Today on this wet and cool and breezy midday (30th July) I am happy to announce that our Holy Talab or rain water harvesting catchment area is well and truly full to the brim (for the first time since 2007 in fact) It cannot take any more water and so excess rain water is lying all around. Jadan is well and truly replete with sweet water. And still it continues to fall night and day with a forecast of a further 3 weeks of cool and rain. Nights are so cool that we have brought out winter clothes and blankets. Leaks and mildew are all around and many cobras have been sighted as they move to higher and dryer areas away from the huge expanses of water all around us. In the outlying areas of Pali district rivers flow and dams overflow and though hundreds of farmers will suffer crop devastation this season the overall outcome of what has become the heaviest monsoon in 20 years is a positive one because all of this precious water will sink deep into the ground and the water table level will rise up and ground water will for the first time in many many years become sweet and potable and easily to access.

 

For our little sabji seedlings that have been coming up since the first part of the month the situation is challenging but so far they have survived. The corn seed got caught in the only dry spell between the 13th and the 20th and did not survive, but otherwise we have a happy bunch of fruiting papaya trees and flowering shrubs and the fodders are growing up and beyond 2 metres and many other miracles will as yet remain unseen as some parts of the ashram are inaccessible. The first part of the month (until the evening of the 8th) was dry and hot and very humid and now this seems a long way off.

 

For the ultimate icing on the cake we will celebrate Guru Poornima tomorrow with Viswaguruji and many bhaktas who have joined us for this Holy Occasion and who are also helping very much with the weeding and transplanting of flowers and ornamentals.

During the cultivation of our gunda field in the big garden for vegetables, cowpeas and corn this month, we also made a 60 metre fence to protect the area and this will also support some climbing plants such as karela will we shall sow in early August. Behind the central office we prepared the soil for gourds such as lauki and pumpkin and also phoot kakdi and chillies. The seeds went in just minutes before the real monsoon started on the 19th and thereafter has been drenched almost daily ever since. The plants are surviving but a few days for drying out would be appreciated (also for our clothes and bedding!)

So this season feels new and exotic as the fresh air blows from all around and the irrigation piping lies muddy and redundant on the ground. Swamijis’ prayers have been answered and this perhaps also means that sweet water will not be an issue for us in the future – but that is another chapter altogether. And – great news – swimming season is on again!

Greetings from Jadan Ashram
Puspa Devi
July 30th 2015