Up close and personal with a Master

Searching for the ideal job has brought me back to Indraprastha. Delhi, that cradle and graveyard of many empires, seems more agreeable to me now that I have seen more of India! At least I am closer to the Himalayan masters here - closer for a person who still does not have access to the wonderful inner world.

Well, a couple of weeks back I took the opportunity to visit Allahabad and meet a great Yogi, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait. The trip also allowed me to get a glimpse of the great work that this great disciple of Swami Rama is doing among the underprivileged, in both India and Africa. I observed Panditji and found him a sharp observer, of both nature and man, and also a wonderful human being with great knowledge. The greatness of his vision is evident in his work in Cameroon, Africa, which is being spearheaded by his son, Ishan Tigunait -- another great soul who is highly focused on his work. 

The day I spent in Prayag also allowed me to see how the disciples of Swami Rama lead their lives, quietly remembering God and working hard. 

One thing that impressed me while at the Himalayan International Institute's premises in Allahabad was the eco-cottages that Panditji was building for the group of disciples he was expecting to come over from America soon. He had created his own little city of those cottages and how charming they looked as the Sun slowly set over the Ganges!

But there is more to these cottages - they are made from a grass called 'Khus' that grows locally and are highly eco-friendly and at the same time comfortable. The creation of these cottages, Panditji explained, creates rural employment and once the seminars are over the material will be used to make houses for the homeless - houses which can last for 2 years. And the leftover material can be turned into compost. Panditji was taking pains to reduce the carbon footprint of his activities. And I was wondering how much it would help rural India if all our political parties and marriage shamiana makers started creating these eco-cottages. The savings in terms of money and the kick it will give to the rural economy are obvious. 

Also, while at the Institute I had the opportunity to closely observe the high level of pollution in the Ganga. The holy river flows right in front of the Institute. While taking a walk along its banks, I saw how polluted the waters were, especially as some bathing mela was in progress 2 miles upstream. And, least expected, I saw a dead body in remarkably preserved condition float by. And even more surprising, I saw local village people taking their bath in the river among all the filth.

Mother Ganges, when will you be free of this curse?

Stay tuned, I will be writing more on the great master, his disciples, their work and their knowledge here. And also about the nuggets of wisdom I managed to pick up during those few hours!