Namaste from the Bal Ashram! It's been a year since my last visit and it's wonderful to be back with the children...each and every one looks bigger, happy and busy!
There is always something going on here...a new project, a new lesson,
new activities....
Here's a quick peek at the latest:
The Ashram's Organic Store, which sells items grown and produced at
the EcoPark, is more
popular then ever. Every day, people from the village come to buy fresh milk,
honey and vegetables. A recent addition on the menu: fresh mushrooms! The
'mushroom center," located adjacent to the store, houses
several growing pods; grass layered with spores and shaped in to
spheres, then kept in the dark and moist room...a perfect growing
environment
Mackenzie 'Mira' Dooner is a regular face around the Ashram. Mira, who
graduated from high school in Carmel California, was accepted to Princeton
University. Instead of starting college right away, she opted to take part in
their Gap Year Program. She is spending over seven months in Varanasi and comes
to the Bal Ashram daily to work with the children. Mira carries on the
important work of her predecessors by maintaining the grey wager filtration
system that was installed last year. She teaches the children how the filter
works and the importance of water preservation and conservation. You can read
more about the filter in the December 2012 newsletter
The holding tank containing the water processed by the grey water
filter sits on one of the terraced steps and often has a small runoff. The
benefit? A perfect area to grow rows and rows of spinach and beets!
School work finished?
Seva completed for the day?
It's time for Cricket!
The boys...both young and old...even the teachers...are all avid cricket
players. Most every evening, in the open field across from the Ashram gates,
there is a lively and competitive game to watch. Only darkness or the ball
going in to the Ganges can end the fun!
New Arrivals! The Amirt Sagar Environmental Center has been blessed with four new calves in
the past few months....three of which are girls! They are all happy and healthy
and are a welcome addition to the organic dairy which is so vital in helping
the Ashram move towards self sustainability.
I'll leave you with the sun rising over Ma Ganges......
Om Shanti,
Caspian
January 28, 2013
Bal Ashram
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