Smiles coming to you from West Bengal
A friend once said, after looking at so many picture collages from previous visits to India ...
"Miles of Smiles!"
So, this page is dedicated to all those wonderful friends and "Miles of Smiles" here in India;
as well as friends elsewhere in this world, who make this life of service to be so "rich", possible, and such a joy for everyone;
and of course to friend Edwin, who touched my heart with such a wonderful description .. "Miles of Smiles".
We are all blessed ... and grateful ... for the "Miles of Smiles" in our lives.
This page is just a beginning.
Over time (Indian time) there will be more cool stories,
and more cool pictures.
Right now, ashram construction is quite consuming of my time,
as is the "family" life I lead being the dad and so much else for Sita's family.
Usually, I spend five nights at the ashram, and two at her house ... hardly ten minutes walk apart.
Samadhi Hermitage - INDIA
A big smile on my own face, as well as of many friends,
is that now I am a legal resident of India.
With that sweet change,
the Samadhi Hermitage is now building it's own small ashram .. Samadhi Hermitage - India ..
in the village of Ellora.
The home of Sita's family, which I am also blessed to support, is also in Ellora.
A "most favorite" picture of Sita and I, taken at Meherbaba's ashram, 29 Jan. 2010.
These smiles are with the work crew helping the build the ashram in 2008-2009
The Samadhi Hermitage-India ashram is here to serve your visit to India,
as is Sita's family and home which are also part of our Ashram,
known as "Advaita Ananda Samadhi Ashram"
so please feel inspired and welcome to visit.
This was Sita's 16th Birthday party, Aug. 30, 2009 ..
just one month after her sister Sunita gave birth to her first baby .. Chandrani (means "moon queen").
As well as being my own peaceful home-base here in India ...
the Ashram is a big piece in my future vision for Sarubai's daughter, Sita Tambe,
a precious jewel whose future we hope to be as a yogini in service to village girls and women.
No doubt, she will be joined by one or both of her younger brothers for their own means of
"returning the gift" of family support.
Sagar is a natural "take it easy, all time happy fellow" with no interest in book learning:
and Ravi is now in 3rd grade at a local private English speaking school.
We talk of his offering free tutoring to poor village children, as his village service gift.
Ellora is a place of Ancient Spiritual Caves carved into a volcanic hillside
near to Aurangabad, in the western state of Maharashtra.
Pictures of, and from, the Yogeswari Cave here in Ellora .. where I spent a good part of my birthday last year.
A "next" webpage will be pics of the various caves here .. quite phenomenal!
Roy Family Sevashram, in West Bengal
We have supported this Gandhian family since 1983.
This is a big piece of true India for me here in India.
Temple and Satsang Hall which we helped to build on Roy family property in West Bengal.
... a true Gandhian family, totally dedicated to serving humanity.
These three gals, part of the Roy family community, have all vowed a life of social work, not marriage.
Amar Kantak
Headwaters of the Narmada River
I will put more pictures here soon .. of Yogini Shivani, and her ashram family which we are also giving service to.
Playful (and serious) scolding of a "bad boy" Sadhu Gurubhai (guru brother) to Shivani
"Thank You" to everyone for enabling my life to be as it is .. full of "Miles of Smiles"
Jai Ma.
This webpage will be a scattered and ongoing collection of pictures and comments throughout this visit to India ...
Sadhu (Hindu monk) friends, families supported, and other precious souls along the way.
