Walking with Gandhi

Walking with Gandhi

                                                                                                                 Ankur Bora

The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial plaza, located in the City of Irving is one of the most recognized landmarks in  Dallas, Texas. The author shares his experience and inspiration behind- in hosting the maiden International Day of Yoga on 21th June at the plaza.

Life is about sharing experiences; taking part in the activities around us and learning from each other. I consider myself very fortunate to take part in a special and unforgettable event – the inauguration of ‘Mahatma Gandhi Plaza’ in our neighborhood park located in the city of Dallas. The memorial plaza was built through support and contributions from all regions, religion and races joining hands together- a symbol of unity which Mahatma Gandhi lived and sacrificed his life for. The inauguration was marked by great moments of rejoice and celebration when Mr. Satish Dhupelia, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi who had come all the way from South Africa, led the Gandhi peace walk. Listening to Gandhi’s grandson,  that lasting change can be achieved through small, personal acts of kindness and selflessness, was an epiphany that changed my whole view of life.

Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza now stands tall among all the other iconic memorials in the USA. It is a culmination of four years of outstanding leadership, teamwork by the Dallas South Asian community. “This is not an Indian American project but a global project since Gandhi belongs to the whole world.” – One of the organizers proclaimed. The grand unveiling of the memorial took place on 2^nd of October 2014. Herewith the family members of Gandhi, of Martin Luther King Junior and of Nelson Mandela besides many other invited dignitaries from around the country and India were present. The sculptor and co-sculptor who carved the statue with remarkable craftsmanship came from Andhra Pradesh to participate in the celebration.

The Gandhi plaza is visually appealing. The 7-ft Bronze statue based on 6-ft pedestal is surrounded by stone walls, covered with elegant granite panels engraved with Gandhi’s quotations. As I began to inspect the engraving, I felt like a child who, when digging through the sand, finds some unexpected treasure. “No matter what amount of work one has, one should always find some time for exercise. Far from taking away from one’s capacity for work, it adds to it.” -  A simple yet profound treasure hidden in this message of Gandhi. When I pulled my wife over and directed her attention, I could see that she too appreciated the Gandhian way of keeping healthy, where  the noble statue itself symbolizes, him holding his legendary walking stick and in a walking posture, felt there could be no better exercise than walking. As I began to mingle with the crowd, I had the honor of conversing with a lady who had come from India just to be part of this momentous event. A teacher by profession, she is involved with the local ‘Mahatma Gandhi Khadi Ashram in Karnataka. Her gleaming face and blissful smile was striking to say the least. She expressed her gratitude to the teachings of Gandhi  and walking on the principles he had provided she said gave her immense strength and inner peace.              

The auspicious day started with the Mayor of the city of Irving, welcoming the crowd. After the introduction and in the midst of thunderous applause and a lot of excitement, Chief Guest Mr. Satish Dhupelia unveiled the “Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza” showcasing Gandhi in the standing posture clad in a dhoti and holding a stick. His great grandson Mr. Satish is an amazing orator. In his brief speech, he narrated Gandhi’s life and his many unknown stories, including his quick wit and sense of humor. “Walking is the prince of all exercise, it’s a subtle magic that requires no elaborate equipment, and you take it where you go.” He was heard quoting Gandhi’s famous lines.  The momentum began to build. “How many of you know about the Salt March ? and how many miles did he walk?” Everybody was spellbound on hearing the answer – “Gandhi  walked continuously on this 24-day, 240-mile (390 km) march which started from Sabermanti near Ahmedabad  to the coastal town of Dandi on the Arabian Sea.” To me, Gandhi’s frail appearance was a mere façade beneath which hid the stamina and strength he so often displayed.

These words reverberated throughout as Satish Dhupelia began the peace walk. Walkers followed him carrying the US, the Indian, and the Texas flags. There were also placards with  Gandhian slogans. Balloons with Indian flag colors orange, white and green and also US flag colors red, white and blue were released into the bright sunny  skies. Many of the walkers  recited  Bapuji’s bhajan “Raghupati Raghava Raajaraam: Patita paavana sitaram.” It was an exhilarating experience; I was left speechless momentarily and the moment stirred my thoughts for days to come. 

The picturesque setting seemed surreal. A long ribbon of big white birds appeared from the east. They circled overhead and landed in the translucent water of the lake flowing across the park. As they started splashing in the tranquil water; I felt as if the universe was joining hands with us in unison!  I quickly slipped off my shoes and socks and began to walk barefoot. As I crunched the crisp leaves on the side walk with each step, I experienced a gift – a pure and simple moment of joy! Perhaps this is how life goes; you keep putting one foot in front of the other until you reach your destination.

As I was approaching the finishing line, a fellow walker handed me a flag of India. Touching the flag made me nostalgic for my past years. My paternal grandmother would tell me stories of  fearless freedom fighters, the followers of Gandhi. My ancestral home in India was then the center of the Freedom movement. During those days, once Pandit Nehru visited my home town. My grandfather, who was a lawyer and a prominent leader , constructed a house exclusively for him so that Nehru could stay comfortably. My grandmother was a keen follower of the affairs of the world ; She was eager to engage any and all who came to meet her in conversations about what we could and must do to make the world a better place . Fond memories of her came flooding back to me that morning at every step I took.

As we converged to the finishing line many of us were transformed with new perspectives – a resolve to walk to calm a stormy mind, to walk to connect with people, to walk to laugh and bring a sense of purpose in our lives.   All of us felt the call to maintain the temple of the spirit—the human body, to enhance one’s wellness, to fight against excuses, temptations, and laziness.  

As the crowd began to disperse, I wanted to see the great grandson of Mahatma one more time. I decided to walk up the stage. Mr. Satish Dhupelia stepped to the edge and reached out to take my outstretched hand in his and warmly greeted me - “spread the lessons of Gandhi wherever you go and whatever you decide to do ; Gandhi will be with you.”  

Art of Living & Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas team

The greatest teacher of Yoga is Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi taught us Karma yoga (the yoga of action) – to yoke our emotions to intelligence and perform our duty with equanimity. Gandhi brought up in the tradition of bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion)  - see the Divine in everything , find wisdom and beauty in a way of life different from our own. Mahatma Gandhi is the guiding light, a pillar of strength that can carry and lift us. Today I am immensely pleased, being able to organize the International Day of Yoga at the plaza. The beautiful celebrated statue of Gandhi bears testimony to the tolerance and harmony between people and cultures , reinforcing in us new aspirations and hopes of a more peaceful and joyful world.  

                                                                                    ankurbora@hotmail.com