In New York Arpan holds a torch from 1987 while Salil points to the location of the first Peace Run office located above the City Deli. This was the office Shambhu created in 1986 as he and a team worked on building this global event.

Arpan writes, "It is a very nostalgic and emotional moment being in this spot where we spent months preparing for this immortal event. We also departed from this very spot in our vehicles to the exciting opening ceremony in lower Manhattan with the Founder of the Peace Run, Sri Chinmoy, exactly 33 years ago. Standing here evokes some of the strong emotions like gratitude, excitement and enthusiasm, as well as a bit of the nervousness that I felt as we embarked on this very long four month ‘maiden voyage’.

However, with absolute faith in the vision of the Founder of this epic peace adventure, Sri Chinmoy, I also felt confident and safe in being part of this most auspicious and important worldwide initiative. It was, and still is, an unforgettable experience to relay a torch of peace, which symbolizes sharing and spreading peace, hand to hand and heart to heart, with people of all ages throughout this country as others are also doing simultaneously all over the world.

Now, 33 years later, the ever-mounting flame of inner and outer peace is still growing and glowing tremendously in the hearts and minds of millions of peace-lovers worldwide. It is a wonderful opportunity and a great honor to witness and to be part of this unfolding and ever evolving peace-reality as it continues to blossom beyond anything we could have imagined in those very early days. As reflected in the words of Sri Chinmoy before the start of the first Peace Run 33 years ago: “This Oneness-Home Peace Run is the very beginning of something infinitely, infinitely greater than we can ever imagine...”