On November 22, 2009, Maharaji spoke in a village near Chandrapur, Maharashtra, for the first time. Situated in central India in eastern Maharashtra state, Chandrapur is known as the “City of Black Gold,” due to the large number of coalmines in the vicinity, and the Chandrapur Super-Thermal Power Station is the largest of its kind in India. The event was held at the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation grounds, about 8 kilometers outside the city of Chandrapur.

Unsuspecting villagers woke up on the day of the event to the surprise of a huge influx of people coming to hear Maharaji. One local man simply said, “I don’t know who is coming, but he must be great man.” By noon that day, over 30,000 people had arrived from all walks of life, dressed in all possible colors. Several of them had attended the Nagpur event the previous day and had come to this one, too. Others came from the neighboring states of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh, and as far north as Uttarakhand, besides several districts of Maharashtra.

Because the event was held on open ground, the organizers set out carpets for people to sit on. There was a colorful floor pattern in a beautiful rangoli design at the entrance. The area for the event was cordoned off by temporary cloth walls. As people settled into their seats, traditional music played in the background. The atmosphere was one of happiness, exhilaration, anticipation, and even some impatience for Maharaji to arrive.

The event began at 2:30 in the afternoon with several videos, including an introduction to Maharaji and an animation of one of his stories. And then, a sudden roar of applause erupted as Maharaji’s helicopter first came into view.

Amidst the applause, Maharaji sat down and began speaking to the crowd in Hindi. Throughout the event, he told many stories and offered several examples to illustrate what he was saying, some of them bringing a roar of laughter from his audience. His main theme was that while even animals know about good and bad, only human beings are able to find fulfillment. “Many people take pilgrimages,” he said, “but are they going to where God is or to where God was? If you are making a trip to where God is, the place where God is closest to you—whether you are awake or asleep, happy or sad—is inside of you. If you want to know about that, I can help. The most valuable thing for a human being is to experience that peace. You can only do that while you are alive. This is something I want to know, not just to believe.”

Volunteers came to Chandrapur from near and far to help with the arrangements and management of the event. Bhaskar Joshi, from Uttarakhand, had to walk several miles from his home in an isolated mountainous area before he could reach any other means of transport. But he was very glad to come, saying that every day was a new day for him, full of hope and happiness.

Sharad, from Chandrapur, acknowledged how fortunate he felt to have been taught the Knowledge that Maharaji offers. “Since feeling the peace within,” he said, “the aim of my life has changed.” Prakash, from Nagpur, said, “After attending this program, a new awareness has come in my life. I feel that I was lost, and now I have found the right path.”

The event ended at around 4:00 PM. Several people remained standing, some with tears in their eyes, totally engrossed in this momentous occasion.

Watch this event