They were overjoyed and thrilled. Their eyes were reflecting their bright future. Their words
were ringing with deep gratitude. Their love for the master knew no bounds. These are the girls
of Shakti Udaan who were excitedly awaiting the inauguration of their centre’s new building at
Kaithal by the auspicious hands of Anandmurti Gurumaa. As the revered master inaugurated
the centre and lighted the lamp, it was as if the lives of these girls got brightened with the dawn
of talent and training. All of them applauded with zeal and zest welcoming the master who is
their inspiration, their confidence, their hope and their guiding source.

Today marked the milestone achievement for Shakti Udaan which began with just 30 girls and
has grown over a period of four years to a family of 325 girls. Where do these girls come from?
They are from such families where far from education, mere survival is a big question. In some
cases the girls are married off at a young age and their husbands are missing, so they are left
to struggle endlessly. But Shakti is enabling them to equip themselves with vocational skills
whereby they can earn a decent living for themselves and support their families too. They don’t
need to endure any discrimination, or depend on anyone, or feel helpless – rather they can live
with dignity and pride.

In the rendezvous with these girls, the master emphatically shared with them the great
importance of education and how it brings about financial, emotional and mental
independence. And every girl must acquire this independence before thinking about marriage.
Her encouraging words instilled immense enthusiasm in these girls to become an idealistic
example for the entire nation so that every girl comes to know that she is not weak. She is
Shakti, power personified.

Condemning the abhorrent practice of female foeticide, Gurumaa quoted that education and
empowerment are the tools through which this menace can be eradicated. In her own words,
“When women get empowered the entire society, the nation and in turn the whole world
benefits. It will inevitably lead to a more tolerant, peaceful environment giving a better start to
the generations to come.”

Giving a new dimension to Shakti Udaan, Gurumaa inspired all the girls to become self-reliant
and make the centre self-sufficient by launching the in-house merchandise. This would open
up a whole new world of opportunities for these girls who can then unleash their potential
optimally. It is indeed a matter of pride that even currently the centre is being run without any
private or government aid, and with the introduction of its own branded merchandise, it will
further get the wings of freedom to grow and expand.

Let’s celebrate this commendable achievement of Shakti Udaan…