I'm feeling so sad about all those who have lost their family members, homes and livelihoods in the wake of this earthquake and tsunami. Especially since I have spent extended periods of time in an ashram on the coast of Kerala, in the Kollam district, the area hit hardest by the tsunami on the west coast of south India's tip. The life of this area is completely tied to the ocean.
I've walked through the village of Parayakadavu many times, have walked along the beach, have patronized the local chai shops. I've interacted with the local people, and although we can't speak to each other, I've enjoyed being around them. Some of the local people walked to the ashram in the mornings and evenings for prayer, and came regularly for Amma's darshan during the earlier years, when I first visited, back in 1991. I've chopped vegetables together with them, carried sand, we've sung together, watched videos together in Amma's garden late at night. Of course, not all the villagers participated in the life of the ashram. But I'd see them around all the time. Naturally, I feel a great deal of sadness to think that they are now suffering like this.
If you are thinking of giving a donation to the relief effort in South India, and you'd like to give to a local agency already active in the area, I encourage you to give your donation to Amma's relief effort. You can read an initial report about how the ashram is helping the local villages handle the emergency, and at the bottom of this article, there is a link to where you can send your donation. Thanks!
"Here are some updates (from) the ashram. The relief efforts are continuing. The villagers are still housed at the Engineering college and some schools. The doctors, brahmacharis and brahmacharins are going around the villages also doing many things. The bodies of many people have been brought into a temporary cremation ground and dumped by their relatives. The Ashramites are going there chanting Gita and doing the last rites for those who are dead.
"Ashramites are also cooking food for more than 10, 000 people and giving them food. Of course the Government has supplied the villagers with some rice.... but they have no pots nor fire nor water. Hence cooked food is being distributed to them (by the ashram).
"Announcements were made one and half hours prior to the flood through the PA systems both to the ashram residents and the villagers to move to the high rise buildings. The crowd included many young children and not even one of the visitors or ashram residents were hurt by the flood. Gas cylinders, sharp things were floating in the water. Amma reiterated that this was God's grace. Before the Tsunami hit the water in the Ocean had resided and a new stretch of sand beaches were formed. Many people had gone to watch this strange phenomenon. But the problem was that the Tsunami hit soon and many people who went to watch this were swept away in the tide. But Amma had sent Brahmacharis asking devotees to run to the tall raise buildings and this saved the life of many devotees.
"The villagers have lost every thing. Most of the houses have been wiped out in the narrow strip of the island where the ashram is located. Though the Government has pledged to build houses, the trend we see in India is to build a few houses and claim that they have built many. Again this responsibility too falls on Amma's shoulders. She has planned to go ahead to build houses for the villagers. But at first she wants to build some temporary houses where the people can move into and start leading a normal life. The ashram is also planning to supply them with cooking utensils. The ashram also has suffered extensive damage of equipments.
"The devotees from California have pledged to build the houses in Parayakadavu, the village surrounding the ashram. If any of you would like to join in this effort you may.
"For those who want to help, the best help is monetary wise. The food, clothing and medicines have already been supplied to the villagers. More over there are strict custom rules in India
which prevents or delays the process to take these things there.
"Thank you all for your concerns and support.
"For who wish to donate the name of the fund is Tsunami flood relief fund. The can send a check to M.A.Center or donate online. Here is the link to the amma.org web site for online donation. "
https://www.mothersbooks.org/donations/make-a-donation.html
for another report, click this link.
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