Sarala Behn and the Lakshmi Ashram School for Girls Nearby

Recently I took a friend who just joined our ashram to the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram here in the city of Kausani. We visited the Gandhi Museum on the premises and then the adjoining museum dedicated to the Englishwoman Sarala Behn.

Sarala Behn was born Catherine Mary Heilman in England in 1900. She became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and moved to India permanently at the age of 32. She studied and lived with Gandhi for 8 years. Then she moved up north to this area I am currently at. She worked untiringly to promote education for women and conservation of forests of the Himalaya. You can read more about her life HERE

Here is a photo of Sarala with Gandhi on the left and Gandhi's wife Kasturba to the right.

In 1946 she founded the Lakshmi Ashram for practical education of girls according to the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. We visited the school a day ago here in Kausani. There are 45 girls from the area living in residence. In addition to standard classes such as math and writing etc, the girls work hands-on learning such trades as sewing, farming, animal husbandry, etc.

One of the radiant young students:

Here I am at the entrance of the school. The school is at the top of one of the foothills of Kausani. It is quite a hike to reach there:

At the very top of the mountain above the school buildings there is Sarala's Samadhi Shrine. She was cremated here on July 8, 1982 and an engraved stone installed in her memory.

 The ashram/school is very serene, well kept and blissful. The students practice farming techniques in various plots around the ashram.