Leaving the ashram

Just arrived in Hyderabad from the women's ashram -

Goylanni, Ranganna and Dayur Tai preparing the new garden beds

Oh did I love that! Working everyday in the garden and round the place and I had wonderful satsangs with 2 of the older sisters in the afternoons.

Nirmal had been on the long foot march around India with Vinobaji. She comes from Lahore but went to Kashmir before Partition. She was a lawyer and social worker and went in 1952 to do community development work in one of Gandhi's early ashrams.

Nirmal Tai and Swasti on the stoop outside our accommodation

The other sister, Sheela Tai, is the daughter of a freedom fighter who was sentenced to death when she was 1 year old for making bombs. He was freed after 3 years though and the family went to live in Sevagram, Gandhi's ashram just 5 kms away from Brahma Vidya. Sheela also told me I must go to Rama Maharshi ashram in Tiruvannamalai - as Mataji did, and Nirmal agreed. So looks like that's where I'm off to!

The sisters' knowledge and wisdom is boundless. Once I asked Sheela a question and she responded at length and it really helped me in my quest. Afterwards she told me she hadn't known the answer but had asked God to help, and that really it was both of us who were knowledgeable together.

Sheela Tai posing below her photo of Gandhiji

Sheela Tai invited me to join her and some of the other sisters for the sunset.



Sheela is is seated in the chair nursing her cold that she also shared with me! Nirmal and Devida Tai are seated on the fence.


Nirmal Tai told me later that she drew strength from the evening and morning rays of the sun.

I went to the Sevagram ashram yesterday with Kasey on our last day at Brahma Vidya. Kasey is one of the nicest women I have met - a 23 year old Southern Californian. I just keep meeting these great people lately! I left straight from Sevagram ashram to get an overnight train south from Sevagram station - 3 hours late it was, which meant I arrived at a reasonable hour of the morning.

Here's Kasey and the delightful Padma Tai with the kitchen block in the background.

So on to Hyderabad - this is a place I've always wanted to go to so hope it tuns out ok - it is hard being back in the city but this is a nice clean and not too frantic one. Sightseeing tomorrow then a Tabla lesson on Friday followed by a tour of the biggest film city in Asia on Saturday! Looking good!