RAMNAGAR-ANANDASHRAM 477
function. Janardan ,Pant, Raghunath Maharaj, Govind
Ramkrishna Joshi, Krishnaji Pandharinath and Madhavrao
Kulkarni wore amongsiM;hem. These devotees took whole-
hearted part in bhajans and kirtans.
At the opening ceremony, as requested by the assem-
bled devotees and friends, Ramdas delivered a short speech,
briefly put, it ran as follows:—
"Ramdas has the supreme delight to speak to you to-day
a fe\v words at the inauguration of this holy ashram. The
ideal which the ashram holds before it is universal love
and service based upon a vision of divinity in all beings
and creatures of the world. Here every man, woman or
child to whatever denomination, creed, or caste the person
belongs shall have free access. This is a place where every
effort will be made to cultivate the spirit of mutual love
and service, so that what is realized within its walls may
•prove as an example for the right conduct of human life in
the outside world. The Lord is our help and guide in all
matters. May He with all his bounty shower His blessings
on the great service which this home of love and bliss has
under taken to discharge.11
Krishna Bai, although greatly weakened by the injury
sho had sustained at the Kasaragod ashram, brought all her
rare skill and indefatigable energy to bear upon the
management of the function. Every programme was gone
through with exactness and regularity. It must be admitted
that Krishna Bai is a born organizer, and exhibited in all
things her wonderful capacity for handling difficult situa-
tums, for soon after the opening of the buildings, torren-
tial rains accompanied by thunder, lightning and storms
swept over the ashram building. But the radiant and ever
calm figure of Krishna Bai was moving about in the assem-
blage like an angel ministering1 to the minutest wants of
all. None of tho visitors went without her special care and
sorvico. In short she had her maternal eye upon all alike.
Five months alter the opening celebration of the