SENT BY.............Bas Baskaran from CHICAGO,USA
The Mahadeva Ashram in Kilinochchi (Vanni Region) was a thriving ashram headed by 85 year old Ganeshanatha Mahadeva Swami. The ashram was home for orphaned girls and boys plus many elders.
Three years ago, during the peak of the War, the ashram was destroyed and the residents (children and their caretakers) were forced to abandon the ashram. Over the ensuing years they moved several times and eventually scattered to many different locations. In May 2009, at the end of the war, Swami came to live in Vavuniya. During the time that Swami was living in Vavuniya as a refugee, The Colombo Ramakrishna Mission Swami sent a car for him to come to Colombo and stay at the Mission. But, Swami refused, as he was determined to go back and rebuild his ashram in Kilinochchi.
Last October I visited Swami in Vavuniya. He told me of his wish and prayers to return to Kilinochchi and rebuild the ashram before he leaves the body. At that time it seemed, to me, an impossible task.
With the grace of God and the determination of Swami his prayers were answered and the Mahadeva Ashram in Kilinochchi has been rebuilt. While in Sri Lanka last month my mother and I chartered a bus and took kottam children and some elders, a total of 60 people, to visit Swami. Some of the displaced children have been reunited and daily pujas are being performed. Our kottam children sang bhajanas and received Swami’s blessings.
As I departed I expressed to Swami how moved I was by his fulfillment of rebuilding the Ashram. Swami, looking into my eyes with great sadness replied, "yes, we can rebuild the buildings but we can never bring back the lives that were lost during the war".
I am enclosing some photos for you to enjoy.
Aum Shanthi,
Rishi Thondunathan
A Short History of the Mahadeva Ashram
Mahadeva Ashram was founded by Vadivel Swami. When Vadivel Swami was a young man, he went to Yogaswami and asked to be initiated a sanyasi. Yogaswami sent him to Vethantha Madam where he was initiated by Mahadeva Swami into Sanyasa (Vethantha Madam was one of Kadaitswami’s other lineages). In 1952, Yogaswami told Vadivel Swami "Go to Kilinochchi ... much work to do there." After that, Vadivel Swami came to Kilinochchi and established the Mahadeva Ashram. Ganeshanantha Mahadeva Swami is the successor to Vadivel Swami. In 1983, Gurudeva visited the Mahadeva Ashram.
No comments:
Post a Comment