Vrikshayurveda in Assam

I am the last one in the hostel; the last one of the students from the three month program, that is. All the undergraduates and post graduate students are busily locking themselves in their rooms to get ready for their exams in April. Occasionally they poke their heads out and make strange guttural sounds, like hobbits that are being tortured. Their faces are pinched and their eyes have a vague, vacant, far away look in them. They quickly scurry back into their rooms, as if even looking at or speaking about anything other than what is on the printed page, will seduce them and they will be lost forever in another reality and they will surely fail their exams, never finding their way back to Ayurveda. (I understand the feeling very well) They have tiffins delivered every day, small, stacked containers filled with hot food; usually dal, chappatis, a small 1/2 cup of veggies and some rice. They don't have time to cook, they tell me through small cracks in their doors. We smile, a knowing smile, I do my best not to engage them and we both get back to what we were doing. It's hard to not engage them because some of us have become very good friends and I feel that I have yet, one more family in my life. Some of them are SO very dear to me.
On the 15th of February I will leave Jamnagar for Delhi and make connections to go to Haridwar and visit the Kumbha Mela. (http://www.kumbhamela.net/kumbh-mela-haridwar.html). I will stay in Rishikesh with my young friend, Amit. I met Amit in Rajasthan a few years ago and have not had a visit with him since coming to India. He has a steady job now so can only stay away from work for a short while; but just long enough for me to take pictures of this amazing event with my camera that has a new 4 gig memory card. Plus I have five new jute, lemon yellow shawls from Bhagulphur which I will dip into the Ganges for good blessings. I will also be taking them to Anandamai Ma's ashram in Haridwar for more blessings...Blessings will be abundant. There will probably be over a million people there in Haridwar, so it should be an interesting experience. Daunting, but a great adventure. I'm so glad to have Amit accompanying me. I will leave my large red suitcase in Delhi, but the magic carpet comes with me, as well as my small Ganesha who lives in my change purse while I am traveling. I have plane reservations for the 24th of February to travel to Assam where I will then visit Binod Saharia and The Abaliorganictea Estate (www.abaliorganictea.com) and view the estate where Swami Valmiki has been experimenting with Vrikshayurveda (an ancient organic farming method that has come from the Vedic Scriptures that I am very interested in).
This has all the earmarks of an excellent time. I have learned that Binod's farm is one of the many farms that sells organic tea in the Comox Valley. And if that isn't enough, I even happen to know the person who will be there at the same time. It is SUCH a small world.
(Binod has given me permission to publish these photos from his website)
I have plane reservations to return to Delhi from Assam on March 3rd and from there will go south to Kerala and look for the place that uses Ayurveda to treat elephants. I will document this if I can find it. More about my projects in another story, otherwise I'll just ramble on and on.