The year long celebrations of Mother Teresa’s Birth centenary has begun at home and across the world. A series of programmes are being organised to mark the celebrations. Pope Benedict XVI has described Mother Teresa as an inestimable gift. In a message to Missionaries of Charity, superior-general Sister Prema, the Pope exhorted the Charity to draw inspiration from her in serving the poor, the sick, the lonely and the abandoned. A book on Mother Teresa written by the former Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla was presented to the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan on her Birth Centenary on Thursday. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee opened an Exhibition Train `Mother Express' to commemorate the birth centenary of Mother Teresa at Sealdah Station in Kolkata this evening. The train will travel to the entire country for 6 months to spread the message of the life and works of Mother Teresa. A message of the UPA Chairperson, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi was also read out on the occasion. AIR Kolkata Correspondent reports that a large number of people visited the Mother House to pay homage to Mother Teresa. A special prayer meeting was also held at the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity to commemorate the day. The Mother Teresa International Film Festival, 2010, got underway on Wednesday with the premier of 'Mother Teresa' a documentary made by two American sisters about the Nobel laureate nun. In Bangalore, the year-long celebrations to mark the birth centenary of Mother Teresa got off to a start in the city with some schools announcing provision of free education, books and uniforms to needy children and school dropouts. Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling on Thursday urged the people to emulate the example of selfless service of Mother Teresa on her birth centenary. He announced naming of the road leading from St Thomas Church to Yatatyat Bhavan after her.