University of Virginia Library

APPEAL TO MARWARI LADIES

[On Friday, the 4th February, 1921, a largely
attended meeting of the ladies of Bara
Bazar was held in the Thakurbari of
Gopeshwar Mullicke, situated in Sinduriapaty,
when Mahatmaji spoke to the following
effect:—]

My dear sisters,—My words fail to give an
adequate expression to the joy I am exercising
at your sight. Wherever I go I request my
sisters to bless me so that I may be successful
in my mission. You all should preserve peace
and tranquility and should not make noise.
The kingdom, we went to see established is a
kingdom not inferior to one which was ruled
by our God-incarnate Ramchandra, and for
this, piety and purity of heart are indispensable.
Some one told me that the men work over
much, but the women do not. I admit that
the men are persevering workers but I dare say
that the women too are not inferior to them
in this point. My advice is that every woman
should learn to be brave, truthful and pure.
There is no one in this world who can be an
equal of a woman who possesses a pure and

kind heart. This spinning wheel which is
before you is as pure as anything. Every one,
in order that he or she may attain purity of
the head and heart, should use it. Each and
every woman of Gujarat uses this spinning
wheel and our sisters of the Punjab are vying
with her on that point. They produce very
nice home-woven coarse cloth and present the
same in a large quantity. My Marwari sister
have, so to say, forgotten the use of
this spinning wheel. They should be as brave
as their Punjabi sisters and should daily work
at the spinning wheel continually for two or
three hours and thereby produce home-spun
sacred thread. By so doing, they will be able
to supply their sisters with cloth. You should
all renounce your foreign-made saris and be-take
the use of the sacred and pure home-woven
coarse cloth. I am trying my level best to
remove those of your sisters, who are engaged
in stone-breaking, from their work and to give
them their daily wages. I request you to supply
me with the price of cotton for them. A woman
who possesses a pure heart needs no ornaments
to beautify her person. I am in need of gifts
from you all, which will enable me to clothe
many of your naked sisters.

[No sooner the word "gifts" fell from the
lips of Mahatmaji than there arose a bustle
among the ladies present who, one and all,
stood up to make their desired gifts and the
rest of Mahatmaji's speech was drowned in the
hubbub that followed. The ladies, then encircled
Mahatmaji, who stood up and began to accept
the presents made by them. There was a
shower of gold bracelets, bangles, anklets, earrings
and silver ornaments of various kinds-One
young Marwari lady presented Mahatmaji
with Rs. 500 in cash, while another vied with
her by presenting ornaments of about 100 tolas
of silver and 25 tolas of gold. It is estimated
that Mahatmaji received presents amounting
to more than Rs. 5,000 which included both
cash and ornaments.]