There is an uncommon wisdom that informs the daily lives of Bidadi’s villagers. Theydo not pine for spirituality. Unlike nirvana-seeking foreigners, these villagers are rooted in reality. The quest for solace can wait.
Swami Nithyananda’s ashram in Bidadi has been offering spiritual solace to many over the years. But folks in villages such as Rairadoddi, Kariyappanadoddi, Heggadagare, Dasappanadoddi, Puttiramanadoddi and Urugalli, in close proximity to the ashram, are sulking that there has been little change in their lives despite the daily discourses.
Villagers say civic amenities, such as roads, electricity and water were gifts bestowed by politics: JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy. Not spirituality.
In Rairadoddi, Krishnappa, a villager, roars: “Roads, electricity and water... Kumaraswamy got us that. Occasionally, the ashram authorities announce annadhana (free meal). That’s the only time when we are allowed inside the ashram.”
Krishnappa and wife Lakshmamma are not impressed by the ashram effect. “I am also a swami. I do sadhana and have a temple here where I worship Shaneeshwara. May be, if I market myself well, I will find foreign devotees,” says Krishnappa.
Manjula, who runs a roadside teashop in Heggadagare, is disillusioned with the ashram. “Around January 1, Swamiji’s birthday, every year, they announce annadhana. It’s plain rice and saaru (curry), but free meal always finds a crowd,” she says.
Manjula, who was part of Shreeshakti, a woman’s group, says the ashram did not help them enough. “They promised each of us (about 20 members) Rs5,000, at a negligible interest, to start an enterprise. But what we got was Rs5,000 for the whole group, too little a capital to start any venture,” says she.
Manjula says she had worked at the ashram for a while.
“Foreigners were treated as royalty. We were paraded around whenever they had dignitaries visiting, to show the ashram is helping the poor.”
Comments