17 July 1983
"Today is the auspicious day of HARELA* and I want to say to all of you 'Happy Harela'. This applies also to everyone in this country and to people from all other countries, to those present and to those not actually present here. I extend my blessings on this sacred occasion to every devotee of the Lord, wherever he may be. Those physically distant from here should not think they are far away - they are equally close to Me. Though they may be thousands of miles away, they can still reach me by practising devotion.
"What everyone should do is spread my message of Karma Yoga throughout the world. I want karma yoga. Karma Yoga has stagnated. I want it to come to the forefront.
"JAI MAHAMAYA KI JAI"
*Harela is celebrated annually at the official beginning of the rainy season which coincides with Guru Purnima. The word derives from 'hara' - green. Greenness is synonymous with fertility, abundance, wealth. Ten days prior to the festival five different types of grain are sown in a special container and dedicated to the particular household or local deity. The festival marks the beginning of a new harvest season (the rice season starts). The festival is celebrated in various ways throughout India as a kind of harvest - thanksgiving. In the Kumaon region, it is also a celebration of the marriage of Shiva and Parvati. The priest cuts the ten-day-old grain. The new grain is first offered to the deity and then put on everyone's head as a gesture of blessing. Special pujas are offered and special dishes are prepared. Traditionally, the women of the household receive presents from their parents.
