After bearing witness to numerous
incidents of violence caused by addiction to drugs and alcohol, a young
lady has come forward to guide the youths of the Darjeeling hills
towards the right path and has been putting in her best efforts since
the past 14 years to bring a change in society, all this by sacrificing
her private life.
Kurseong resident Bandana Sharma had had
to face untold family problems since her childhood, but her life and
outlook towards things have changed ever since she met Brahma Kumari
Durga. Bandana says she was convinced by the celibate’s teachings and
decided to join the family of Brahma Kumaris in order to serve society
and the nation.
A member of the Nepali community from
the Darjeeling hills, Bandana’s name has been etched forever in the
Limca Book of Records for walking barefoot almost 800km from Gangtok to
Kolkata just to spread the message among youths of refraining from
choosing the wrong path. She started her ‘Swarnim Bharat Yuva Padyatra’
from Gangtok on September 3 last year and concluded the astonishing feat
in Kolkata on October 14.
Bandana had to endure tests for five
long years before being inducted into the Brahma Kumari camp in
Kurseong. Impressed by her talent, intelligence and sharpness of mind,
she was often sent to various parts of the nation to preach and host
national seminars, informed Brahma Kumari Durga, the in-charge of the
Kurseong centre.
Bandana often makes trips to Mount Abu
to gain more spiritual knowledge and disseminate among the youngsters of
the Darjeeling hills.
According to Bandana, meditation and
spiritual knowledge helps people to concentrate in every task they
undertake, even mundane ones. Meditation sans the guidance of a
philosophical understanding of reality becomes just another psychic
experience, she says. And working for the cause of humanity without
acknowledging the reality of the divine becomes arid as well as
arrogant.
“The youths of our place are attracted
to sleazy fashion and addicted to drugs, alcohol and indulge in anti
social activities,” says Bandana. “My aim is to draw them towards the
right path by sharing my spiritual experience and teaching them various
meditation techniques.”(EOIC)