* The meeting is held at the Waldorf Astoria, not the Hotel Pierre as printed.
GORBACHEV AND THE GURU
Caption:
Sri Chinmoy met privately with Mikhail Gorbachev, his wife and daughter at the Waldorf Astoria on May 12. Afterwards, the former Soviet President presented the Master with an autographed photo taken of him and his family. Left, the two leaders embrace. Above, Sri Chinmoy presents the Gorbachevs with a cake displaying pictures of their faces etched in icing.
RAlSA MAXIMOVNA VISITS GURU’S ART GALLERY
NEW YORK – While visiting New York, Raisa Maximovna Gorbachev took a respite from her whirlwind schedule on May 12 to visit the art exhibit of her husband's good friend, Sri Chinmoy.
Accompanied by her daughter, Irina, Mrs. Gorbachev was personally escorted around the gallery by Sri Chinmoy. He later offered her the painting of her choice. She chose his 27,000th work.
For the Indian-born artist, it was one of his most spiritually significant paintings, since he was born on the 27th of August. There was a large celebration among his students, in fact, when that painting was completed in 1975.
“I see in this painting the colour of life and the colour of hope. The green stands for life and the blue stands for hope,” Raisa Maximovna said. “And that's what I treasure in life.”
As she was leaving the exhibit, Raisa Maximovna thanked Sri Chinmoy for the warm support and affection he had shown to her family, the Gorbachev cause and the Gorbachev Foundation.
“I was so happy to spend these few precious moments with you, Sri Chinmoy, to see everything with my own eyes,” she added.
The art exhibit, which the spiritual teacher had dedicated to Mrs. Gorbachev, ran for three weeks in a mid-Manhattan gallery located near Grand Central Station.
Caption:
Memories of Raisa Maximovna's visit to Sri Chinmoy's Jharna-Kala Art Gallery. Above and top right, Mrs. Gorbachev admires some of the Master's paintings. Right, Mrs. Gorbachev and her daughter, Irina, listen to one of Sri Chinmoy's songs. They are seated in front of the painting that Sri Chinmoy presented to Mrs. Gorbachev.
Published in Anahata Nada, Volume 21, April-July 1992