Dear friends, here are some news from Varanasi’s Siddapith. The new outside road to the ashram, about 1 kilometre long, has just been completed and now coming there is definitely much more easy. The paintwork of all the buildings was completed after my arrival, and now works in the centre are directed to finish the activities undertaken last summer: boundary wall rebuilding, connection to a dedicated power line, internal lighting.

Part of the new wall, river front, 2009

 

At the same time we are preparing the activities for Mahanirvana Diwas, day dedicated to the celebration and memory of Shri Agoreshwar Bhagwan Ramji’s existence.

 

 

Girls have made all the flags to decorate the place while other groups are rehearsing plays, dances and songs that they will present during the meeting in the afternoon.

Girls help for Mahanirvana Diwas, 2009

 

The grown-up boys are rehearsing the show as well as helping with the many necessary works.

Boys at dance, 2009

There will be many visitors and we will need the help of many people to arrange everything and make it work. Disciples and sympathizers will come from varied places and will work incessantly with the residents so that the memorial day passes in the best possible way. Cooks and assistants, who prepare the holy food (Prashad) that will be given to the presents, will have to work incessantly all day, from dawn to dead of night, to cook the thousand necessary dishes.

Groups of women and girls will prepare puri fritters that, with vegetable sabji (pasty), sauces and dessert, will be the menu of the day.

Men will have to tinker with huge pots put on ovens made of bricks for this purpose. During the day quintals of flour, vegetables and condiments will be polished off.

 

Chantings for the girls, 2009

 Kids have prepared various tragicomic sketches to denounce many of the evils that often trouble their families or their surroundings: alcohol, drugs, gambling, illegal activities and so on. We have warmly asked all the parents and relatives to watch the show.

This year the date coincides with the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of the centre, in 1999, with the presence of the Prime Minister Chandra Shekharji. Mast Ramji and Bhagwan Bhadraji were present as Shri Sarveshwari Samooh Italy members. Works were started off on November 29, 1998 by Anil Baba, Guru Baba and Anandamayi, Mr. Harsha V. Singh and Veena Jha’s youngest daughter.

Today the Siddapith occupies an area much higher than the original one and the huge quantity of work for the development and the realization of the various activities is partly attested by school and hospital reports.

The indefatigable doctors have relieved the suffering of thousands of poor. The hospital Shri Aghoreshwar Bhagwan Ram Prakrithik Chikitshalaya has been furnished with modern equipment and an operating room. The medical camps our staff does reach remote areas with no services.

The primary school Shri Aghoreshwar Gurukul allowed many kids to have the primary school-leaving certificate at least. This year students are 324, 52 are the kids going to external private lower secondary school and high school thanks to the association, and Radha, a blind little girl, who is in a specialized institute in Sarnath. Many of the kids who continue their studies out of the centre are sponsored by the members or by generous people from Italy who have taken their education to heart. Next year another blind little boy will go with Radha to the same institute.

Many thanks from our kids to the ones who have helped our project for all these years.

 

Director explain to kids, 2009

 

The school (Gurukul), 2009

 

Varanasi Ganga Maa FC, 1999

 

Ganges flood, 2005

 

Construction, 1999

The surroundings from the terrace, 1999

Navaratri 2002