Early morning Sunday 24 October I was laid back, sipping chai, staring out my south block cell window. In the car park below there was unusual activity. Bramacharis were streaming onto a waiting bus. Ahh I remembered the Sunday Clean Up program. Early in the week I had enthusiastically volunteered to join up. I weighed the alternatives, procrastinated but sense of duty won out and I dashed for the bus. Our group went to Karunappally and pulled up out front of the Siva Temple.

A lone western girl emerged from the back of the bus,looking a little bewildered, so being the only other westerner in sight we teamed up. The temple compound is a beautiful, ancient and serene place, but it’s surrounds and side streets were foul with litter. We had a fun morning clearing and sorting plastic, paper,bottles and even discarded footwear while bonding with both our fellow co workers and some of the local townspeople. Over breakfast under a banyan tree overlooking the temple’s lotus pond I learned that my colleague, Angele, was a 21 year old student from Paris touring India alone. Even though she had not met Amma she was inspired by the Amala Bharatam campaign to raise awareness of environmental cleanliness.

By morning end the Temple surrounds were pristine. Now we were the ones that needed a clean up!

– Jamesh

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