We live in Slough, which means “muddy field”. It is in the east of London, a bit beyond Heathrow Airport, and is often associated with poverty and deprivation. It once used to hold the largest trading estate in Europe and still continues to attract a lot of migrant workers.

Even the BBC, in a made-for-television social experiment, “Making Slough Happy,” tried to make Slough a happier place by giving the town group therapy, bizarre as that idea may seem.

Whether that attempt worked or not is unclear, but around the same time, on 10 December 2005, Slough definitely rocked to a unique event. Two young Iranian sisters, not older than twenty years of age, approached us enthusiastically with a proposal to perform some music at a fete they were organising. They were very keen for us to participate, perhaps because my husband is half Turkish and I am fully Indian. The theme of the event itself was multiculturalism.

We informed the sisters that we practise Sahaja Yoga meditation which is very easy to do and is taught free of charge, and that some of our friends do perform on stage. They were very excited, and invited us to their first meeting at St. Mary’s Parish church where the fete was to be held.

The sisters were originally from Iran, and in a couple of months they were returning home to a country which, as we know, is presently facing challenging times. They wanted to convey the message to all people in Slough that we all are one, part and parcel of the whole. The theme was as simple as it was astonishing in its depth and intent. They called it the “International Evening”.

They had never produced an event before, never mind an event of this kind or size. But their enthusiasm and zeal more than made up for their inexperience as they began inviting local groups to perform. At the time they had no sponsors, no advertising and no cash. They happily gave Sahaja Yoga musicians a 40-minute slot for their performance. In addition, they gave two huge stall spaces for Sahaja Yogis to give realisation.

It was an unforgettable night. The event was held at St. Mary’s church, complete with wooden pews and the stage where the main altar was. The event commenced with the Sahaja Yoga Bhajan group singing and looking like angels in their white and gold suits. They set the tone for the evening as more groups followed. The entertainment was very diverse, ranging from Reggae to Indian Tabla and Iranian Santoor performances. There was also a fashion show where participants came on stage wearing their traditional national costumes.

People came to the Sahaja Yoga stall almost ceaselessly, and many got their realisation that day. Most yogis stayed till the end, and rejoiced with the people of Slough.

The evening ended in a final blast from the fireworks that lit up the cold grey skies. As we were leaving, one couldn’t help but glance at the tall imposing spire of the church and acknowledge that it didn’t take much at all to “Make Slough Happy”. Just two Iranian sisters and a group of Sahaja Yogis did it, without any fanfare from the BBC or corporate sponsorships.