It started as an idea and a vision in the heart of Swamiji Guruprasad to establish a Sree Narayana Mission in the USA. He discussed this with everyone he met on a visit to the USA in early 2015. I was part of that group, and I promised him my whole hearted support. This idea coalesced into a firm plan with the blessings of Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala, and appropriately, the name suggested for such a mission was Sivagiri Ashram of North America (SANA). Many visits and countless meetings with Malayali communities across the country, and abroad, he secured promises of financial support from so many that I was blown away at his success. It was an amazing achievement.
Swamiji and our planning was one step ahead of realities. There were some warning signs considering the divisiveness within the Ezava communities across Kerala from the times of Guru himself, that went unheeded. Our premier attempt of the ashram in Dallas, TX, was highly educational. Even with many highly dedicated members in Dallas, our efforts flopped, and many sincere and devoted people got hurt. Many became discouraged and disillusioned. It took through the CORONA pandemic and two years of mourning to slowly heal the hurt. We still have ways to go for our community’s full recovery.
2022 was pivotal year for SANA. The disappointment in the Dallas attempt gave birth to the renewed idea of SANA in Washington, DC, considering the extent of committed families within the Metro DC, and within a 200 Miles radius – a manageable driving distance of four hours. There is the potential for significant local membership for regular foot traffic to the ashram. Sale of SANA’s land in Dallas along with money saved from previous donations were close enough for an outright purchase of a suitable building.
A competent group from the community stepped forward to shepherd a revitalized SANA forward. That was a blessing. Community support for Guruprasad Swamiji bounded back and is strong. We still have few who opted out of SANA altogether. Even discounting that, we are strong at the last count. A team of dedicated Sree Narayana devotees set out to look out for potential properties that come into the market for SANA’s home. I had the front row seat as an ancient relic of the past. In the lead was Ms. Mini Anirudhan, who kept Swamiji and me abreast of the developments. I advised her to keep the team small to make fast decisions as the market was hot and listings wouldn’t last long. I know, this may have made some slightly pissed off. Many properties came our way, but most did not fit our needs.
On October 11, 2022, a single family house on an acre land came up in White Plains, MD that met most of our specifications. It has 1620 Sq Ft on the main floor and the same in the basement, altogether 3240 sq ft. There are four BR, three baths, kitchen and LR. The basement is finished with one of the BR. The outside is clean and spacious. We decided to make an offer constrained by house passing professional inspection. There were few deficiencies on inspection, and the owner agreed to reduce the price to remedy the deficiencies. For our purpose, we need a large meeting hall which the basement will provide upon some remodeling. All in all, it is a clear winner, and we will have an ashram for less than 400K. In the Metro DC, it is a great find, in my opinion. The DC team did a wonder job, and I congratulate everyone. We took possession of it on October 27, 2022.
Our new address – 9970 Marshall Corner Road, White Plains, MD 20695. The search team made sure that the state of Maryland has no restrictions on a religious establishment in the midst of residential areas. The area is semi-rural with excellent road access. To make it even better, it is just 20 minutes from the beltway, east of DC in generally the area known as Indian Head Highway. The way DC metro is expanding, we will be in the midst of the megalopolis within just a few years.
We had a first prayer meeting in our new ashram on November 13, 2022 with the blessings from Swamiji, prior to the upgrades and repair works, which would follow a week later. On December 29, the Trustee board met via Zoom. A slate of new and existing officers were nominated and voted in for going into 2023. I did not seek the position of president of SANA board, but that’s what the Trustee board proposed and voted in. Due to my sense of duty to Gurudevan, I could not refuse. I shall do my best to serve SANA and all of its members for the next three years (Inshalla). Our plate is full with so many things to do to build our ashram from ground up. It requires not only the officers, but every member of our community. I pledge that we will communicate to you, all matters regarding SANA DC in a transparent format, and on a regular basis.
We want to bring SANA up to the level of a world class spiritual and service organization. That should be our ultimate goal. We will have the support of Swamiji. The board and I seek your support. May all of us be guided by the light that our Maha Guru lit for us.
Sivadasan Madhavan Channar
January 3, 2023
(About the author: Dr. Sivadasan Madhavan Channar hails from the Alummoottil tharavad, where Sree Narayana Guru spent considerable time during the formative years of his social reform movement. His maternal grand uncle Sree A. K. Govinda Das (A. K. Govindan Channar), and uncle Sree K. N. Komath (Kunju Krishnan Channar) were closely connected to Gurudevan.
Dr. Sivadasan graduated from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum, in 1961 following which he moved to the USA for higher studies. He received a Master of Engineering degree (ME) from the University of Missouri, in 1963, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) from Columbia University, in 1966.
He was recruited as a project engineer by Blackstone Corp., in Jamestown, NY out of Columbia, to develop efficient radiators and heaters for cars and trucks. During his 13 years there, he honed his computer skills, and developed many algorithms for measuring the performances of their products.
He had two short – five-year employments, with Parke Davis & Co. Detroit, MI, and A. H. Robins Co. Richmond, VA, both for developing large scale pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. In 1984, he joined The General Research Corp. of McClean, VA, which became part of AT&T in 1989. Throughout his career there, he was loaned to the US Army as a large scale Data Analyst for a multitude of programs. He was considered such a valuable asset that AT&T reluctantly allowed him to retire in 2016 at the age of 76, as a Principal Analyst.
Dr. Sivadasan was married to the former Miss Marianne Neely, Port Allegany, PA, and the couple have a daughter and two sons, all professionals on their own rights. He is a consummate writer, builder, craftsman, music lover, and humanist. In retirement, he still spends most of his time creating art objects from wood. His pieces are sought after items at the Toledo Art Museum Gift Shop. His five books of short stories are on amazon website. Seeking a peaceful and quiet life, he resides in Sylvania, OH, a suburb of Toledo, OH, at the western tip of Lake Erie.
Dr. Sivadasan is an ardent follower of Sree Narayana Dharma, just like everyone of his ancestral family. The tradition of fighting for the freedom and the uplifting of the masses goes all the way back to his 18th Century ancestor, Aaratupuza Velayudha Panicker).