Friday, April 5, 2019

Adoration Franciscan Monastery Mahuva, Gujarat

Mahuva (Gujaratiમહુવા) is a town on the Arabian Sea coast in Bhavnagar District, in the state of GujaratIndia. Mahuva is known for its mild weather and green, lush surroundings, including many coconut tree plantations. Mahuva is also known as Kashmir of Saurashtra. It is a part of the Saurashtra region. Mahuva is also known for wooden toys, raw onions, groundnuts, and local Jamadar mango. Mahuva is home to a thriving agribusiness industry, with an emphasis on enterprises that dehydrate vegetables such as garlic and onions for use in processed foods. 
This Monastery is founded about 30 years ago ....the sisters came from one of the Monasteries from Kerala....many have come lived here and gone back...the reasons are too many....it is a non-christian area....no Catholics around....only Catholics are the CMI priests who are running an English Medium school for last 30 years.....the sisters receive some faithful from other parts of Gujarat...... 
 The Catholics here are mostly migrants from south of India.....the sisters are only four of them. ...in conversation with me revealed that they don't feel a small group but a big community...they carry on their normal cloistered life....no one to disturb them.....local people are non-christians have no idea who are these women living inside....some of those who work in the garden of the sisters wonder who are these strange creatures wearing dresses which are unknown to them
 The sisters receive hardly any visitors....but those who come to see them are catholics from far away...priests and religious do come....donations and financial support is rare....the bishop is the only hope of the sisters and their relatives do support them.....the coconut garden is the only source of income....
 Mahuva has a seaside beach, located near the historical Bhavani Temple.
Talgajarda, a village near Mahuva is the residence of the popular Hindu bard Morari Bapu.
A well known Gujarati Author Harkisan Mehta was from Mahuva. Mahuva is also native place of Smt. Asha Parekh, Veteran Indian Actress.
 The beauty of this monastery is that the sisters are blessed with the company of the national bird called peacock...it is a feast to our eyes to see them dancing and singing...whether it is raining or sun shining the Peacocks keep dancing....when they see and sense a stranger in the compound they keep themselves far away.....especially on top of the trees......

 The close by village...a typical Indian village....fields....cattles...dogs....everything in and around the houses.....


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