Sri Chinmoy, the founder of the Oneness-Heart Tears and Smiles service, was a great believer in simplicity, and also in giving people joy. One unique project that has brought a lot of joy to people is our team of Madal Circus clowns. Our clowns have visited hospitals, orphanages and children all over the world, sharing the medicine of laughter and humour.
On the 5th of January this year, we visited the Raisa Maximovna Gorbachev Hospital in St. Petersburg, one of the foremost pediatric hospitals in Russia. Sri Chinmoy’s humanitarian service team has had the honor of serving President and Mrs. Gorbachev since 1991. For many years our main focus was to send chemotherapy and medical technology to Russian hospitals to assist in the treatment of children with leukemia. But this time we offered a different kind of therapy – humor and laughter. Our performances help the children to allay their fears and to cope with the intrusive atmosphere of a hospital. 5th January also happens to be Raisa Maximovna’s birthday.
The Madal Circus Clowns, as well as two doctors who participated, are all members the Sri Chinmoy Centres International. The clowns, from Serbia, Canada the Czech Republic and Russia, delighted the children with juggling, magic acts, puppets, dancing and singing as well as creating balloon hats for each child. The children participated in the performances, which was a most delightful sight. Parents also laughed and assisted in the performances, relieving stress and bringing joy to all.