Ramana’s Garden
The Orphanage of Ramana’s garden under the loving care of Dr. Prabhavati Dwabha
It started last year in May as I had the opportunity to welcome my dear friend Dwabha to our home in Maui. While I was going to the mainland with Raphael to teach she stayed at our Maui Retreat center and underwent a healing of herself.
When I came back I found a big letter with about 80 signature from all the orphans with the inscription: Thank you for taking care of our Mom.
Being in the sweet spell of Dwabha before I left I knew from her many stories of rescuing the girls from prostitution organization and the need of expanding her orphanage especially after the big flood of mother Ganga. The river was taking a way many kid’s parents who died in the flood. Dwabha knew about my involvement in the bamboo world. She was able to buy some adjunct land to her property and needed to build a home for 20 more orphans from the flood.
With my sister Jeanne I visited Ramana’s garden to find out how I can bring the right people to support her vision to expand her already very green abode.
One of my best friend and world class bamboo architect Nirpal Adhikari came to see how he can support with his knowledge. Everything is there the land the vision the technology. What we need is our support. Your investment in one of these children’s future. They really come from the street and would not survive. Watch this short video and you will be touched too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dcj474QohQ
Lucky, a young men of 14 years, smiling, good looking and the younger girls giggling behind his back is one of the many stories I heard. I asked why his name is “Lucky”. Dwabha told us, that he was sleeping with his family and younger sisters on the side of the road when a truck drove over the entire family and killed everybody… only he survived. So he is lucky!
Meeting many of the children and hearing their stories was a very heartfelt experience.
If you would like to volunteer at her place, let me know. If you would like to donate, any amount counts, please click on the donate button on her website: http://www.friendsramanasgarden.org/
If you would like to know when I am going back to visit and you would like to join me, drop me a note: kutira@kahuainstitute.com
Rishikesh – Playground of the Beatles and Kutira
The last time I was in this region of India was 35 years ago!
On a Royal Enfield (classic British motorbike) my sister Jeanne and I went with our Brazilian friend Paulo, a volunteer at Ramana’s Garden, the orphanage of your beautiful sister Dwhaba, to the old ashram of Maharishi. This is the place where the Beatles stayed. We had to bribe a police man to enter as the entire place got shut down just recently after the big flood of Mother Ganga. A young Sadhu brought us to the gate. Walking through the Ashram was a walk through a musical memory lane of a time I treasure very much. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures.
The energy field of the past is still noticeable and as my sister remembers most of the lyrics and has a beautiful voice, it colored this visit with gratitude. Music influences culture and the Beatles certainly stand for “Make Love Not War” at a time I was a teenager and the Vietnam war was happening and I know from Raphael how he was protesting during this time. Yeah, remember “Give Peace a Chance”….. Play your favorite Beatles song today and do something you normally would not do…. honor Freedom.
In February 1968, the Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India to attend an advanced Transcendental Meditation (TM) training session at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Amidst widespread media attention, their visit was one of the band’s most productive periods. Their interest in the Maharishi changed Western attitudes about Indian spirituality and encouraged the study of Transcendental Meditation. They first met the Maharishi in London in August 1967 and then attended a seminar in Bangor, Wales. They had planned to attend the entire 10-day session, but their stay was cut short by the death of their manager, Brian Epstein. Wanting to learn more, they kept in contact with the Maharishi and made arrangements to spend time with him at his teaching center located near Rishikesh, in the “Valley of the Saints” in the foothills of the Himalayas.
I have to say sitting with my sister Jeanne on the motorbike, clutching my computer between us and riding this motorbike through the mountains unleashed a thirst of wanting more. Paulo told us that there is a great road up to Kashmir which is famous for the motor biking…. and the beautiful golden temple. Ok. You get the thrift I am figuring out how to make one way on road to Kashmir and flying back to Dharmasala…..
If you are interested to possible partake of this journey, let me know. The last time I was in Kashmir I stayed on a houseboat and enjoyed the amazing beauty of this region and the oh my god best Indian food ever.