NEPAL: Each of the Dalit villages we restore water to delivers a new wonderful experience and opportunity. These families had three ‘Hindu Sadhu’s ‘Holy-Men’ living among them. The eldest white bearded, were dedicated to particular Hindu deities from birth, and lived the nomadic life of strict religious rituals, fasting and hope, for it to be enough for their God to reincarnate them into a better person and life. Usually they live separated lives in ‘Ashrams’ cut off from the contamination of the world and its ways, to study the Hindu Scriptures, spiritual songs, and teachings. Some will become roaming teachers, and can be found in the evening, sat usually under the sacred Banyan tree, leading everyone is singing, accompanied by harmonium accordion like key board, tabla pot drum, small brass cymbals, and recounting the Hindu Bible stories. All would expect his prayer and blessing, and help in exchange for a gift of food, cloth, little money or fruit. Then he sleeps outside, or returns to the Ashram, not to their home in a village.
This was a rare and unique situation. Not one, but ‘three’ Sadhu’s are resident. Perhaps as they got older this was a practical necessity, for their care. They had watched over the drilling for water, and among the first to taste it.
It’s always very hard to talk personally to Sadhu’s. Their solitary lives, means they are often not coherent. Or will ignore, or seek to impose their worldview into a person’s heart and mind.
They have asked ‘why have you given water free to Dalits?’ – they know nothing of Jesus or His teachings. Never seen a Bible, though they are literate. They note that, ‘no Christian has spoken to us like you have; no one has come to this place, these people are hated, yet they have given us a home, and food and help.’
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