Anne's & Bruce's Story
"Approximately 6 years ago my husband, Bruce, a professional musician from Australia, left behind friends, family and an easy-going life-style to begin an incredible segment of his life’s journey at Tapovan in a remote, arid area of Maharashtra, India. "Convinced about the efficacy of daily practice of an ancient Ayurvedic healing fire technique to restore the balance of Nature, Bruce pioneered a project which demonstrated in a practical way the transformational healing effects of Agnihotra (copper pyramid healing fire practised exactly at sunrise and sunset daily) in extremely adverse conditions. "During the past 6 years of his stay, the dry, rocky, depleted soil in Tapovan has blossomed into an oasis of fruit, nut and flower trees, Ayurvedic medicinal herbs, eastern and western culinary herbs, vegetables, grains, pulses, etc, all without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. "During the same period I have commuted back and forth between Australia and India looking after business interests and our farm in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. "Sixteen years ago Bruce, a confirmed sceptic, thought I was a suitable candidate for a mental asylum when I began to do Agnihotra (which involves burning dried cow-dung cakes to the accompaniment of Sanskrit Mantras) but he did a 180 degree turnabout when his chronic asthma, with him for many years, was cured simply by being in the atmosphere of Agnihotra fire. Since then we have passed on this knowledge to thousands of happy people who are experiencing the miracles of Agnihotra in their daily lives. "Life in Tapovan has been both rewarding and challenging as we have bridged the gap between the so-called "civilized" culture of the west and the so-called "backward" culture of the simple village life of rural India in which we found ourselves. Learning to use what was available from bullock carts for transport, simple hand tools for farming, pumping drinking water from wells, having no guaranteed power supply, no newspapers, no TV, life was lived at a grass-roots level with a growing connectedness to Nature. Often feared "pests" of Nature such as cobras, centipedes, scorpions are now considered companions who in turn extend respect to the human beings who have moved in on their former territory. Non-violence is a way of life at Tapovan and one of the side-effects of daily practice of Agnihotra is that the Nature kingdom comes into perfect balance so there is no need to control it. "The word has spread to the surrounding areas and hundreds of local people from all walks of life visit Tapovan where they can learn Agnihotra and start practising in their own homes. Many include farmers who have finally realized that using chemicals is totally destructive and see Homa farming as the solution The sad side is many farmers in these drought stricken areas commit suicide as they cannot see a way out when their land will no longer produce. Vedas, the ancient wisdom of the East, confirm the connection between the Homa healing fires and attracting nutritional rains, which has been borne out by our experience at Tapovan. Here we have regularly observed rain in Tapovan but none in other nearby areas. "Tapovan meaning a retreat in a forested area, is now home to us. Facilities are now available for simple Nature Cure treatments – mud baths, spinal and hip baths, as well as healthy vegetarian diet. Ayurvedic massage and steam baths are available in the Pancha Karma clinic. "The 24 hour round-the-clock healing fire permeates the atmosphere with healing and peaceful vibrations. Up to 20 visitors can stay at this eco-friendly spiritual health retreat at a very moderate cost. Opportunity is provided to learn the simple techniques of Agnihotra and other healing fires (Homas) practised daily in Tapovan. "We look after Tapovan on a volunteer basis and consideration will be given to like-minded interested volunteers who may wish to stay for an extended period. Opportunities are available for building eco-friendly, mud houses, growing Ayurvedic herbs, landscape gardening, vermiculture, seed saving, etc. "The site of Tapovan was indicated a long time ago by the great Master, Parama Sadguru Shree Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkot, who has revived the ancient knowledge of Agnihotra to heal the pollution on the planet at this time when it is most needed." |
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