Web Content Display Sahaj Sandesh No: 2008.36 – Saturday, 29 December, 2008Dear Sister/Brother: URGENT NOTICE: Floods in Babuji Memorial Ashram, Manapakkam, India Due to cyclonic conditions in Chennai over the past few days and incessant rains in the region, the Babuji Memorial Ashram is faced with severe flooding and is closed for all of December, 2008. The text below is an excerpt from an email from Master on Nov 28, which conveys the severity of the situation: The flood this November has been the worst so far. Water has never entered the cottage, but last night there was nearly two feet of water inside the cottage. The compound wall in the rear - Lion gate to the cascade, behind the Babuji Mantap - has collapsed. In the general dining area there is more than six feet of water. At the North-Eastern end, there is reportedly nearly ten feet of water. The parking area in front is under five feet of water. The ashram has been evacuated yesterday late evening, and today all will be moved to a Kalyana Mantapam [wedding hall] in Mylapore, along with residents behind the ashram in the Garden Road. The Police Commissioner has promised to assist with boats, which will hopefully arrive in a few hours time... Therefore this notice of closure has to be regrettably sent, and the ashram is closed for the whole of December 2008. I do not expect that the flood water inside our campus will recede enough to permit work inside for at least the next ten days. All abhyasis are to be informed that the Manapakkam ashram is closed for the whole of December, 2008. Those who wish to volunteer in restoring the ashram are also requested NOT to come without explicit approval through their ZIC / Secretary who will communicate with the respective functionaries in Manapakkam. All who were planning to visit Manapakkam in December are requested to cooperate with this closure notice and change their travel plans accordingly. Some photographs of the flooding at the ashram can be viewed at: |