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History of the Darshan Days
Shortly after the Siddhi day in
November 1926, Sri Aurobindo retired from daily contact with his disciples and
placed the Mother in charge of their care. Thereafter he saw them only a few
times a year on what came to be known as Darshan days. The Sanskrit word
"Darshan" means "seeing" and refers, in this context, to seeing Sri Aurobindo
and the Mother in order to receive their blessings.
At first there were three Darshan
days: the Mother's birthday, Sri Aurobindo's birthday, and the Siddhi day. In
1939 a fourth day was added: the Mother's final arrival in Pondicherry. On
these occasions, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother sat together in a small room,
while the sadhaks and devotees, one by one, approached, offered flowers and
bowed down at their feet.
After Sri Aurobindo
left his body, the Mother continued to give Darshan on these days. From 1963
onwards, she gave Darshan from the terrace of her second-floor rooms, standing
at the railing of the terrace for five or ten minutes as she gazed upon those
who had gathered in the street below.
The
Four Darshan Days
and
Two Mahasamadhi Days
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21
February |
The
Mother's Birthday (1878) |
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29 February |
The Golden Day |
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24
April |
The Mother's final arrival in Pondicherry (1920). The
Mother first visited Pondicherry in 1914; she returned to settle
permanently in 1920. |
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15
August |
Sri Aurobindo's birthday (1872). |
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17 November |
The Mother's Mahasamadhi Day. The day Mother
left her physical body. (1973) |
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24
November |
Siddhi day or the day of
Victory (1926). The Siddhi or perfection attained on this day
was the descent of Krishna into Sri Aurobindo's body.
"The descent of Krishna", Sri Aurobindo explained, "would mean
the descent of the Overmind Godhead preparing, thought not
itself actually bringing, the descent Supermind and Ananda." |
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5 December |
Sri Aurobindo's Mahasamadhi Day. The day
Sri Aurobindo left his physical body. (1950) |
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