The Exhibition “The Art of Worshipping”. Saint-Petersburg, Russia, October 2009

On the occasion of the Year of India in Russia festivals of Indian culture, music and dance are held this year. Saint-Petersburg Sahaja Yogis organized an exhibition of the works by three painters – Sahaja Yogis “The Art of Worshipping”. The paintings by the following Sahaja Yogis were exhibited there: Nataliya Mandelshtam – a member of the Painters’ Union, Konstantin Sterkhov – a graphic artist and master of watercolours, Buddhi Prakash Sharma – a painter from India, a teacher in the Academy of Indian Art in Vaitarna. All the three painters are different as far as their styles are concerned but they are one in their desire to convey light and joy, deep thinking, perfect technique and, of course, the purity of vibrations through their works. There was a picture of Shri Mataji surrounded by the flowers beautifully set in elephants-vases in the hall among the paintings. In front of the picture of Shri Mataji, there was a stage where Indian bhajans, qawwalis, ragas and dances were performed by Sahaja youth at the weekends.

Such a thing had never taken place in the Painters’ Union before. Right in the center of the city, near the Cathedral of St. Isaac we were worshipping Mother-Goddess and giving Self-Realization. Our hearts were so full of love and unprecedented enthusiasm as we had just returned from the International Festival (held in Togliatti) where we spent three blessed days with Mother.

Dante’s characters, Shri Krishna, Shri Ganesha, Shri Shiva and Shri Parvati, sweet, humble and beautiful images of Indian women, the portraits of Mother, which are always beautiful and touching in their peculiarity and depth, were looking at us from the walls of the exhibition hall. Art ends here and Wonder begins. The Wonder that Mother always creates as soon as we have the desire to bring our devotion to Her Feet.

The visitors of the exhibition were enjoying joy and light, the coolness of vibrations and talking to Sahaja Yogis for two weeks, from September 22 till October 4. Enthusiastic comments were a reward: “…superb, beautiful but too little…”. Those were the responses of many visitors: students, painters and all the admires of painting. “We got acquainted with Indian music for the first time in our life. Beautiful costumes, enlightened faces. How much temperament and dynamism! Thank you!”

We devote You, Shri Mataji, all our actions and efforts and bring an unfading garland of our love, gratitude and devotion to Your Lotus Feet. We will try to do everything possible for the people to get their Self-Realization at the exhibitions, seminars, concerts and festivals as when You came to Russia we have got Your blessing as the most precious thing we could have dreamt of.

After the exhibition, the paintings went to their “homes” exhaling quiet and kind light and waiting for a new opportunity to come together again and to serve to the great responsibility of spreading Sahaja Yoga on Earth.