Kurisumala ashram at Vagamon rejuvenates the visitors

KOTTAYAM: The Kurisumala ashram at Vagamon, established by the Benedictine monk  Francis Acharya in 1955, stands in  striking contrast to the latest spiritual activities and encroachments happening in Idukki district. Francis  Acharya,  a Cistercian monk belonging to the Benedictine congregation,  was born in Belgium. Christian spirituality blends with the Indian tradition in the ashram where  the  word  ‘Om’ is inscribed on the prayer room. It also  has a Bhagavad  Gita  along with the Bible.  

The  ashram is covered in the mist of Sahya mountains and the visitors who come in search of  peace and serenity can enjoy the gentle breeze blowing across the place. The ashram was established on the model of the ‘Sachidananda ashram’ run by the Benedictine priests at Kulithalai near Trichinapally where  the symbols and wordings of  Hindu style of prayers are used.  Francis Acharya had spent a considerable time at the ashram on the banks of Kaveri where 88 acres of  land was gifted for  the ashram by K.V. Thomas Pottenkulam. Father Francis was asked to start the monastery by Zacharias Mar Athanasios, the then bishop of Tiruvalla.

“The scenic beauty and the peace of the ashram will rejuvenate the visitors,” recalls V. Jayakumar who has been a frequent visitor there for the last ten years. Silence pervades the ashram with  boards reminding the visitors to ‘please maintain silence.’   The Benedictine priests, attired in saffron, who run the ashram speak very little and are immersed in meditation and prayers. The people ascend the hills to the  ashram on Good Friday. It rears cows for milk and the food given to the inmates is  pure  vegetarian with vegetables  grown on the premises.