Letters from Shanti Ashram, India

37. Kotagiri - April 1998

Arrival in Kotagiri

April 7, 1998

Kotagiri, Tamil Nadu

Dear Parents,

With Swami’s gracious Blessings, we reached here on 3rd morning. This time no midnight 10-course dinner, as we couldn’t get tickets for the direct train to Coimbatore. We had to go via Madras, a 17-hour ride from Shanti Ashram. Starting from Kakinada we had to eat a feast in Rajini’s house. The next morning in Madras we had to take three heavy meals and talk all day, before catching the connecting night train. Naturally I remembered you both in Madras train station, especially Dad’s heavy breathing, strongly declaring he never wanted to see the station again! Then the recent letter recalling the station affectionately! It is the same busy place, with our hosts loudly arguing over luggage cart rates. (We had 24 heavy bags & boxes for four of us – Jnaneswari, Vinamra, Bheemavaram Lakshmi and me).

That evening we took the 10-hour ride to the station nearest Kotagiri, and were met by the ashram van. Not many people here yet – about 15 in Satsang. The weather is sunny yet cool and pleasant, not too cold for me yet.

I am enjoying rest and relaxation, feeling withdrawn and spending more time alone in quiet. Having not much work, devotees spend hours talking daily and though it is a small place, I am thankful for the cave-room down the side of one hill, which is silent and deserted.

Love,

Divya

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Days Passing Pleasantly

April 24, 1998

Kotagiri

Dear Parents,

Divya conveys her namaskars. By Swami’s Grace, here all is going on well. Praying that you are fine there in your snowy abode.

Here, days are passing pleasantly and quietly. Remember before I wrote that the ozone layer didn’t seem to be affecting hills stations? Well, I think I need to revise the statement as Indian hill stations seem to indeed be affected! Here we are having nice, hot sunny days, warmer than I remembered in the last two years and certainly a change from mid-80’s when I was a sickly, frozen icicle wrapped in rug-lus (blankets) even in the sun, during summer trips with Swami to hill stations. I am not even wearing a sweater in the semi-chilly nights here now. I think the thermometer has melted as it has disappeared from the place it was last year. Meanwhile, reports from the plains say it is already an oven. At least here one doesn’t sweat!

There are about 20 devotees here now, all in the over-65 age group, and several in the 75-80-year old age group. They are content to attend three satsangs and three meals a day and spend the rest of the time either dozing or talking to each other. We ring the satsang bell 5-10 minutes early as, instead of hopping and dashing forward like Vinamra and Divya, they need the extra time to slowly and carefully make their way forward to the satsang hall.

Now one devotees here has arranged Sai bhajan and study circle from 12 noon to 1 PM daily. I tried to get out of it but they are insisting I sing. 2-3 bhajans daily, plus I lead Sai arathi, which no one but the one elderly Sai devotee knows. This in addition to regular satsangs 7:30 – 9 Am and 6-8 PM daily!

Not many duties for me here, so plenty of free time for meditation etc. Only duties are looking after & setting up the Mandir for satsangs, and Jnaneswari’s correspondence. Here the only typewriter is pretty ancient, born before all of us I'm sure, and it drags its keys unsteadily instead of in a straight line. Being newly spoilt with the nice computer, I'm giving the sickly typewriter rest and am writing by hand letters dictated by Mataji.

So I am here and until leaving, it’s quiet, rolling hills of tea leaves and pure company of eager, wrinkled devotees. Jai Sri Sai Ram! Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu!

Love,

Divya