Bangalore: As the sun set, lakhs of people belonging to all faiths and over 100 countries thronged the Jakkur Airfield on the city outskirts, in peace and love, to celebrate the silver jubilee of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living (AoL) movement.
"Here in India, you have the tradition of peace. Mahatma Gandhi succeeded in changing India and got independence without violence. We too can change the world in the same way, with a positive energy," Janez Drrnovsek, President of Slovenia, said.
The message was the same from Mantombazana Tshabalala-Msimang, Health Minister of South Africa, from where the Mahatma began his ahimsa journey.
"The message of peace, non-violence and cooperation should be spread across the world," she said, joining many Indian and foreign dignitaries who felicitated Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who turned 50 and introduced Sudarshana Kriya, a breathing technique to relieve stress, which has brought him worldwide following.
"In India, we have time tested values which are effective. In the West, spirituality is learned by experience and faith will follow, here in the East, you have faith and experience follows," Ravi Shankar said. Yoga guru Swami Ramdev said in his address that Indian culture has the potential of becoming world culture.
The world was there as people of different nationalities waved their hands to chant Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), the signature album with pop music of AoL. Later, an army of over 3,000 Carnatic musicians and singers sang devotional songs on the stage, shared by diplomats, Muslim and Christian leaders, besides Asaram Bapu, Shankaracharyas from Kanchi and Sringeri.
The others who participated in the inaugural function included Maharashtra deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Karnataka Governor TN Chaturvedi and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
