Events and Activities

Ceremonies and celebrations are part of the joint activities of the Yogaschool, for example on the occasion of Sri Aurobindo's birthday on 15th of August, Diwali or the Yogaschool anniversaries.
From time to time performances of Indian music and dance (e.g. Bharata Natyam) take place.

Since 1978 Padmakar Mirajkar has organized journeys to India for small parties, mainly participants of the yoga classes. In the course of the years most parts of the Indian subcontinent have been travelled to. Among the destinations were North-India with Delhi and Agra, Himalachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Orissa.

A visit to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry is the focal point of all journeys. As Padmakar Mirajkar lived in the Ashram for 14 years he of course introduces the members of his travel groups into the Ashram life.
You can stay in one of the Ashram guesthouses and have thereby admission to many facilities of the Ashram like the Ahram library or the Ashram beach. Meals are taken in the Dining Hall together with the Ashram-members.
Thus one can come into contact with the Ashramites and can gain insight into the daily life of a sadhak (yoga-diciple).
It is also possible to participate in the daily meditations or to visit Sri Aurobindo's room for meditation.

Those interested in the international city of Auroville, which is only 10 km from Pondicherry, can spend some days there and lodge in different guesthouses or in Padmakar Mirajkar's estate Good Earth.   

A village school in South-India

A special social commitment of the Yogaschool is dedicated to a small village school that is only a few kilometers from Good Earth.
In 1997, during one of the group travels, Padmakar Mirajkar suggested to take on a sponsorship for the school of one of the five villages in the Auroville-area.
 
The school's initial state: No windows and doors. Meals were prepared in the  schoolyard as the kitchen building was unsafe. According to the state controlled curriculum the school with 150 children was run by one headmaster and two teachers. The classes were not equipped with furniture and teaching material. There was not even a blackboard or a piece of chalk.

Between 1997 and 1999 the Yogaschool raised funds that were used for the renovation of the school. The building was provided with doors and windows, the roof was reconstructed. The building is now supplied with electricity, a kitchen and a water tank for drinking water.
In addition desks and benches for the pupils and desks for the teachers have been built and teaching material has been bought.
Many children come from poor families and hardly knew clean clothing. Now each pupil is regularly provided with a new school uniform.

Most important the Yogaschool pays two additional teachers. To the pleasure of the children an experienced dancer teaches classical Indian dance once a week and thus helps to keep up this cultural heritage.

Meanwhile the school has developped into a showpiece of the region and the number of pupils has increased. This shows that the efforts have been worth while and should be continued.

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