Rishikesh Inside!: Meera Behn's Kutiya

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Meera Behn has been a very important figure in many Revolutions, mainly being :-

The Indian Independence Movement
End to the British Boycott of German Musicians Movement
The Chipko Movement, etc.

Madeleine Slade a.k.a Meera Behn was born on 22nd November 1892, to British Rear-Admiral Sir Edmund Slade of the British Royal Navy.

She was a big fan of Ludwig van Beethoven and followed in his footsteps to be a Pianist. ( She visited all the places where he lived and made his music and she even read many books about him)

She was a Concert Manager as well.

After World War 1, German Musicians were banned from playing in the United Kingdom.

Madeleine led an important role in helping German Musicians in to be allowed to play in the United Kingdom once again.

She was fond of reading Romain Rolland's books on Beethoven, and she finally met him in Villeneuve.

After meeting Rolland and knowing about his adventures, he told her about him writing a new book about Mahatma Gandhi.

He described Gandhi as another Christ and being the Greatest figure of the 20th Century.

She started reading extensively about Gandhi after this meeting, and became fond of his Principles and Disclipline.

She finally read Rolland's book on Gandhi and this convinced her to follow Gandhi and become his Disciple.

She was so fond of him that she wrote a letter to him and asked for his permission to become his Disciple and to live with and under him in the Sabarmati Ashram, which was in Gujarat, India.

Mahatmi Gandhi replied to her, invited her to the ashram, but even warned her about the Hard Disciplines his Disciples followed, and which in turn, she also had to follow while living there.

The Discipline of the Sabarmati Ashram was to live like a Yogi, and to quit Alcohol, Smoking, a Luxurious Lifestyle and had to follow Vegetarianism and Spinning.

She practiced all these things and even stayed in Paris and learned the Bhagvad Gita and the Rig Veda in French.

She left her home for that lifestyle and finally arrived in Ahmedabad on 7th November, 1925 and was received by Mahadev Desai, Vallabbhai Patel and Swami Anand (Important figures in the Indian Independence Movement).

She witnessed many events like the Round Table Conference, Non Cooperation Movement, Simla Conference, Cabinet Mission, Constituent Assembly, Partition of India and the Gandhi Assasination etc.

After the Indian Independence, Meera Behn visited Rishikesh and helped the people here by dreaming and designing a new and improved place for poor people, and she established the Pashulok Ashram and Bapugram area.

She lived in Rishikesh close to the Veerbhadra Mandir, near the Ganga Barrage, in her Home/Kutiya. It was adjoining to a Ganga Ghat as well.

She made a lot of efforts in creating different things for the benefit of the poor people in Rishikesh. (Like Farming, Dairy Farming, Medicinal Expansions, etc).

After leaving from Rishikesh in 1959, her Kutiya was vacant and slowly and steadily was covered and consumed by the forest.

The Remains of it are still there, and it comes under the Forest Department now, but anyone can still visit her Kutiya and take in the essence of her being.

The Uttarakhand/Rishikesh Government has now decided to Restore Meera Behn's Kutiya, and a Yoga and Arts Centre will be developed there.

Meera Behn stayed in India for 34 years.

She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1981 (India's second highest civilian honour).

She died on 20th July, 1982 in Vienna.

Rishikesh Inside suggests you to visit this place and feel the essence of Meera Behn, who was All but One.

Thank you!