Posted as received by email:
My dearest everybody,
I am back home after travelling through three countries. I am very glad to be back .Today I am going to tell you what a wonderful occasion it was to witness the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Mowlana Hazar Imam.We all felt like one big family assembled from around the world.
Hazar Imam had invited all Presidents of the National Councils in the last 50 years of Imamat.
Hazar Imam had planned this occasion to acknowledge the tremendous progress all jamats have made in building thisd great structure that we can all be proud to call ourselves Ismailis, every volunteer,every murid and every individual who is the component of this organisation has been commended by Mowlana Hazar Imam with showers of Blessings for a brighter future than what we have seen so far.
Hazar Imam said he has put his arm on every Murid with out pouring of Joy and Blessings.
We were not allowed to bring cameras to Hazar Imam`s residence at Aglemont.The movies and all pjhotogrphs were taken by HH`s team. They were mostly focussed on the Noorani family, and as such you will not see us.
We arrived in Paris and were greeted at the Airport by our Ismaili volunteers bearing our named placards.These were volunteers who were part of the Airport crew who were training to be flight attendants or Airport staff speaking English with a French accent. It was so amusing. I was in tears and I thought we finally had a country of our own. These volunteers had given their time and vehicles to take us to our designated hotels. We were accommodated in The Marriot and Millenium Hotels at the Airport.We were to arrive in Paris by the 9th of July the latest.
The next two days were spent in congregating to rehearse for the procession to Mowlana Hazar Imam`s house,for the seating arrangements in the Darbar and for Lunch in Hazar Imam`s house. We ate all the meals together in the hotel auditorium with delicious Ismaili food.
On the 11th of July we left the hotels at 7AM in the morning and arrived at Aglemont a couple of hours later.
We were entertained with Sherbet and cake as we entered the reception hall. We then lined up for the procession in our respective designated places.
we marched in the procession of some 40 to 50 rows of dignitaries, each row consisting of six individuals.There were Presidents with their spouses, some widows of past deceased Presidents, some alternate representatives of deceased Presidents. One very sick, bed ridden ex President who could not come was asked by Hazar Imam to come in a stretcher with his medical assistants to attend the celebrations.
One can imagine how much Hazar Imam cared for all those individuals who had served him.
He had tremendous affection and praise for their services. As we marched towards HH`s house there were Kasidas recited in Iranian, Arabic, Afghani and Ginans in Gujarati. HH, with the Noorani family, was watching us from the upper floor. As we arrived closer to the house HH appeared and said Ayejee.
We entered the house and were seated in the Darbar hall. HH appeared when we were seated and we arose to recite the Salwat. Hazar Imam was presented with certemonial and traditional gifts. So were the members of the Noorani family. Hazar Imam spoke after the Holy Quran was recited. HH smiled at every individual. There was almost an eye contact made as it seemed. When HH saw me I asked HH in my mind ~`Do you remember me Mowla~I sat with you for 14 days and 10 years along with my wife to serve you. It looked as if HH knew it all, for he had dug me out of nowhere in Brazil where there is no JK, no Ismailis except one, but my Beitulkhyal Bandgi holds me from wherever I am. I
t was almost like `Til Til na Lekha Saheb lesheji.
We recessed and then were invited in the Dinning Hall to lunch with HH, Prince Amin, the Noorani family, the staff from Aglemont and dignitaries who were not Presidents but had served HH., like the Mukhi of Paris who had served for some 20 years, in wheel chair with his wife who is suffering from Alzheimers and such other dignitaries.
The noorani family`s children were there with Princess Zahra`s children, and Prince Hussein with his Begum. Prince Ali Mohammed ran around looking for his Dad. When he found him, he kissed him in three different locations on the face, then sat down for lunch.
HH said Ì am going to eat Biriyani today. There was an air of informality at the luncheon. HH moved around. Then Prince Amin made a speech and said he and HH grew up together in Nairobi. His brother was very mischievious.They were coached by Missionary Kaderali, the teaching sounded like Ping Pong they were playing.There was a roar of laughter.
Then HH spoke a very emotional speech. He said "When I became Imam at the age of 21, I did not have an office but a community and I didn`t know how it was going to fare. But you went to distant lands established jamats that continued to grow and create this huge structure that we can all be proud of having created by volunteer service and participation, that today we have created Agakhan Foundation, the seat of the Imam at Aglemont, charitable institutions throughout the world and an enormous Najarana that will be spent to newer projects like healthcare, senior citizen needs, beacuse the lifestyle has changed where or jamats live etc".
He was emotional as he said~"I have lost my father and mother, my uncle, and my Grand father." He did not mention the two divorces that had taken their toll on him during the very challenging but successful rein.
We were given Holy Nyaj and we all returned so happily aroused with HH`s Blessings and Dua. Ameen
July 11, 2007 -- Aiglemont -- eye witness account
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Re: July 11, 2007 -- Aiglemont -- eye witness account
[quote="layla"]Posted as received by email:
My dearest everybody,
I am back home after travelling through three countries. I am very glad to be back .Today I am going to tell you what a wonderful occasion it was to witness the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Mowlana Hazar Imam.We all felt like one big family assembled from around the world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for this wonderful experience that you got and by sharing to as -when i read your Didar history - I was felling that I'm also sitting next to you and I made my Didaar ! Thank you!
My dearest everybody,
I am back home after travelling through three countries. I am very glad to be back .Today I am going to tell you what a wonderful occasion it was to witness the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Mowlana Hazar Imam.We all felt like one big family assembled from around the world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for this wonderful experience that you got and by sharing to as -when i read your Didar history - I was felling that I'm also sitting next to you and I made my Didaar ! Thank you!