BHARATIYA INSTITUTE OF HUMAN EXCELLENCE
MY DAYS AT NAINITAL
As soon as our daughter completed her MA studies at Dehradun, she wanted to join a coaching center in Delhi to prepare for the NET examination, we moved from Dehradun to Delhi and joined Sri Aurobindo Ashram for a year. While Krishna opted for Delhi Ashram I opted for Nainital ashram. Nainital was my choice because of two reasons, the first one is my love for the mountains, and our Ashram at Nainital is situated at a height of 2200 meters above sea level; the second reason was that the in-charge Mr. Nalin Dhalokia is a friend of mine.
The location of the Ashram at Nainital being at a higher elevation, it remains cold throughout the year even in summer. The days when it gets cloudy and starts raining, the cold become very intense. So one gets imprisoned in the building and the strong cold wind makes movements difficult. Sunny days are really enjoyable. My first priority was to study Sri Aurobindo's main works: The Essays on the Gita, Synthesis of Yoga, The Life Divine, Savitri, The Foundation of Indian Culture, The Human cycle - The ideal of Human Unity, war and self-determination, The Secret of the Veda, and I finished reading all these within 6 months. This was not taken kindly by the organization and they blamed me for not doing enough work for the Ashram.
In fact, I was helping Nalinji writing letters to bank, maintaining official correspondence, assisting Jayanta with his accountings, issuing receipts against donations received, taking guests around the ashram premises, distributing leaflets, brochures of the ashram and explaining what this center at Nainital is doing round the year. When the youth camps started, I started taking up one hour session for motivational lecture and a five-minute meditation as per schedule available.
My total days of stay at Nainital was 150 days spread across between 4th Sept. 2017 to 8th April 2019. In between commuted to Delhi and Nainital at least 10 times for various reasons. I also spoke to a group of Nainital school students when they came to visit the Ashram, another group of teachers belonging to Theosophical schools, I spoke to when they wanted to know what is Sri Aurobindo's concept of education.
Among the workers, Jayanta was in charge of Youth camp, trekking, shopping for the Ashram, bank work, accounting and monitoring the work of the kitchen hands. He is also the link between Nalinji, Delhi ashram and Madhuvan Ashram.
My reason of leaving Nainital was my health and finding a good doctor in the city about 2 km. downhill was really a difficult task because of commuting problem. The second reason was its intense cold. The third reason was food which did not suit my constitution. Moreover, the management insisted that I should do more of physical than intellectual work. The fourth reason as internet was very slow and not dependable. The fifth reason was that I could not continue my paid work with the NRI, the only source of my income, except occasionally.
Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Himalayan centre, Nainital
(my room was the first floor, two windows on the left
are visible in the picture)
This centre is used mostly for youth camps (trekking, rappelling, river crossing, community living, meditation and motivational talks) , and spiritual retreats conducted in Gujrati, Hindi, Marathi and English languages by scholars having knowledge of that language and Sri Aurobindo and Mother's works.
Presently due to Covid-19 all these activities are stopped and as soon as the Covid virus infection gets cleared, the camp programmes will start again. The trekking and camps have again started since 2022.
In any case, I do not intend to go back due to advanced age and Nainital's cold climate condition.
P.S : Jayanto Paul who was directing the rock climbing and trekking programs at Nainital recently passed away.
Sri Aurobindo's bust at Nainital Ashram
