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Caring for the land in Pune, India Our Sisters in North India are blessed with a beautiful piece of property in Sandipani, Bibwewadi, Pune. This hill is considered the “green lung” of the city, and almost all of it is zoned as a green area. On it is a home for our Sisters in Pune, as well as a Holistic Health Center. Sister Rowena Miranda, our District Coordinator in North India, shares that, “Many persons who walk up the hill experience it as a healing place…a source of nourishment for body, mind and spirit. We are part of the wider community of life – animals, birds, insects, reptiles, rocks, plants, trees. The air is fresh and pure. It is quiet and peaceful, away from the hustle and bustle, noise and pollution of the city.” She adds, “It is a joy to see many people come up the hill for quiet meditation, exercise and morning walks. Both our houses and facilities are used for individuals and groups for reflections, retreats, renewal sessions, meetings, and fun outings.” With years of experience on this land, our Sisters are conscious of the responsibility involved in caring for it. Sister Philo Morris, who previously administered the land, recalls how the Sisters used compost and humus to create fertile topsoil, and planted Babul trees to make a natural boundary and prevent soil erosion. They also sold grass, dead trees, and wood to the village women, and metal and iron trash to local scrap vendors. “Caring for land became a great value for me,” Sister Philo shares.
In order to preserve the topsoil, prevent future soil erosion, and help increase moisture retention in the soil, continuous contour trenches have been dug along the hill top area. Check dams have been built on some of the slopes to collect rainwater, and ferro-cement tanks for collecting rainwater have been built on the rooftops. 27 medicinal trees have been planted, and hundreds of saplings are planted each year to maintain the greening of the hill. Vegetables, fruit, and flowers are grown organically.
Sister Rowena reflects, “This land surely sustains our souls. Our chapel is often adorned with flowers and leaves from our garden. The owl keeps watch over us at night, and the birds sing us to wakefulness…we remind ourselves about the gospel stewardship of the land, and upholding the sacredness of the earth.”
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