Mother Teresa's birth centenary

A series of events and special mass in parts of India as well as across the world marked Mother Teresa's birth centenary.

Mother Teresa, born on August 26, 1910 in Agnes Gonxha in Macedonia has been an iconic figure in humanitarian activities and has set an example for India and countries around the world. She dedicated over four decades of her life to serve the poor, sick and the orphaned.

Initially a school teacher in Calcutta, Mother Teresa is believed to be increasingly interested in social work even before she had come to Calcutta.

She won several awards including the Nobel Peace Prize and the Bharat Ratna but for her the greatest reward was the satisfaction that came from her efforts towards the people who needed them the most.

Several events such as the Bengal famine of 1943 and the Hindu-Muslim riots of 1946 have been believed to influence Mother Teresa's life and made her dedicated to social service. (AFP Photo)

In September 1928, at the young age of 18, Mother Teresa left home to join a missionary institute in Ireland which marked the beginning of a very long journey. Here she was named Sister Mary Teresa. Later in 1929 she came to Kolkata. (AFP Photo)

In 1950 she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious order of women after she experienced what she described as a ‘‘call within a call'' to devote herself to caring for the sick and poor. The order has since then made numerous efforts around the world to assist social development amongst the weaker sections.

Missionaries of Charity nuns and volunteers kiss Mother Teresa's tomb as they celebrate her 99th birth anniversary at the Missionaries of Charity Mother House in Kolkata on August 26, 2009. Hundreds of nuns took part in the morning service to mark the day Mother Teresa was born August 26, 1910 in what is now Skopje, Macedonia.

Mother Teresa's work was recognised and acclaimed throughout the world and she received a number of awards and distinctions, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971. (AFP Photo)

She also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her wide efforts around the world to establish support for the people who needed them the most. She also received the highest civilian award in India; The Bharat Ratna. (AP Photo)

Mother Teresa died in 1997 but her 4,000 ‘sisters' continued what she had started and established 610 foundations in 123 countries of the world. (AP Photo)

A memorial house in honour of Mother Teresa in Macedonia, Skopje. The house is built on the site of the former Catholic Church, Sacred Jesus Heart, where she was baptized.

A child looks into a gift shop, decorated with images of Mother Teresa in Kolkata. As the Missionaries of Charity took in increasing numbers of lost children, Mother Teresa felt the need to create a home for them. In 1955 she opened the Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, the Children's Home of the Immaculate Heart, as a haven for orphans and homeless youth.

An unseen nun of the Missionaries of Charity holds a set of portraits of Mother Teresa for distribution. After Mother Teresa left the world, her efforts continued to be remembered and appreciated throughout the world. (AFP Photo)

In 1999, the Roman Catholic Church started the process of cannonisation to anoint her a saint. In the same year, she was ranked as the ‘most admired person' of the twentieth century by a poll in the U.S. (AP Photo)

The Society of Missionaries set up by Mother Teresa has spread all over the world provide effective help to the poorest of the poor in a number of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They also undertake relief work in the wake of natural catastrophes such as floods, epidemics, and famine, and for refugees. The order has houses in North America, Europe and Australia, where they take care of the homeless and AIDS sufferers.

The picture shows the message to the world, handwritten by Mother Teresa herself on October 16, 1989. (AP Photo)