President Patil unveils centenary edition of Mother Teresa's biography

New Delhi, Aug 26 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil unveiled an updated edition of Mother Teresa's biography on the occasion of her 100th birth anniversary here on Thursday.

The book, which was first published in 1992 and subsequently translated in many languages, has been updated by its original author Naveen Chawla, a senior bureaucrat who also served as Chief Election Commissioner.

Nuns from Missionaries of Charity sang prayers to mark the occasion, which was also attended by some of the leading figures from art and literary circles.

The Managing Editor of The Hindu, N Ram, said the occasion was also a celebration of India, the country that embraced the white-saree clad nun.

"Today when we celebrate the centenary of Mother Teresa's birth, we also celebrate the land that accepted her, the land that embraced her, the land that defended her against all false charges, and finally she emerged as a very great Indian in a time of foreign descent," said Ram.

The Pope beatified Mother Teresa in October 2003, paving the way for her canonisation.

Mother Teresa, who died on September 5, 1997 at the age of 87, was known for her extraordinary love and dedication to poor, homeless and diseased people.

She came to India in 1929 at the age of 18 and took up teaching, and became an Indian citizen in 1948.

Ram said the frail, wrinkled nun had managed to touch millions of souls across the globe with her compassion.

"This small, frail, bent, now sari-clad Indian woman of Albanian descent was something very special. She was very powerful, morally speaking, not just in India but also around the world. And in the fullness of her life and work, she blessed the trail as a great humanitarian," said Ram.

Mother Teresa received several national and international awards for social service during her lifetime. They included the Bharat Ratna, the Magsaysay Award in 1962, the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971, the John F. Kennedy International Award in 1971 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. (ANI)