Book excerpt: It was indeed a turning point in my life when in the year 1944 at the age of nine, I had the good fortune to meet Ma Anandamayee, the Divine Mother in Human guise. My family members of course had the privilege of meeting Mother much ahead of me. Who knew then that this event would go a long way in shaping and reshaping my future life, providing me such a close proximity to Her! So colourful and splendid are those memories which beggar description. Our Mother left Her mortal frame long ago but Her grace is boundless. She would never forsake those who unconditionally surrender themselves at Her feet. Reaching at ‘life’s end’, when I recall those glorious moments I spent with Mother, tears obscure my eyes and I find bliss and solace in the hours of weariness, both mental and physical. In this book, I have made a vain effort to highlight my days with the Mother. They might illuminate the readers mind with ineffable joy and guide the ‘bhakta’ to the Divine path amidst ‘encircling gloom’.