there was a great deal of satisfaction seeing the terrific response. Huge crowds patronising the various products was so encouraging. Professionally , I was on a high. Mentally perhaps I was low many times.
Last year this time my mother had been hospitalised with sudden ailment at Hyderabad and I had rushed there to be with her. She became critical as days passed and ultimately left for Vaikuntam. There has been a huge void in my life ever since then. So many things, moments, occasions are associated with her as a person. Mahalakshmi Saras will remain to be the most important among them.
Preparations for the Saras begin months before the event and takes a lot of our time. Last year was no different. On one evening when I was at the ground reviewing the progress of the installation of the pandals and stalls, my mother insisted on going to Mulund, our home to meet my son. I told her I was away and would take time to come but she probably had a premonition of time slipping by and said she would go to meet him even if I was away. I caught up with her on their way back and took her to meet our Acharya, Srimad Azhagiyasingar, who was also at Mumbai during that time. Something was surely amiss because she called my sister from Hyderabad thereafter and even decided on going to stay with her for a change of place.
Much to my surprise she also came to Mahalakshmi Saras thrice before she left for Hyderabad and made a lot of purchases. Hailing from a remote village of Kumbakonam in Tamilnadu, she took great pride in the fact that my work was for the empowerment of women from rural Maharashtra. The fact that it was those empowered women who were selling their handmade products at Mahalakshmi Saras made her more happy and she goaded me to buy many things whether food, food products, spices, jewellery and sarees. I therefore ended buying a lot many things last year.
When preparations for Mahalakshmi Saras began this year it therefore became extremely difficult for me not to miss her. Shopping became specially difficult so I made my staff pick up most of the home made products which I essentially needed for my home.
It was only on the last day I rushed through the stalls to pick up.a couple of sarees for the ensuing wedding of my nephew.
Generosity was her forte. She gave away things and gifts very easily to all of us and specially to the poor and the needy. True to her name Lakshmi she was benevolent like Godess Lakshmi. No wonder on her first death anniversary as per tradition the daughters get new clothes and my father asked me to purchase sarees from Mahalakshmi Saras. It was really difficult and I was teary eyed.
The sales at the exhibition and the response this year was phenomenal . The support we received from everyone has been noteworthy as if my mother's desire to promote the cause seeped in everywhere. Surely blessings of Mahalakshmi Devi of Mumbai had made it possible.
It is her anniversary today and the vacant MMRDA ground like an abyss reminded me of her in more than one way. I still feel that she is around and would come out of her room in her inimitable style, fully in command demanding attention. Maybe time would heal my heart.
Amma will not return for sure but Mahalakshmi Saras would come every year and add joy to everyone 's life specially to the rural women. For me , like the umbilical cord the connect would always remain.....