The Mother’s work in Orissa started in 1949 when two Study Circles were formed with Sri Aurobindo’s permission (One at Rairangpur in 1949 another at Cuttack in 1950). Sri Ramakrishna Das fondly known as Babaji Maharaj who was a sanyasi at Ajodhya joined Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, on 2nd February 1945. Babaji Maharaj had aspired for the people of Orissa to open to The Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s Consciousness. With Mother’s happy approval and Prapatti as an able instrument, the first phase of work included organisation of Study Circles, Students and Youth Associations, Women’s Study Circles, zonal and state level Study Circle Meets etc.. In the next phase, Integral Education Centres, Relics Centres with experiments in collective living were initiated . Prapatti under the active guidance of Babaji Maharaj had been organising all these activities .When Prapatti left his body, Babaji Maharaj wanted all organisational work of Orissa to be organised in Orissa, centrally from Matrubhaban, Cuttack. The workers of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles throughout Orissa came together at Matrubhaban to plan out the line of action according to the guidelines given by Babaji Maharaj. The final arbitration or advice on organisational matters were however obtained from Babaji Maharaj.
A different situation arose after Babaji Maharaj left his body and nearly 500 active workers from all parts of Orissa came together on 20th Dec’1998 and resolved to continue as before, The Mother's Work in Orissa, according to the instructions given by Babaji Maharaj and Prapatti.
The following proposals were decided by the members present :
- To form a committee named as All Orissa Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Committee, having its organisational office at Matrubhaban, Cuttack.
- The whole of Orissa was divided into seven Zones(afterwards nine zones) to facilitate the Work. Name of the zones are Satya (Truth), Nistha (Sincerity) Krupa (Grace), Astha (Faith), Samarpan (Surrender), Aspruha(Aspiration), Sangati (Harmony), Shanti(Peace), Samata(Equality).
The following districts are attached to each Zone.
Name of the Zone Districts Aspruha Ganjam, Gajapati and Phulbani Astha Baleswar, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj Krupa Dhenkanal and Anugul Nistha Puri, Nayagad and Khorda Samarpan Koraput, Nabarangpur, Raygada, Malkangiri and Kalahandi Samata Jharsuguda, Debgarh, Sundargarh Sangati Sambalpur, Bargad, Boudha Shanti Balangir, Subernapur and Nuapada Satya Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendujhar, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur - The Organisers of each zone will arrange Meetings, Seminars, conferences in their respective Zones and will look after the Integral Schools and Relics Centres present in their respective areas.
- Keeping .in accordance with Babaji Maharaj’s method of working every Zone, Study Circle, Integral School, Relics Centre etc. will work as an independent body. The responsibilities of the central committee will only be to see that the ideal is upheld and to encourage and support (advocate)in organising Mother’s Work in each of these levels.
- All the Organisers of different Zones, districts will meet annually in Matrubhaban from 4th to 7th April to discuss and plan their future programme. Every Zone is advised to publish all their progammes in their own News Letters. Matrubhaban Patra, The News Letter published from Matrubhaban will co-ordinate the activities of all the Zones.
- Every worker would independently carry on his own sadhana in his own way. The organisational target is to carry The Mother and Sri Aurobindo’s message to every corner of Orissa.
This work is going on well till date. We are grateful to Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust for all help and sympathy for The Mother’s Work here at Orissa.
