The other day I was struck by the opposites that can be found in the ashram; I struggled up to the 17th floor with my full bucket of washing, hand-scrubbed in dirty orange water resembling a shade of lucozade – ( I don’t know why the water has suddenly gone that colour), I fought my way through lines of wet washing slapping me in the face, to hang it in the hot breeze.

In a corner on the roof were two students with what looked like a fan and electrical measuring devices. I asked them what they were doing. It turned out to be a project on wind energy from the engineering college. The two lads had designed and made a small wind turbine and were busy measuring how much electricity it could generate. They readily answered all my questions and related how they want to build a much bigger version to install on the roof to help supply the ashram’s energy. There is no shortage of tall buildings and wind coming off the Arabian Ocean.

Their next project? Harnessing the power of the sea; in Amritapuri the waves beat upon the beach with frightening ferocity. Will Amma’s ashram be the first eco ashram? I don’t think we will ever get washing machines but the wind was already hard at work efficiently drying my clothes in a very eco-friendly way.

mike sofroniou