Upon departing this earth for the higher cosmic plane, the late Yogi Bhajan, leader of the Happy, Holy, Healthy Organization (3HO), left not only his spiritual legacy but also a range of holy business endeavors such as Akal Security and the Yogi Tea line. The Yogis contribution to our holistic well-being now receives its due recognition from the authorities of the secular realm, to the elation of the Indian press, always on the lookout for such triumphs:
In a rare gesture, the New Mexico State Transportation Commission has renamed a state highway Highway 106 as Yogi Bhajan Memorial Highway in memory of the late Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji. An Indian-American, he was known to his followers as Yogi Bhajan.
State Highway 106! One imagines, perhaps, a shimmering strip of tarmac stretching into the pristine New Mexico wilderness, amid a cascade of desert wildflowers, lightning storms illuminating the majestic silhouette of the Sangre de Cristo mountains A place of peace and insight, as befits the Yogis life work and the wisdom of the counsel he afforded the leaders of the land:
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in his remarks on the occasion said: “Yogiji was not only a spiritual leader, but was a business and social leader as well. And he kept a hand in politics too. I know many of the elected officials here today often sought his counsel in professional and personal matters, as I did many times
With a view to traveling this mighty roadway myself (I can use all the spiritual help I can get) I turned to my atlas to locate its terrestrial coordinates. Imagine my disappointment when I found that State Highway 106 is, in fact, nothing more than a mile-long connector on the outskirts of Española, N.M., national capital of lowriding and a town known for its scrappy vatos, with whom the Yogis followers, who make their headquarters here, live in what one hopes is peaceful co-existence.
Perhaps theres a Mutineer out there who can inform us first-hand whether State Highway 106, now re-christened, feels in real life like a special place. One Indian-American, however, was moved to great heights of emotion, duly relayed to an eager sub-continent by the press:
Founder of sikhpoint.com Bicky Singh, who was invited to attend the function, said, “It was one of the greatest moments for Indians in the US. To have a highway where thousands can see the name of an Indian-American overwhelmed me. Being the only Indian-American present made me feel even more honoured.”
Good on you, Bickyji. Chalk up another great victory for the race!
