In 1922 Mr. Knudsen suggested that February 17 should be observed as "Adyar Day". Dr. Besant as President accepted the suggestion and since then on this day "the thoughts and love of all our members scattered over the wide world turn to Adyar". Dr. Besant said :
"February 17th brings to us three memories, two of the birth into the higher world that men call death, and one of birth into the lower. On 17 February 1907, our President-Founder left his mortal body, after half a life of faithful, devoted service. On 17 February 1600, Giordano Bruno went 'home,' in a chariot of fire, from the Field of Flowers in Rome. On 17 February 1847, Charles W. Leadbeater opened his baby eyes to the dimness which we call light in our physical world. It is a good day to choose, linked with three servants of humanity."
Thus on Adyar Day homage is paid to the Society's leaders. The American Section has for some years organized an Adyar Day Fund and, in commemoration of this day, has been sending generous contributions to Adyar. Contributions are also received from several other countries, lodges and individuals, year after year. Dr. Besant has said: "The place of Adyar in the history of the Society is unique, and centuries hence it will still be a spiritual centre of the Society."
"There are theosophists in many parts of the world who long to come to Adyar, which Dr. Besant called "the home of the Masters". Adyar is the one Centre with which every one of the Society's foremost leaders has had an intimate association. Some look on a visit to this Centre as an act of pilgrimage. They feel happy if someone from Adyar carrying its inspiration visits their Lodges. Testimony has been given by those who have been in Adyar that there is a spring of vitality there. C.W. Leadbeater said that Adyar is a place where one can think better thoughts than elsewhere. On Adyar Day, among other days, we should think of what we can do to help this Centre, to strengthen the work there. Adyar Day should help to draw Adyar closer to all Sections and Lodges. Much help from many people in different parts of the world is received, but more precious than material help is the good-will and good thoughts of the members."
White Lotus Day is the anniversary of H.P. Blavatsky's passing and the first official reference to it is published in The Theosophist, May 1892 (Supplement, p. ix).
"In her last will H. P. Blavatsky expressed the wish that yearly, on the anniversary of her death, some of her friends should assemble at the Headquarters of the Theosophical Society and read a chapter of The Light of Asia and extracts from the Bhagavad Gita; and, since it is meet that her surviving colleagues should keep green the memory of her service to humanity and her devoted love for our Society, the undersigned suggests that the anniversary be known among us as White Lotus Day, and makes the following official order and recommendation.
17 November 1875 saw the birth of the Theosophical Society, for the promotion of which H. P. Blavatsky and H. S. Olcott were responsible. It was they who made Theosophy available, and their successors, Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater, who made it triumphant.
In September of 1875 the direction came to the Founders to form a Society, the building up of which proceeded during September and October. The Preamble and the By-Laws of which a copy-perhaps the only existing copy--is filed in H.P.B's Scrap-Book (vol. 1) at Adyar, is dated October 30: The Society was publicly announced on 17 November, when the President- Founder delivered his inaugural address at the Mott Memorial Hall in the city of New York, the first meeting under the formal declaration of principles.
The Preamble intimates that the Society "is formed neither as a spiritualistic schism, nor to serve as the foe or friend of any sectarian or philosophic body." The work of the Founders is that which the Spiritualists have neglected, the Materialists have not attempted, and the Theologians have misunderstood and undervalued. The Theosophical Society has been organized in the interests of religion, science and good morals; to aid each according to its needs."
The virile confidence with which the President- Founder launched the Society is indicated in this passage from his inaugural address: "What is it that makes me not only content but proud to stand for the brief moment as the mouth-piece and figurehead of this movement? It is the fact that in my soul I feel that behind us, behind our little band, behind our feeble, new-born organization, there gathers a Mighty Power that nothing can withstand the power of Truth. Because I feel that we are only the advance-guard, holding the pass until the main body shall come up. Because I feel that we are enlisted in a holy cause and that Truth, now as always, is mighty and will prevail."
In accordance with a resolution passed by the Indian Section Council, 1 October every year is celebrated because of its association with the President-Mother, Dr. Besant, as Adyar Day is associated with the memory of the President-Founder. An opportunity is thus afforded to every member of the Theosophical Society to remember Dr. Besant through whose pioneering and persistent endeavours the Society has expanded throughout the world and India has been particularly benefited in her regeneration.
