DIVYADAAN, AUGUST 18, 2011: After a busy month that had gone by – the play staged, the visit of the Relic of Don Bosco and Independence Day celebration, the brothers of Divyadaan rightfully needed a picnic to lift their tired veils from their faces and refresh them for their upcoming exams.
And so on August 16, 2011, the staff of Divyadaan under the leadership of Fr. Savio D’souza, the Rector, organized a picnic for the brothers. The destination set was Igatpuri – a place on the outskirts of Nashik.Geared up and ready to roll, the brothers and staff members began their journey from Divyadaan to Igatpuri at 8 O’clock in the morning. During the bus journey, the brothers began to serenade the environment with their music and laughter.We reached our destination at 9.30a.m. The place we first visited was Satyagiri – a Dominican center where a lot of seminars on inter-religious dialogue as well as recollection and retreats are held. We were greeted with a warm welcome by Fr. Reggie. After we finished our short tour around the place we headed for the parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus, where we were welcomed by Fr. Santiago the Parish Priest. It was here that we unloaded all our stuff headed for the waterfall.
The walk to the waterfall was an uphill climb. Upon reaching the waterfall the brothers began to park themselves one by one underneath it. Those with the spirit of adventure decided to scale the mountain even higher and trace the source of the waterfall. After an hour and half or two, the brothers unwillingly decided to head back to the camp as their tummies beckoned them.
After a sumptuous meal the brothers rested for a while and enjoyed the beauty of the place. Later the brothers and fathers headed for, Dhammagiri International - a place where Vipasanna style of meditation is taught.
Once reaching the place, the brothers were given a short introduction and were taken on a guided tour of the place. The tour ended with a short documentary video on the origin of Vipasanna.
The brothers thanked Fr. Santiago for his hospitality and though unwilling, were ready to head back to Nashik. On the way back the brothers continued with their music and laughter. As their journey came to an end the brothers in unison began to cheer for Don Bosco. They thanked all the Fathers for arranging such an exciting outing for them.