Category: Seva
selfless service, sadhana, and its joy
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Baby Yoga
Although there are many health, nutrition, and educational deficiencies in Indian villages, I am always struck by the things that are healthy about village life. Many smart, happy people have emerged from modest village roots. I am staying in an AmritaServe adopted village, Hadiabad, Bihar, with the R.P. Singh family. Three brothers, their wives, children
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From rat to Yoga
Musahar is a caste originally known as the “Rat Catchers”. Although they no longer practice that craft, they are still severly marginalised. Their village of Ratanpur is one of two Amrita Serve adopted villages in Bihar. Huts are made of mud. Pigs are raised and roam everywhere. Many children go unwashed even though there are
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Change comes one slow step at a time
The first Amala Bharatam I witnessed was two years ago. The Indian ladies did as they do everywhere. They swept the path beautifully clean of dirt and leaves, but seemed oblivious to litter just inches away in the gutters. More recently, I was in Indhpur, Himachal Pradesh for a cleanup. These ladies had watched several
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500 toilets estimated to be built in Indhpur, Himachal Pradesh
Meera Devi has four children. The first died in an accident at age four. The second, from health problems at 10 months. Third is Chahat, age nine. She has “mind problems” which have gotten better with expensive medicine. And number four is Simran. She has had developmental problems from birth but is a delightful child.
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Sanitation: Slowly changing minds
Indhpur, Himachel Pradesh is a large rural village of 7000 people, in the first hills leading from the plains towards the Himalaya Mountains. I am here to observe Amma’s Sanitation and Toilet Building Projects. This village is a mix of rich, poor, and everything in between. The narrow roads are cleaner, houses more well kept
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Amala Bharatam, Clean India: Karma has its consequences
As Indians we all dream about a clean India free of garbage. It is with this idea of creating a clean community, as an initial step towards a clean India, that the Amala Bharatam Campaign (ABC) was initiated. Mahita, who was associated with it since its incipience, spoke to us about her involvement with clearing
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Women Empowerment Village Workshops
As part of Amma’s 62nd Birthday Celebration, hundreds of women (and few men) from adopted villages across India came to Amritapuri. Many are enrolled in “Women Empowerment: Sanitation Project” vocational classes in their home villages. Taking advantage of the training facilities and skilled instructors at Amritapuri, additional workshops were offered in subjects such as Block
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Four lakhs saris is not a joke
Amritavarsham’62! On this special occasion of our beloved Amma’s birthday we got an opportunity to interact with Brahmacharini Soumya and a MTech student, Swati Negi, who are coordinating the gifting of sarees to the poor people and all the projects related to women empowerment. “Since many years Amma is doing Vastradaanam during her birthday celebrations”
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Transformation in thinking
On this auspicious occasion of Amritavarsham’62 we got an opportunity to interact with a Mumbai based businessman – Mr. Ashok Lal. Ashokji is running the North Indian canteen since last evening for Amma’s birthday, serving delicious dishes to appease the North Indian palate….Jilebi is a super-hit! He shared with us his journey from non-spirituality to