Holy Family

Sunday Dec 28 and Xavier was clearly delighted to see us. He celebrated Mass for us in the little oratory next to our rooms. He sits on the floor with the shawl round him guru style. I did a meditation on the family. We saw the impressive library upstairs and I borrowed Fr Sebastian's book which I later bought. He founded the ashram and his colleague is 92 and very serene. I road pillion on the motorbike holding onto Xavier to get money form the Kalady ATM! Quite an experience! Only the second time I've fdne that. At 3 we went by tuktuk taxi to seee 6 elephants at the sancturary. Sad to see them chained but we did see 2 returning from their bath in the river and they seemed welled cared for. We saw a temple with a huge cow statue and climbed up inside the Kalady stoopa with 8 sides for Adi Shankara who was born there. I preferred the temple where his mother is remembered. It is by the river and very calm.