There's a sense of joyful upliftment & welcome on the land this weekend!
The land now offers far more than lovely views
Guests often say they feel a special power on this land
But the real power, besides divine grace, is our dedicated devotees, bringing results like the new garden . . .
. . . already showing off spectacular sunflowers & banana trees
"Swami P" puts final touches on a new room for guests just hours before their arrival
Fancy new signage points to the mandir
Jemal & Bryan construct a new guest bed
Friday lunchtime for volunteers
Hari Sharma & Jemal continue construction of beds for the dorms
The Ananda Pune Hilton is also available for guests!
Chair-cleaning crew
Slicing & dicing crew
Hired cook Shiv, Katyayani start dinner
Master watches over all the activity
Registrants trickle in
Multitasking choir practice!
Swamiji's new house is a main focus for the guests
Swamiji's house is the community' most complete new building
Laxmi beautifies Swamiji's garden wall
Labourers still have much to do on Swamiji's house
Project manager Jaya checks on Swamiji's next-door neighbours Dharmadas & Nirmala
Other special friends have also joined the community: Boo Ma & son Poochi
Laxmi with pet rooster Red
As the warm day wears on, the twice-daily water truck is a happy sight
With sundown, Mahasamadhi Weekend officially begins
Calling all choir!
Nirmala & Dharmadas welcome everyone
Candlelit dinner outside Seva House
Katyayani on serving duty
Friday kirtan in the "new temple", led by the monks
Brahmacharyas Shurjo, Jemal, Devendra
Krishna
Closing blessing
Torchlit return
Early Saturday morning
Gathering at the new temple
Poochi has his own idea of energisation exercises
Wrapped in meditation
Return from meditation
Lajju does sun salutation
Workers watch our weekend activities
"Home, sweet home" for the weekend
Breakfast begins (viewed from the upper garden)
Jana from the Czech Republic journaling
Daily construction workers arrive
The former sarpanch of the village quietly checks on goings-on
US volunteers Bryan & Laxmi prepare colours to place on the land . . .
. . . for Holi colouring goes on longer around Pune than elsewhere in India
One morning activity guests can choose is service at Swamiji's
Biraj tells Swamiji's volunteers about the work needed as well as the concept of "God as doer"
A main focus at Swamiji's house is removing rubble
There's so much construction trash that several burn piles have been built in back of Swamiji's
This burn pile is just for insulation material
Despite Swamiji's lovely location, what a view he has from his house!
At reflection after seva, Mumbai leader Satish shares words of Tagore
Miriam chats with seva crew at her staff kutir
Daily labourers walk across the kutir roofs
Workers' housing adjoins the staff kutirs
Worker ladies carry construction material
One of many adorable worker children
A 2nd group of guests (mostly Italian) chooses to tour the land with Jemal
The tour offers a chance to see the land off the beaten track!
Refuse from the seva project at Swamiji's burns as the tour group goes by
Colours are placed on a tree outside Swamiji's
Interesting sight along the tour: a swale dug to collect precious water during monsoons
Bricks, bricks, & more bricks
Robi explains an outdoor pizza oven in the making!
Advance pizza orders?
Damodar add auspicious colour to the oven
Another interesting tour site: a former rock quarry
"And over there . . ."
Eight-sided monastery (inspired by Patanjali?)
Future monastery bathroom
Still more expansive views along the tour route
Here is the eventual "downtown Ananda Pune"
Future downtown enterprises should really be blessed by all this colour!
"Circle of joy"?
Water, the ongoing challenge of the land
Stark contrasts of lush and dry are everywhere
Time for morning satsang: Prerna & Narayani with worker child Rani
Presenters are Ananda Worldwide leaders Jyotish & Devi
Jyotish
Ananda India directors raptly listen to Ananda Worldwide directors . . .
. . . as do others
Devi
Devi alludes to Swamiji's newly revised autobiography
Reflecting on India's unique role in Ananda's future
Saturday lunch back at Seva House
A helping hand from Biraj & Nirmala for little Shivnam
Chappati production
The Publications table attracts all ages
Resting after lunch in one of the new Seva House dorms: Prerna
Shivani of Gurgaon & Arati of Pune catch up on community news
Saturday afternoon talks: Jaya & Sadhana Devi
Nirmala
Dharmadas suggests ways to approach the upcoming satsang with Swamiji
Queueing up outside Swamiji's house
Shivnam & Delkush en route to Swamiji's
Nirmala, Lila survey Swamiji's filled front room
"So pleased to see all of you"
Click! Click!
One of many light moments
Italian filmmaker Ilvio Gallo, who has been shooting Swamiji's life story
Bhaktan presents Swamiji with delicacies from Italy
Swamiji blesses Narayani
Damodar thanks Swamiji for his new name & ongoing blessings
Swamiji receives a book on prophecies about the year 2012
Gaurav asks for a blessing . . .
Afternoon meditation in the new temple
Later afternoon, Saturday
Saturday dinner
Katyayani plays with Boo Ma & Poochi
Worker child Somnath discusses cameras with Bryan
Saturday night camp fire!
The circle around the fire is a perfect setting for Swamiji's music
Some of the workers have made their own campfire
Songbooks aglow
Krishna readies additional bamboo for the fire
"Lu-ru-lu-ru-LAY-ro . . ."
Though the fire dies down, deep memories live on
Late night kitchen clean-up back at Seva House
Very early Sunday morning
Seva House begins to stir
Biraj & his guitar announce wake-up time
"I awake in thy love . . "
Narayani charges up for breakfast duties
Also charging up is another group in the new temple
Full yogic breath
Meditation, again wrapped up against the early a.m. chill
The path back to breakfast
Sunday morning breakfast
Srutika reads breakfasters a poem from Whispers from Eternity
Narayani magnetically leads morning seva volunteers in prayer
Also magnetised: little Somnath whenever he sees a camera!
In a dorm room, Pat checks her new hair-do created by little Rani
Pankaj goes through the dish-rinsing line
It's time to head up to Swamiji's for his Sunday talk
Pots near Swamiji's front door
Tanya & Yash play in Swamiji's yard
Looking up at Swamiji's palm tree
Looking out from Swamiji's front door
Awaiting word that it's time to go inside
Devi announces that the time has come!
Jyotish greets Amol
Swamiji has been asked to speak on "Yogananda's Vision for India"
Awaiting words of wisdom
Bryan attaches recording mike to Swamiji
A quick word of prayer
Little Yash is probably the only one in the room ready to nap!
"My topic is best understood as Yogananda's vision for the world, not just India"
Nandini quietly translates for Italian guests at the back of the room
Avinash enjoys a light moment in Swamiji's talk
Swamiji invites questions
Several questions are forthcoming
Amol & Yash
Lining up for Swamiji's blessing
Satish
Sangeeta of Mumbai
Premi of Italy
Usha of Mumbai
Workers resting from morning's work
Workers playing our harmoniums!
Sunday lunch
Delkush of Mumbai serves Elisabetta of Italy
Another international scene: Nandini & Arjuna (Italy), Latika (USA), Dharmadas
Devendra, Krishna
Ilvio joins hands with Mandar & son Deepak (Mumbai)
Pankaj & Manu
Sadhana Devi & Jaya with Devi & Jyotish
Nandini announces a fundraiser: earrings in a style worn by Master's mother
Applause for the community's cook Shiv
Joyful lunch cleaner-uppers
Lahari offers Tanya ideas on the many uses of sunflowers
Goodbyes to last across great distance: Brahmacharinis Narayani & Premi
Here on the new land, Swamiji has truly found "home is a green hill far, far away"
The 1st steps of community-building in India have been made . . .
. . . many more are needed
Much more remains to be done
But the memories of this weekend will live on as camp fires & candles are extinguished . . .
. . . & as we head homeward once again
The sky is our limit before it's time for our 3rd Mahasamadhi next year!
