The Hindu

Aurobindo ashram printing press goes solar The Hindu Sri Aurobindo Ashram Printing Press, located along the Beach Road, went solar on Friday. Puducherry Chief Secretary Manoj Parida inaugurated the unit. With a 50 kwh capacity solar panel installed on the rooftop of the building, the printing press will ...

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Aurobindo ashram printing press goes solar - The Hindu

Posted on: August 3rd, 2012

Sacred Mountain Ashram, established by Swami Amar Jyoti in 1974, is located one mile west of Gold Hill on a mountaintop at 9000. The ashram comprises 108 stunning acres of evergreens, aspens, wildflowers, snow, deer and other furry and feathered brethren.

You are invited to come for a visit, to walk in our gardens and enjoy the serenity of nature in this haven of solitude and peace. Aarati, a traditional offering of Light, is offered each morning at 7 am (6:30 am in summer) and evening at 7 pm at Jyoti Mandir, Temple of Light, followed by meditation. Each Sunday and Thursday at 7 pm we gather for Satsang by Swami Amar Jyoti, which is preceded by mantra recitation, Aarati and kirtan, and followed by meditation.

Swami Amar Jyoti in Satsang

Nearby the temple is Annapurna, a two-story 55 diameter geodesic dome, housing our dining room, community kitchen, and an extensive spiritual library. We also have our twice weekly ladies yoga classes here.

Our publications, which include the quarterly Light of ConsciousnessJournal of Spiritual Awakening (light-of-consciousness.org), books and audio Satsangs of Swami Amar Jyoti, and our Kirtan and Sacred Chants CDs are available in our library. Please call or email us if youd like to arrange a visit. Were just up the hill!

Near Annapurna you can visit the Garden of Prophets with statues of Jesus, Buddha and Krishna, and our sunken garden with a gazebo where two bucks are often seen in the summertime.

WOMENS YOGA CLASSESSUMMER SCHEDULE: open to the mountain community, hatha yoga classes by Justine Sanchez from Ward are held in our 55 diameter geodesic dome every Sunday and Thursday at 9-10:30 am. Please call for directions, fees and any questions. Classes are for beginner to intermediate students with some headstands thrown in for those of you who like to be vertically challenged!

SEVALAYA (Truth Consciousness Center of Service), a quarter mile west of the Ashram and 1.5 miles from Gold Hill, is located on 13 acres of aspen-bordered meadows and pines. We have residential buildings including accommodations for our annual week-long retreat each summer.

Sacred Mountain Ashram and Desert Ashram in Tucson, AZ are operated by Truth Consciousness, a 501[c]3 nonprofit organization. Donations are welcome and are tax-deductible. For further information or to arrange a visit, please contact:

Sacred Mountain Ashram, 10668 Gold Hill Road, Boulder CO 80302-9716 Phone: 303-447-1637, Fax: 303-447-1920, info@truthconsciousness.org.

To read more and see our publications, visit truthconsciousness.org.

For updates and news see Truth Consciousness & Light of Consciousness on Facebook, and inspiring quotations at SwamiAmarJyoti on Twitter.

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Sacred Mountain Ashram | Gold Hill, Colorado

The independent world music record label, Luaka Bop, was founded in 1988 by producer and former lead singer of the iconic New Wave band, The Talking Heads. Earlier this Spring, the NYC-based label was responsible for releasing rare recordings of jazz musician and spiritual leader, Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda. The new album, Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, is a collection of previously unheard recordings of devotional music, recorded at Coltranes ashram located outside of Los Angeles. The 48-acre Sai Anantam Ashram still exists today. As we interviewed Coltranes protg, Surya Botofasina, via phone last month, he stood on the soil of the ashram.

The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda is the first compilation of global spiritual music that the label plans to release over time. This first album reveals Coltrane Turiyasangitanandas singing voice for the first time in her recording history. Her throaty soothing voice sounds familiar, but of course, any fan of Coltrane Turiyasangitananda would be confused because she was largely known as an instrumentalist, arranger and composer. The songs are heavily layered and raw and vibrationally disorientingin a good way.

Luaka Bop uncovered four cassette tapes of recorded music dating between 1982 and 1995 and teamed up with Coltrane Turiyasangitanandas children to locate the original master tapes, which gave them the ability to re-master the songs for clarity and clear tone. Jazz musician Baker Bigsby had a hand in preparing the songs to be re-mastered. He had been present and supportive during the original recording sessions.

The album is fascinating, not only in its sound, which is otherworldly, deeply layered and unique, but also because of the history of these songs, which had to be searched for, discovered and cared for so this album could happen.

Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda was released May 5 on Luaka Bop Records. You can buy the album direct from the labels website: http://luakabop.com/catalog/

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Luaka Bop record label releases uncovered Alice Coltrane ashram recordings - Amsterdam News

Summary: Ahmedabad: The National Archives of India (NAI) will gift digital copies of its entire Mahatma Gandhi paper collection to Sabarmati Ashram on June 29. "We felt that the Gandhi papers should be widely disseminated and be made easily available to researchers, students and general public," Garg said. A senior Ashram official told TOI that many of the Gandhi papers at the national archives were part of the original series of Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG) project headed by professor K Swaminathan. Once Gandhi papers are available on Gandhi portal, it will be in public domain, and will facilitate research and enhance the value of the portal," says Sabarmati Ashram director Tridip Suhrud.He added, "It also means that the NAI has immense confidence in the Ashram to handle sensitive historical papers." The Ashram already has one of the world's largest collections of original manuscripts belonging to Bapu somewhere around 35,000 catalogued items in its archive.Dr Sanjay Garg, deputy director of NAI, said that the digital copies are being provided to the ashram so that they can be uploaded in phases to the existing Gandhi heritage portal.

Ahmedabad: The National Archives of India (NAI) will gift digital copies of its entire Mahatma Gandhi paper collection to Sabarmati Ashram on June 29. The Ashram already has one of the world's largest collections of original manuscripts belonging to Bapu somewhere around 35,000 catalogued items in its archive.Dr Sanjay Garg, deputy director of NAI, said that the digital copies are being provided to the ashram so that they can be uploaded in phases to the existing Gandhi heritage portal."We felt that the Gandhi papers should be widely disseminated and be made easily available to researchers, students and general public," Garg said."The idea is that when such rare documents are available digitally, they can be accessed on mobile phones, laptops or on any digital interface from anywhere in the world," he said.According to the NAI, the Gandhi papers consists of 27,500 items between the period of 1880 to 1948, relating to Gandhi-Kallenbach, Gandhi-Polak correspondence, Gandhi-Holmes correspondence, Gandhi Murder Trial papers and Bapu's correspondence with eminent personalities.There is also a copy of the FIR relating to Gandhiji's murder on January 30, 1948. A senior Ashram official told TOI that many of the Gandhi papers at the national archives were part of the original series of Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG) project headed by professor K Swaminathan.

A team of editors including professors C N Patel, U R Rao and R K Prabhu took over 38 years to compile the entire collection of Bapu's letters, speeches, and articles into 100 volumes running into more than 55,000 pages.Earlier, the NAI had gifted the Ashram, digital copies of roughly 4,000 testimonies of farmers recorded during Champaran Satyagarha by Bapu and Dr Rajendra Prasad."I think the Ashram-National archive collaboration is of immense value to the world of scholarship. Once Gandhi papers are available on Gandhi portal, it will be in public domain, and will facilitate research and enhance the value of the portal," says Sabarmati Ashram director Tridip Suhrud.He added, "It also means that the NAI has immense confidence in the Ashram to handle sensitive historical papers.". .

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/nai-to-gift-digital-copies-of-gandhi-papers-to-ashram/articleshow/59167844.cms

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NAI to gift digital copies of Gandhi papers to Ashram - NYOOOZ

The Indian Express

Thoughts of the 'chatur bania', at Sabarmati ashram The Indian Express Those who like to call Gandhi a 'chatur baniya' have never probably walked through the My life is My Message gallery of the Sabarmati Ashram, where a letter Gandhi once wrote to one Chhaganlal, is displayed. The letter is about whether profits should ...

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Thoughts of the 'chatur bania', at Sabarmati ashram - The Indian Express

Do birds know borders? Do clouds recognise countries?

As the Alliance Air flight from Bombay to Bhavnagar began its descent, the white clouds drew an abstract painting against a serene blue sky. Below was the Gujarat coastline with a patchwork of salt pans, its whiteness brighter with the sharp evening sun. As the plane descended further, there was the mesmerising sight of a flock of flamingos flying in formation, their plumage adding a pink dash to the painting.

Greater flamingos are migratory birds from the North. But now they are said to have become residents of the Gulf of Khambat and the Rann of Kutch (which is shared by India's Gujarat and Pakistan's Sindh). I wondered where the ones I saw flying came from, or where they were going. But did it matter? Neither birds nor clouds carry divisive religious or national identities. Thank God.

I was on my way to Mahuva, a two-hour drive from Bhavnagar, to attend a three-day satsang (socio-spiritual assembly) at the ashram of Morari Bapu. India's best-known and widely respected Ram Kathakar, Bapu tells the story of the Ramayana, interspersed with songs drawn mainly from Shri Ram Charit Manas of Goswami Tulsi Das, a 16th-century Bhakti poet. He has been doing so all over the world for the past five decades. Morari Bapu's Ram knows no national, or even religious, borders. "Ram and his message of truth, love and compassion belong to the whole world," he says. Indeed, Bapu's discourses are replete with expositions of the same message from other religious and spiritual traditionsIndian and foreign. In particular, he takes great pains to show the convergence of the teachings of Hinduism and Islam. Next month he is planning to visit Turkey to pay homage to his favourite Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi at his mausoleum in Konya.

Like Ram, whose mission in life was to transcend enmity and uphold the unity of humanity, Bapu has been trying, he says, "to build bridges between Hanuman and Rehman." After the communal carnage in Gujarat in 2002, no religious leader has endeavoured so consistently to promote Hindu-Muslim harmony as Bapu has. For the past two decadeseven before the Godhra and post-Godhra violence eruptedhe has been attending the annual Yaad-e-Hussain programme organised by the local Muslim community in Mahuva, as the chief guest. Imam Hussain is a hero for him because the Prophet Mohammed's grandson sacrificed his life fighting against tyranny. In a bold and unconventional move, one that certainly displeases the votaries of hardline Hindutva, Bapu has changed the visual projection of Ram. The idols of Ram, Laxman and Hanuman in his ashram are without their weapons. God or his avatars, he believes, do not need any weapons.

Hence, Bapu's sprawling and scenic ashram in Mahuvahe has named it Kailas Gurukulwas the ideal venue for the conference (1-3 June, 2017). It was the eighth edition of an annual meet organised by the Sadbhavana Forum, a non-political organisation engaged in voluntary service. Founded by Sanjay Bhavsar and Tula Patel, an idealistic couple inspired by Gandhian ideology, and patronised by Bapu, the forum has brought together hundreds of young and not-so-young social activists in Gujarat, channelising their energies in diverse projectsfrom providing shelter and life-transforming education to orphaned children to ambitious undertakings such as striving for peace and normalcy in Kashmir.

Just a few days before the conference began, 25 Sadbhavana volunteers had returned from a three-week-long peace mission in Kashmir, where they mostly interacted with school children and teachers in the Valley. They had also participated in rehabilitation efforts after floods had devastated the Valley in 2014. "But we saw a visible difference in the situation in Kashmir in these three years," says Sanjay. "We encountered a most unwelcome response wherever we went. Questions such as 'Why have you Indians come here?' were hurled at us. And the Kashmiris we met became even more unfriendly when they learnt that we had come from Gujarat. 'Oh, you have come from Modi's Gujarat,' they'd say scornfully. However, their attitude would change when we told them, 'We have come from Gandhi's Gujarat, not Modi's Gujarat. We have come here to listen to you, to have a dialogue with you.' After this, they would open their doors and hearts. This is the undying power of Mahatma Gandhi."

The theme of the Mahuva conference, "Samvaad se Sadbhavana", was a continuation of these peace warriors' mission in Kashmiran attempt at creating goodwill and harmony through dialogue. Attended by over 300 social activists, and with Morari Bapu present in many sessions, it deliberated on issues that are vital to Indian society.

The conference began with a speech by Arif Mohammed Khan, one of the most outspoken and learned Indian politicians. Even after the passage of three decades, people still remember him for his courageous 1986 speech in Parliament, in which he, as a member of Rajiv Gandhi's council of ministers, defended the Supreme Court ruling granting alimony to divorced Muslim women in the famous Shah Bano case. Rajiv Gandhi was a well-meaning but inexperienced Prime Minister. Despite commanding a huge majority in Parliament, he succumbed to pressure from anti-reformist forces in the Muslim community and legislatively annulled the Supreme Court ruling. This was a major turning point in Indian politics, and marked the beginning of his party's downslide.

Arif bhai touched upon another sensitive issue in his speechtriple talaq, which is currently being debated by the Muslim community and the wider Indian society. Arguing that it has no sanction whatsoever in the Holy Quran, he said the defenders of triple talaq have no respect for the wishes of Muslim women or for the Indian Constitution. However, a greater part of his speech dealt with the essential similarity between Islam and Hinduism. Armed with appropriate Quranic sayings, and drawing upon supportive references from Hindu saints and scriptures, his speech was a rebuke to Muslim and Hindu fanatics alike.

The same thought was the thrust of the speech that followed. It was by Prof Sharifa Vijalivala, a renowned name in Gujarati literature. She bemoaned the tendency in contemporary Indian society to divide people on the basis of their religion. "Even colours have come to have religious affiliationsgreen is Muslim and saffron is Hindu. It's high time we realised we are all one people under India's tricolour." Morari Bapu honoured her with this year's Sadbhavana award.

The second Sadbhavana award went to singers-cum-peace activists Shabnam Virmani and Vipul Rekhi. Through their Kabir Project, the duo have been spreading the message of interfaith and inter-cultural understanding and harmony. On the second night of the conference, they enthralled the participants with their soulful rendition of the works of the 15th century north Indian mystic poet, as well as of some other Bhakti-Sufi saint-poets. For Shabnam, as she said in her acceptance speech, the award given by Morari Bapu had special significance because her own journey as a singer of Kabir bhajans was triggered by the deep sorrow and anguish she had experienced after witnessing the communal carnage in Gujarat in 2002.

A highlight of the conference was a discussion on the role of the mass media in promoting dialogue in society. The two speakers who spoke on this themeDr Hari Desai, a veteran Gujarati editor and columnist, and Ravish Kumar, the celebrated anchor of NDTV Hindiwere unanimous in their conclusion. The Indian media are contributing not to democratic dialogue, but to divisive diatribe. Ravish Kumar, in his frequently cheered speech, spoke of the fear and submissiveness that has turned a big section of the mass media into a mouthpiece of the government. Coming just a few days before the CBI raid on the residence of Dr Prannoy Roy, NDTV's founder, Ravish's plain speak on the misuse of the instruments of governance to browbeat the media had a kind of predictive ring to it.

Admiral L. Ramdas, a former chief of the Indian Navy and a speaker in the afternoon session, is a courageous voice from the military fraternity. He is 84, and for the past nearly quarter of a century after his retirement he has been serving public causes with a rare kind of courage and conviction. In his speech, he made a strong pitch for a just and humane political solution to the Kashmir issue, cautioning that continuous use of force would only worsen the situation. He decried the recent episode of the Army using a Kashmiri civilian as a human shield to ward off stone-pelters. "India's defence forces combine shaurya (bravery) with shaleenata (righteousness). The Army must never cease to be shaleen in its conduct with its own people." Brave, and timely, words of caution from a war hero.

Lalita Ramdas is also a passionate peace activist in her own right. The daughter as well as the wife of former Naval chiefs, she has recently spearheaded a signature campaign on a statement that calls for immediate resumption of bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan on all issues, including cessation of terrorism and a settlement of the Kashmir issue. She read out the statement, which has been signed by over 1000 eminent personalities in both India and Pakistan, at the conference, whose participants endorsed it. It's not out of place here to mention that their daughter Kavita Ramdas, a well-known name in the global movement for women's empowerment, is married to Zulfiqar Ahmad, a Pakistani peace advocate.

In my speech, I stressed the need to bring a sense of urgency and resolve to bear on the task of normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan. "The continuous hostility and low-level conflict between our two countries, unless stopped and reversed, has the danger of escalating into a full-scale war. Wars in the past have not solved any problem. The entire world is concerned that a new war between India and Pakistan could be a nuclear war, which would have catastrophic consequences for our two countries and beyond. Therefore, the yardstick of patriotism today is promotion of Indo-Pak peace and reconciliation, and not perpetuation of jingoism and warmongering."

I stressed the centrality of resolving the Kashmir issuethe core issue between India and Pakistanthrough honest dialogue both internally (with all the stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir, including the separatists) and externally (with Pakistan). "For this," I said, "our two countries should pursue an innovative approach, focusing on a solution that is acceptable to India, Pakistan and also to the people of Kashmir. This is what Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif attempted, and the endeavour was carried forward by Dr Manmohan Singh and Pervez Musharraf. A broad framework for resolving the Kashmir issue is already in place, and it is known as the four-point Musharraf-Manmohan formula. Despite some differences between the two sides, this formula can still serve as the basis for a fresh bilateral dialogue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif should build on this framework, modify it if necessary, and even give it a new name to put their own stamp on it."

I underscored the fact that, unlike his predecessors, Modi enjoys a huge parliamentary mandate, which he can use to take a bold and out-of-the-box approach to solve the Kashmir issue and to (largely, though not fully) normalise relations with Pakistan. "Indian people will support him. He will earn a name in history. However, if he dithers, history will have to find another leader to achieve its mission."

Predictably, some conference participants asked me, "How can there be talks with Pakistan when it continues to back terror attacks in India?"

My reply: "Pakistan is certainly guilty of aiding and abetting terrorism. It must, for its own good, combat terrorism without making any distinction between good and bad terrorists. By nurturing religious extremism and terrorism, Pakistan itself has become a victim of its wrong policies. Terrorism, either inside Pakistan or from across the border into India, is not going to end soon. However, if Modi and Sharif continue the dialogue and achieve some progress on some issues despite the provocation by terror groups and their backers (and Sharif is not among them), it is going to strengthen the pro-peace and pro-democracy forces in Pakistan. This will ultimately enable our two countries to achieve bigger breakthroughs in future. Therefore, India and Pakistan should resume dialogue in an interrupted and uninterruptible manner."

I have always believed that India-Pakistan dialogue should not be left to the two governments alone. People from all walks of life should participate in it in a forceful and consistent way. I said this to Morari Bapu in a private conversation with him, and suggested that "Dharma Gurus (religious leaders belonging to different faiths) should take the lead." Pat came his enlightened retort. "No, not Dharma Gurus, but Sadgurus (genuine spiritual gurus) should take the lead. Religion is being misused by many so-called religious leaders for irreligious ends.

That Morari Bapu is a true Sadguru, and not a self-serving Dharma Guru, is evident from both what he preaches and practices. I suggested to him that he should visit Pakistan and initiate a dialogue with influential people in religious and non-religious spheres. "I would very much like to go to Pakistan. I am keen to visit Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. If possible, I would even like to conduct a Ram Katha in Pakistan and contribute to building a bridge of understanding, goodwill and peace between India and Pakistan."

As I flew back from Bhavnagar to Bombay on a late evening flight, the sun had set, darkness had arrived, and no flamingos could be seen. But the thought that long lingered in my mind was: "Do saints like Morari Bapu have borders, religious or national? Can they succeed where the politicians have failed?"

Rare Photos Of Legendary Singer Kishori Amonkar

At A Hindu Saint's Gujarat Ashram, A Clarion Call For Indo-Pak Peace [ed]

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At A Hindu Saint's Gujarat Ashram, A Clarion Call For Indo-Pak Peace - Huffington Post India

Downtrodden Dalits found a better life when Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi invited them to set up homes at the Sabarmati Ashram almost 100 years ago. Today, when the Ashram is gearing up to celebrate 100 years of its existence, these people who were once like family to the Mahatma are being treated like pariahs again.

While the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust has organised a grand fete to mark the centenary on June 17, Dalit families at the Ashram allege the trust is treating them like untouchables by excluding them from all celebrations.

BCCL/Representational Image

Forming a group called 'Harijan Ashram Bachao Samiti', they have listed their grievances and submitted a memorandum to the trustees. The families have also planned to stage a dharna on June 17. The trustees, however, refute the allegations, claiming that the celebrations are being hosted by Gandhian organisations including the Sabarmati Harijan Ashram Trust.

Shailesh Rathod (41), president of Gandhi Ashram Rehvasi Mandal and convener of Harijan Ashram Bachao Samiti, says, "Gandhiji came here with 99 Dalit families and called this place the Harijan Ashram. My grandfather Ukabhai was one of the families. We are the original ashramvasis but we have not been included in the celebration. We have no clue about the festivities to be held on June 17."

The memorandum presented by the Dalit families lists nine demands including information about the festivities, inclusion of residents in the activities and maintenance of all houses on the premises. Explaining this, Rathod says, "Gandhiji first established the Sabarmati Harijan Ashram Trust in 1934. Later, for various reasons, this was split into other trusts after 1951. One of our demands is that one of us should be part of these trusts."

Ashramvasi Hemant Chauhan (54), who works as a caterer, says, "We submitted a memorandum 10 days ago that the original inmates were being sidelined from this historical event. It is because of our families that Gandhi ashram has preserved its glory. We opposed several development schemes declared by the government that would have damaged this heritage site. Yet, we are being ignored while institutes like Navjivan and Gujarat Vidhyapith are a part of the fete." He adds, "The Ashram includes our houses too, not just the memorial. Yet, the trust has been using funds only to give the memorial a facelift while our buildings receive no maintenance."

BCCL/Representational Image

More than 200 families live on the Ashram premises, and most of them are Dalits. The families pay rent ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 200 a month for the houses. Most of them have jobs or run small businesses. As per the memorandum, residents demand waiving of rent. "We want the houses to be gifted to us. We also want to be given priority in jobs related to management of the ashram," the residents seek in the memorandum. The memorandum also demands a stop against sale of merchandise like kurtas, books, mugs and soaps as "it is against the trust's Constitution". "The trust is supposed to take care of the memorial not indulge in commercial activities," the memorandum states.

Meanwhile, refuting allegations, memorial trust director Tridip Suhrud terms celebration as a historical one. Admitting he received a memorandum from Ashram residents, he says, "We will address their grievances. The trust's secretary Amrut Modi and Harijan Ashram Trust's Jayesh Patel met them. Our trust's chairperson Ila Bhatt will meet them soon."

He adds, "No individual is involved in the event. It is being hosted by eight organisations and trusts associated with Gandhiji. Other than the memorial trust, these include Sabarmati Harijan Ashram Trust, Gujarat Vidyapith, Navjivan, and Majur Mahajan Sangh. These families live in houses rented by Harijan Ashram Trust that is part of the celebration. So, there's no question of ignoring anyone."

About repairs to houses, Suhrud says, "A committee has been formed to decide how to use government funds." While Harijan Ashram trustee Jayesh Patel could not be contacted for comment despite several attempts, secretary Modi confirms they met residents on Saturday. "They have not been sidelined. However, we will talk to them once more to sort out issues."

Gandhiji's grandson Gopalkrishna Gandhi will be the guest of honour at the centenary celebrations to be held at Sabarmati ashram on June 17. Memorial trust director Tridip Suhrud says, "Gandhi will dedicate 'My life is my message' gallery and Charkha gallery at the ashram. He will also plant a baval tree. This is significant as several meetings of the Majur Mahajan Sangh used to be held under baval. We will also have a Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava prayer as per the tradition of the ashram."

BCCL/Representational Image

1) Remove untouchability, give information to ashram residents on celebrations

2) Include ashram residents as part of all trusts that were formed by splitting original Harijan trust

3) Waive rent of residents Give priority in ashram management jobs

4) Khadi must for all ashram employees and office-bearers

5) Use government funds to maintain houses, not just the memorial

6) Memorial trust must stop selling merchandise

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Dalits Being Treated As Untouchables At Sabarmati's Harijan Ashram, Set Up By Mahatma Gandhi - Indiatimes.com

School students.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today expressed displeasure over the pathetic state of affairs in ashram schools across Maharashtra and said funds to maintain such institutions were lying with bureaucrats.

A division bench of justices R M Sawant and Sadhana Jadhav was hearing a public interest litigation by Nashik resident Ravindra Talpe, raising concerns over lack of basic facilities at such schools which was resulting in childrens deaths.

According to the petition, 793 children from such schools had died in the last decade due to bites by snakes and scorpions, fever and minor illness.

This is really a pathetic state of affairs. All the money and funds (meant to provide facilities) are with bureaucrats. We cannot have such a situation where children are dying due to such reasons like taking bath in cold water, eating food poisoned because of rodents, snake bites and so on, Justice Sawant said.

The petitioners advocate, Uday Warunjikar, pointed out to the court a report submitted by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on the issue.

The TISS report is exhaustive on the existing state of affairs of ashram schools in Maharashtra. We direct the petitioners advocate to cull out deficiencies noted in the report and suggest remedial measures. We will then direct the state government accordingly, Justice Sawant said.

The bench also asked additional public prosecutor F R Shaikh to inform the court within a week about a committee set up by the government in May last year to look into the matter.

We want to know if the committee has ever met since it was set up and if yes, then what it has done in the past one year, the court said.

According to the PIL, there are 1,100 ashram schools imparting education to 4,50,000 students in the state.

The petitioner earlier said the government admitted before the court that it had to pay an ex-gratia amount to 340 parents.

The court today perused an affidavit filed by the government saying it cannot pay the ex-gratia amount as it does not have necessary funds.

How can you (government) say you cannot give the money. Some audacity the government has, Justice Jadhav said.

Originally posted here:

793 kids dead in 10 years in Maharashtra's Ashram Schools; HC raps govt, bureaucrats - The New Indian Express

Media Release

Mangaluru, Jun 9: The annual feast of St Anthony of Padua will be celebrated on the June 13. St Anthonys Ashram Jeppu whose Patron is St Anthony is in preparation mood. Tredecina (thirteen days novena) already started on the May 31. Devotees of St Anthony have been attending this Novena Mass in large numbers which is held at 12 noon at Jeppu Ashram.

As a remote preparation for the feast, Triduum (three days novena) will be held on June 10, 11 and 12 at Milagres Church at 6 pm. Fr Anil Kiran Fernandes SVD of Mulki Divine Centre will be the chief celebrant on Triduum days.

The main festive Holy Mass will be celebrated by bishop Dr Aloysius Paul DSouza at 6 pm along with the priests from and around the city at Milagres Church. Earlier during the day, a Holy Mass will be celebrated at 8.15 am for the elderly and sick people with a special prayer for them. At 4 pm, Holy Mass will celebrated in Malayalam. Fr Jestin James from Thrissur will be the main celebrant. At 11 am, a Holy Mass will be celebrated by Msgr Denis Moras Prabh, the Vicar General of the Diocese for the inmates and special invitees at the Jeppu Ashram.

This year on June 12, the devotion to St Anthony completes 119 years and steps into 120th year. To mark this occasion, the director along with his team has planned activities related to St Anthonys devotion and charity works. The brochure containing the list of programmes will be released by the bishop at the end of the solemn Holy Mass at Milagres.

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Mangaluru: St Anthony's Ashram Jeppu gears up for annual feast - Daijiworld.com

It looks like a flower with unfurling petals.

The striking structure nearing completion on the shore near Kootenay Bay is the Yasodhara Ashrams new temple, which will replace the one destroyed in a fire three years ago. Its pure white, with multiple curved wings that spiral towards the sky.

Im very ecstatic. Its been a long process, the ashrams Swami Lalitananda told the Star.

We see this new temple coming up and its inspiring because its so unique and beautiful, and we dont know at each stage how it will unfold. Everybody here is pretty enthusiastic.

Its been almost magical.

To go from from having nothing there to seeing these amazing curved pieces stacked on top of each other, its been a really amazing time for us.

Yasodhara was hoping to have opened their temple doors by now, but construction delays have them now aiming for a public grand opening on Aug. 5. But before that, Lalitanada would like to welcome the community to their annual strawberry social on June 24 from 1 to 4 p.m., during which people can get a sneak preview temple tour.

Moving into a new phase

Lalitananda is effusive about the construction work being done by Patkau Architects, an elite team out of Vancouver who have earned recognition globally for their innovative designs. They took it upon themselves to make the ambitious goal of assembling an entire building out of curved forms.

We were attracted to them because they can work with curved forms. Our old temple was a dome, so we wanted a feeling that it was developing, or moving into its next phase, opening more.

While the old one was beautiful and traditional, this one will be innovative and organic.

Its like this unfolding, beautiful flower and everybody whos been working on it calls each of the pieces petals. Its very feminine, which is appropriate because our lineage is feminine we pass our teachings down through women.

Shes pleased with the work Spearhead Timberworks has been doing too.

We were really happy to find this local Nelson company capable of creating the complex prefabricated wood components that create the shell of the temple, and that their advanced digital technology allowed them to successfully collaborate with Patkau.

She noted almost all of their contractors were from the region.

Also one of our goals in construction was to make the temple fit with our environmental initiatives. So the building will be energy efficient, with geothermal and photovoltaics for heat, with superior insulation and triple glazing.

A path of self-inquiry

Lalitananda first started attending the ashram in 1979, working her way over the years up to her current position as president of the organization. She was drawn to it because she wanted to challenge herself to think deeply and not follow old patterns.

What I liked from the beginning is that its a path of self-inquiry, so nobody was telling me what I needed to think. It seemed like a way of expanding my thinking and awareness without a dogma, she said.

But theres also something about the devotional part, and it wasnt a specific religion it was a path of calming my mind and using practices to experience different levels of mind or consciousness. I was becoming more myself, and realizing the potential of who I could be.

And she thinks the physical structure of the temple itself could aid in the spiritual process. There was some thought put into the number of entrances in the temple eight all that lead to the same destination. Lalitananda said this demonstrates how people of different faiths and backgrounds can come into a beautiful, transcendent place of light together.

We want it to be a magnet for people who need some hope, and a place where people can go into the space and look both inward and outward, because its so nestled in nature and the beauty of the forest around it.

The temple will be used for services, devotional practice, meditation and retreats. Theyre also looking to open it up to more cultural events, such as Slava Doval and her schools dance performance at the Aug. 5 opening.

Its been an emotional slog to get here.

The other temple had been there for 20 years, so for me and the whole community a lot of this has been about going through loss. The decision to build it differently, which some people liked and some people werent sure about, was something that helped us to learn together.

She lives right next to it, and loves the view.

Im looking out the window at it right now, and it is so beautiful.

Read more here:

Yasodhara Ashram ecstatic about rebuilt temple - Nelson Star