with Sri Ganesh

And dissolve All misery…!

Aum Namo Bhagavate

- 28-08-14:

… The last two days, morning and afternoon, I scoured and scrubbed and cleaned and polished; a couple of times when he knew I would be away, P came in to also do some cleaning work – the pond and parts of the garden. So far I have spent Rs. 3,000/- for the laddus, which I asked D. to order and collect. Yesterday evening I had a clash with the developers who had not yet removed their board, as I went myself to loosen the bindings and they arrived in a big car to stop me, several large angry men accompanying the main owner; I could hardly do anymore than shouting my views at them, but then the fellow said to me: “why don’t you ask your own people why they sold the land to me, if it was not for money as well…?!”. And what could I reply…? From the beginning I have said openly and publicly that it was very wrong for us to behave as if we “owned” the land of Auroville and had the right to sell or exchange any of it. But who would listen? Nowadays there are “practical”, “pragmatic” and “reasonable” people steering things and to them the notion of Auroville land belonging to the Supreme Lord is just that, a notion – not a reality. And so it has happened and in the process of our becoming and behaving like ordinary owners, Auroville has lost much of the respect that it used to inspire all around and we are now just a bunch of privileged, talented and innovative landowners building a new age city that attracts more investors and tourists… … Today Rs. 500/- are offered… … Much clearing and raking and tidying up work… … During the midday rest, P. comes to deliver a basket of brown and green coconuts from his land… In the afternoon suddenly the developers enter and come to the shrine and very respectfully inform me that they have now just removed the board and wish to do pranam and get blessings… In the evening, Bitti and her son Kumar come in to help giving Sri Ganesh the ritual seven baths, and Aruljyoti the Principal along with his elderly mother sit in and sing the mantras and, later, D. brings in the boxes of laddus and, as darkness falls and we are ready to go home, a little rain comes…

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