She made India House reverberate with vociferous Jais for Bharat Mata and Vrindavan Bihari Shri Krishna and the audience replied with Didi Maa Ki jai as Sadhvi Ritambhara started on her 45 minute speech that mesmerized her listeners, in Houston, August 12.

Her emphasis was on shunning all negativity from our lives and
positive thinking that was echoed through those slogans of Jais, of victory and not defeat, of courage and not cowardice.

Speaking mainly on Hindu Unity, Sadhvi Ritambhara, popularly known as Didi Maa, reminded the audience about the rich heritage of Hindus, India, and the lofty ideals of the Vedic Sanatan religion that has always believed in the world as one family, declaring the mantra, Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam.

The meeting was organized by Hindus of Greater Houston in cooperation with Param Shakti Peeth of America and various Hindu organizations.

Didi Maa was as eloquent as ever, as persuasive as before and as emotionally inspiring as always. Her address was interspersed with many Sanskrit shloks, popular sayings and couplets to forcefully bring home the essentials of unity, cooperation and the much- needed Hindu awakening. She said Hindus, irrespective of their ways of living, places of worship and chosen gods and goddesses, should uphold the ideals of strong Hindu community, the glory of Hindi language and the love for the Motherland (Hindu, Hindi, Hindustan.)

Stressing the importance of collectivism, Didi Maa said the Vedic teachings are for cooperative endeavor and working for the mission together to achieve maximum results. In that context she applauded the efforts of Hindus of Greater Houston who have set up the tradition of celebrating Hindu festivals collectively. She especially mentioned the upcoming Janmashtami festival at George R. Brown Center, in Houston, where all Hindu organizations under the banner of Hindus of Greater Houston would celebrate the grand event from morning till midnight with various religious and cultural activities.

Didi Maa said the essential element of humanity and positive progress is the realization to avoid jealousy, unnecessary and selfish competition with others, and vanity but, instead, to join together for the greater good of the entire people. She reminded that India's cultural heritage is for joining the hearts, and not dividing the people on the basis of language, place or way of life.
She said that Hindus are basically united with the undercurrent of the deeper philosophy of spiritual, cultural and traditional oneness.
They only have to positively identify and show that oneness.

Giving examples from daily lives, Sadhviji said that people keep money and valuable in safes which are cheaper than the value of their money, and use a lock that is still cheaper than the safe; but a still cheaper key opens the safe easily. A hammer can break the lock but only the key can open it. The moral of the story is to be like a key that can open the hearts of people, not break them, she said.

Making a vital difference between Uniformity and Oneness (Ekroopta and Ekatmata) Didi Maa said in ancient India also the emphasis was not on uniformity, but oneness, reaching out and touching the hearts of others. That lofty ideal was not confined to humans, but extended to the animal life and even stones which were carved and put up as idols to be worshipped and beautiful carvings to be appreciated.

Making a strong pitch for Hindu unity she said Hindus should realize their glorious heritage and work unitedly to restore old glory and collectively achieve greatness and progress. She stressed on sharing and enjoying together all the fruits of nature, hard work and cooperation to make the community, state, nation and the whole humanity a better place to live happily.

Did Maa also shared her experience of the Vatsalya Gram, the unique ‘Family Home' that she has founded to not only shelter the ‘unwanted, abandoned and needy' children and women but to give them family, training, work and make them useful and better citizens. She said we are making groups of Yashoda Maa in modern times to raise numerous Krishnas.

Pradip Raol explained that the first Vatsalya Gram Center is fully functioning in Vrindavan; five others are in Delhi, Solan (in Himachal Pradesh) two in Madhya Pradesh (Omkareshwar and Chhatarpur.) These are the centers of divine love and affection. Ultimately Did Ma wants such Vatsalya Grams with the help of he community, in at least 22 states.

On the occasion a slide show was presented depicting various facets of the pioneer Vatsalya Gram, its inhabitants and various activities. There is a fully equipped hospital, school, vocational training center, playground, and hostel on the sprawling 50 acre Vatsalya Gram campus that has its own cowherd for milk and other dairy products for the people living in the Gram.

In the beginning Partha Krishnaswamy made a presentation about last year's Janmashtami celebration by Hindus of Greater Houston at the George R. Brown Center. This year it's again at the same place on August 28 with more activities, décor and a new Band.

Girish Naik, and Vijay Pallod, the President of Hindus of Greater Houston welcomed the distinguished speaker and the audience. Didi Maa, prominent community leader and philanthropist Ramesh Bhutada, Bhagwan Bhutada, and Pradip Raol helped the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. The program started with Sanskrit prayer by Smitha Prahlad, and melodious bhajans by Vijaya Verma and Krishna Shant Juneja, (who travel with Did Maa.) They were accompanied on tabla by the noted local musician Hemant Bhavsar. Bhajans (such as Mere Ram dena mujhko sahara, kaheen chhoot na jaye daman tumhara) were very much appreciated.

Many among the audience were vocal in admiring the impact Did Maa made on the listeners. Kirit and Indira Modi said Didi Maa is very impressive and whatever she spoke touched the hearts. She is extremely convincing in her address, they said.

Many said the goddess of learning and knowledge (Saraswati) resides on the tongue of Didi Maa, a sentiment echoed by both the Modis and Jagdish Suman, who never misses an opportunity to attend Sadhviji's meetings; Molina Gidwani too admitted that.