Ahmedabad: To commemorate 100 years of Sabarmati Ashram and Champaran Satyagraha, both closely linked with Mahatma Gandhi, the railways will run a special train for tourists that will travel through cities of historical and religious importance.

Representational image. Reuters

The train, Gandhi Darshan, will leave from here on 17 June and return on 26 June after a 10-day journey, an official of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said in Ahmedabad.

Apart from connecting the two important places associated with Gandhiji, the train from Gujarat to Bihar would also take tourists to various religious places, said deputygeneralmanager oftourism, IRCTC, V N Shukla.

"17 June marks 100 years of both Sabarmati Ashram in the city as well as of Champaran Satyagraha in Bihar. Thus, IRCTC has decided to run a train, officially called Astha Special Tourist Train or Gandhi Darshan train, on 17 June. It will be flagged off from Sabarmati station at 8 am," he said.

"The train, having only non-AC sleeper coaches, has the capacity to accommodate 840 passengers. The fare, which will be inclusive of all, has been kept at Rs 8,720 per person. It will start from 17 June and come back here on 26 June," he added.

The tourists will be taken to various places of historical as well as religious importance such as Wardha, Motihari, Gaya, Varanasi and Allahabad, said Shukla.

The IRCTC may think of operating the train on a regular basis if the inaugural run meets with desired success in terms of response from tourists, he added.

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AT a dark club in east London last weekend I walked into Optimos latest London party to find a room full of bank holiday clubbers bathed in a transmission of beatless, meditative drones and crackles. The piece remained constant and unchanging for 10 minutes or more, and people seemed to love whatever it was, despite the incongruously ravey setting of a Wapping warehouse in the middle of a seemingly endless weekend of electronic music. It was a highly unusual thing to hear in that setting, but then Optimo are highly adept at making people type those words, and I carried on with my night without asking about the source.

The next day I was talking to Lewis Cook of the Glasgow synth-pop/kosmische duo Happy Meals about he and his musical partner and girlfriend Suzanne Roddens new album for the So Low label, Full Ashram Devotional Ceremony Vol IV-V. He said with delight that hed heard second-hand on Facebook that the whole album had been played from start to finish in a club in London the previous evening, and we both laughed as I belatedly twigged that Id been there. I think its funny and wonderful to think of all these people being out and ready to party and then this entire record, which is heavily rooted in spirituality and meditation and has an opening track that is just long tone drone, gets played in full.

Spirituality and philosophy have often been fraught territory for musicians, but Cook has studied widely and is the precise opposite of the fortnight-in-Goa Britpop poseur of yore. (He also has the look of a terrifyingly handsome, terrifyingly persuasive California shaman to him that really couldnt be carried off without extensive background knowledge to back it up.) Though he was just back from an exhausting five-week European tour with his other band, The Cosmic Dead, when I talked with him, Cook mapped out Happy Meals vision for the record with clarity and enthusiasm, and his knowledge and ideas always impressive when Ive spoken to him on other topics were, as ever, well worth considering in full.

The reason theres a spirituality in the record is that theres a sad tendency to reject spirituality in the modern world, he begins. It has become associated with institutionalised religions that have been so confining and had such negative effects on people. But in another way we accept a lot of dogmas take the dogma of austerity for example and tend to accept that they are just the way things should be. I think by parodying that a bit we can take it to an extreme and maybe de-program it a bit.

The main idea of the record is the need to push things forward, he continues, and to look at the future as something that might be good. That idea of futurism is quite rare people usually think of future as big glass high-rise buildings and things like that. The record is about trying to recapture a sense of positivity about the future the kind of thing you saw in TV programmes in the 1960s. Its not necessarily about repeating those things musically or aesthetically were not in the 1960s any more but rather about trying to project a vision of that into music and trying to capture it as a concept. Thats what the album is basically: an artistic vision of that world.

Utopianism crops up a lot in Cooks ideas for the record too, and he is at pains to properly contextualise the idea as they wish to explore it. Utopianism is kind of a dirty word and I use it slightly tongue in cheek, he says. You cant be too prescriptive about this stuff and how its done. I think were entering a world in which technology allows us to be less prescriptive with these worlds, and were not necessarily limited in that now by scarcity of resources. For example, vinyl is a limited commodity, but I was able to send you our new record today, and it didnt cost either of us anything. Theres something almost utopian about that, but I dont think its been fully harnessed yet, its sitting in the system somewhere. Music offers one example of a new world, and music can lead into a playful meditation on utopianism.

These things arent necessarily liberating by default, though, he continues. They require a vision to actually reinterpret some of the things we take for granted, and also some of the things we see as a pain in the arse. If you look at Charlie Brookers Black Mirror, for example, it continuously characterises technology as this total pain that will make everything terrible.

It quite possibly could do that, but as much as that might actually turn out to be the case, the job of an artist now is to reclaim a vision of the future. Our projection on the record is pretty obtuse its not a point-by-point manifesto on how to do it but it is an attempt to encourage people to begin to think of new ways to engage with technology, to imagine a future not necessarily dictated by technology and not dictated by the current political and social hegemony.

Black Mirror comes up in an interesting way again a little later as Cook goes further into his desire to promote a positive vision of the future rather than a bleak, dystopian one. A lot of electronic music these days, by James Ferraro and Holly Herndon and the like, is quite negative and bleak. I really love those records but to me their take on the future sounds a bit like the Black Mirror of music a kind of parody of humanity extrapolated to an incredibly bleak point. Thats an influence too though, because I love these records, but I come away feeling like I want to take something else out of them.

This sounds like Im setting the record up to be this huge manifesto, he laughs, suddenly checking himself, possibly concerned (unjustifiably, I should add) that he might be tumbling down a philosophical rabbit hole.

Its not supposed to be that at all though, its a just small gesture towards a larger idea and its not our ideas necessarily. The writer Mark Fisher has been a big influence his book Inventing The Future was really inspiring to me. I wrote my dissertation on how progress doesnt exist and how technology is creating the potential for disaster. I really believed that at the time but that book, while it doesnt invalidate that idea, points out that its just a way of looking at things rather than solid facts.

How we engage with the concept of the future can change the way we look at things, and this record is our effort to put as positive a spin on that as possible.

Happy Meals Full Ashram Devotional Ceremony Vol IV-V is out on June 17 on So Low. Happy Melas play live at the Glasgow School of Art degree show on June 9 and the Iona festival on July 1

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Music: Happy Meals serve up their new album Full Ashram Devotional Ceremony Vol IV-V - The National

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This Mumbai Analyst Quit His Job To Move To An Ashram -- And He's Back To Teach How To Invest Compassionately Forbes Inspired by his experiences living in an ashram for four years, the financier once dubbed 'The Analyst Who Sold His Ferrari" is back in town and he's brought with him a whole new way of looking at wealth creation. Siddharth Sthalekar is something of ...

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This Mumbai Analyst Quit His Job To Move To An Ashram -- And He's Back To Teach How To Invest Compassionately - Forbes

A self-proclaimed godman and his brother have been arrested for allegedly molesting and manhandling two minor girls, who were staying at his ashram since last year. The accused allegedly assaulted them under the pretext of offering them spiritual teaching.

Residents of Shirur area, where the incident occurred were said to be shocked as he was one of the prominent personalities, who conducted lectures on spirituality.

Also read - Mumbai: Self-styled 'godman' arrested for allegedly molesting minor

The matter came to light when the victims, who had come home for summer vacations, were unwilling to return to the ashram and spilled the beans to their parents after being prodded. A case was registered with the Shirur Police after which the godman and his brother were arrested under relevant sections of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).

Also read: Law student fights back, chops off genitals of rapist godman in Kerala

The arrested duo have been identified as Maharaj Babaji Chalak and his brother Aba Chalak. They ran the Pasayadan Gurukul at Dnyandeep Nagar, in Pune's Shirur Taluka.

They have been offering spiritual education free of cost to school going children since the last five years. The ashram housed 15-16 girls.

Also read - Pune: Godman rapes 20-yr-old after offering her specially prayed on chocolates

According to the FIR lodged by victim's father (40) who is farmer from Ahmednagar, his two daughters (13) and (11) have been sexually abused. Victims had enrolled at Pasayadan Ashram in June 2016 for spiritual education.

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Pune Crime: 'Godman' held for molesting minor girls at his ashram - Mid-Day

Exhibits at ashram enter Guinness Book of Records The Hindu Three exhibits at Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Ashram in the city, including the largest collection and display of bonsai trees, entered the Guinness Book of World Records. The certificates of records were conferred and received by Sri Ganapathy ...

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Exhibits at ashram enter Guinness Book of Records - The Hindu

You have left your world behind and entered ours. And now what?

Our facilities are simple, informal and relaxed. You will be sharing the week with 11 other guests in our two story main house. Our bedrooms are comfortable yet unembellished, with shared bathroom facilities. We have 9 private small rooms that are given on a first come first serve basis for the same fee. Quaint, yes. Plush, no.

A long wooden table is the centerpiece of our dining area. It will accommodate you all in a warm and homelike atmosphere. Our meals are nourishing, delicious and vegetarian.

A cozy living room with comfortable sofas in front of a welcoming fireplace bids you to relax and share the days experiences with your newfound friends.

Outside is our backyard patio and pool area. Get ready for a raucous game of water volleyball, and then a soothing soak in our relaxing hot tub.

Our meditation and yoga dome sits on a hill above the house and provides panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Nearby you will find small, private cottages where skilled massage therapists will knead the soreness and tiredness out of muscles you didnt even know you had.

You are beginning to change. Enjoy the feeling.

"I have traveled all over the world and stayed in amazing places, but this is indeed in a category of its own."Emilie C, New York

The all-inclusive charge for one week at The Ashram California is US$5,200 per person. Lodging, meals, programs, massage, facilities and gratuities are included.

Air fare to Los Angeles is at your own expense but we provide private ground transportation from Los Angeles Airport Marriot Hotel or other designated locations to The Ashram.

A deposit of $2000 is required at the time of your reservation, with the remaining balance due one week prior to scheduled arrival.

If you cancel within 3 weeks (21 days) of your scheduled arrival, your deposit is forfeited in compliance with The Ashram policy. A 10% cancellation fee will be charged to all refunded deposits.

If you cancel less than 7 days prior to your scheduled arrival, 100% of your deposit plus the remaining balance of the total fee will be assessed as a cancellation fee. There will be no refund unless we book another guest in your place.

We are happy to answer your questions and look forward to your visit.

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If someone asks to name a place that defines Mahatma Gandhi as a person, a politician, a statesman, a visionary, a philanthropist, a social reformer and a freedom fighter, it will be Sabarmati Ashram.

Wikipedia

Sabarmati Ashram is the mortal reflection of Gandhian philosophy. It was on May 25, 1915, that a young barrister named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, came from South Africa after struggling against the Apartheid regime, established the Sabarmati Ashram.

1. Sabarmati Ashram, when established wasnt at the current location. Initially, it was originally established at the Kocharab Bungalow of Jivanlal Desai, a barrister and friend of Gandhi, on 25 May 1915. At that time the ashram was called the Satyagraha Ashram.

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2. But Gandhi wanted to carry out various activities such as farming and animal husbandry, which required bigger area. Therefore, on 17 June 1917, the ashram was relocated to an area of thirty-six acres on the banks of the river Sabarmati, and it came to be known as the Sabarmati Ashram.

3. In mythology, its believed to be one of the sites of Dadhichi Rishi who had donated his bone for the war against demons.

PTI

4. Mahatma Gandhi had chosen this location for three reasons: Being a Gujarati, Ill serve my country best through the use of the Gujarati language. As Ahmedabad was the centre of the handloom in early days, the work of spinning wheel (charkha) could be done in a better way, I believed. Being the capital of Gujarat its wealthy persons will also make a larger contribution, I hoped," in his own words.

5. The first struggle Mahatma Gandhi led from the Sabarmati Ashram was for the textile workers strike. There was a complete deadlock between the mill owners and the inadequately paid workers. Mahatma joined them in Satyagraha and soon their demands were met.

BCCL

6. Sabarmati Ashram rose to fame when it became the landmark on unity between Indian people when on 12 March 1930, Mahatma started his 240-mile walk to the western coast to break the salt tax imposed by the British.

7. While leaving for Dandi March, Mahatma took a pledge that he would never return to Sabarmati Ashram until India achieves freedom.

PTI

8. India did achieve freedom, but Mahatma never returned to Sabarmati as he was assassinated by Nathu Ram Godse on 30 January 1948 in New Delhi.

9. Today Sabarmati Ashram is a museum where various things which are the souvenirs of Mahatma Gandhi and the philosophy of freedom and equality he lived for have been preserved.

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Pune: Two brothers were arrested by the Shirur police on Thursday for allegedly molesting two minor girls of a private ashram located in Shirur, about 70km from here.

The police registered a case late on Wednesday and arrested Abaji Chalak (43) and Babaji Chalak (72), both residents of Shirur on Thursday. Babaji Chalak is a well-known kirtankar in these parts. He performs at a famous Ganapati temple here where he is known as Chalak Maharaj.

The girls, in their statements to the police,described how they were sexually abused between June 2016 and May 2017 at the ashram where they learned to be kirtankars (the art of performing religious songs and discourses).

He was arrested just after he finished performing at the temple on Thursday morning, assistant inspector Ganesh Kshirsagar of Shirur police station told TOI.

Both were produced before a city court on Thursday afternoon and remanded in police custody till Friday.

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Two held for molesting minor girls in ashram | Pune News - Times of ... - Times of India

By FPJ News Service|May 25, 2017 07:58 am

Ujjain: Thousands of devotees sought solace and blessings of the guru for 3-days at the Jaigurudev ashram. They spent their days listening religious discourses by Umakant maharaj feasting on the prashad which is claimed to protect beneficiaries from any untoward situation throughout the year. The religious festival will also be remembered for the unique world record set by the disciples of Jaigurudev, who by pledged a totally vegetarian lifestyle. On last day, Umakant maharaj remained all day amidst the devotees, who had travelled miles to attain mental peace and spiritual satisfaction in the presence of guru and showered them with blessings.

Significance of guru narrated

In the concluding discourse, Umakant maharaj threw light on the importance of the guru in life and narrated examples of how his life was shaped under the guidance of Jaigurudev. He said, the guru instills values in his disciple which shape their family and spiritual life. Guru leads a follower towards salvation, he concluded. The next gathering of Jaigurudev disciples will be held on the occasion of guru-purnima in Rajasthan.

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Mumbai city news: Fifty years after prohibition, illicit liquor worth Rs101 crore was seized from Wardha last month

Dry Wardha, a city in Maharashtra that is home to Gandhijis famous Sevagram, is overflowing with liquor.

Nearly five decades after Maharashtra imposed a blanket ban on the production, sale and distribution of alcohol in Wardha owing to its historical links to Mahatma Gandhi, the district topped the list of places in Maharashtra from where massive amounts of illicit brew were seized during the first-ever such crackdown.

The Maharashtra police and the state excise department seized more than 15 lakh litres of illicit liquor worth Rs101 crore from Wardha last month. The volume accounts for more than half of the 30.35 lakh litres of illicit liquor confiscated from 35 districts during the month-long drive, which did not include Mumbai. Illicit liquor includes illegally sold (and smuggled) Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) as well as country liquor brewed illegally.

As many as 9,889 people were arrested during the drive and a record 12,598 cases registered.

Wardha reported the maximum number of cases registered - 1,297.As many as 531 people were arrested. The most arrests were made in neighbouring Chandrapur, which went dry a couple of years ago - 659. More than 66,000 litres of illicit liquor was seized. Osmanabad came second, with as much as 6.41 lakh litres of alcohol seized.

Solapur (rural) traditionally known for its endemic hooch production was low in the list of amount of alcohol seized. Here, 11,237 litres of alcohol was confiscated, however, as many as 509 were held.

Wardhas superintendent of police (SP), Nirmala Arjun, told HT that the large volume of liquor seized was a direct result of the prohibition law, which led to alcohol being smuggled from neighbouring districts or being brewed by tribals.

We cannot seal our borders or prevent people from travelling to neighbouring districts where alcohol is sold. People surreptitiously carry four to five bottles. It is not possible to check each person, she said.

Despite reports of several organised smuggling syndicates operating across the district, police denied having knowledge of these gangs. Liquor is not being smuggled on a large scale.No syndicates are involved. The problem is caused by small-scale smuggling carried out by individuals and locally brewed hooch, she added. The drive helped us identify cracks and we are taking steps to fix them, she said.

Meanwhile, the additional director general of police (AdDP) Bipin Bihari said the crackdown was planned soon after the Supreme Courts order to ban liquor shops along highways in March. Earlier, the raids were patchy and did not cover all districts. This time, we decided to launch raids across state by collaborating with the excise department which regulates liquor, he said.

The state intelligence department (SID) collected information about places where the trade or production was ongoing and the individuals conducting the business. In a large number of cases, we found agents of liquor shops in villages and small towns. They would keep small stocks and sell those at high prices, while a well-organised delivery system ensured quick supply after a phone call was made, he added. The information was passed on to local police stations.

Most of those arrested were booked under the Bombay Prohibition Act of 1951 and Section 110 (8) of CrPC. The licenses of liquor shops engaged in illegal trade have been revoked while externment proceedings under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous (activities) Act (MPDA) is being initiated against repeat offenders, Bihari said. He added that inspector generals of police have been asked to closely monitor the situation in districts where more than 150 cases have been registered.

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Liquor prohibited in Wardha, home to Gandhi's ashram. 15 lakh litres of hooch seized - Hindustan Times