Aruloudhayam Asharam:

The intention of founding an ashram began already from 1981, when Fr. Jaswant was doing his research in Rome acquainting Grace in the Saiva Siddhantham with Gace in the Letters of St. Paul (i.e., Hinduism and Christianity) in continuance of a missionary desire which began already in 1962 – of going deep into the 2 religious Scriptures to see if an understanding could be built between the 2 religious traditions. He won a gold medal at the University (1985) for his research; he was also asked to teach at the University. He declined the offer saying that he did not do this research for an academic career but to do some service to his people back in India. His research was published as a book in 1989, entitled Grace in the Saiva Siddhantham and in St. Paul – A contribution in Interfaith, Cross cultural Understanding (in 2 volumes; 776 pages). This research forms the basis as it were, of the Concept of the ashram he wished to found.

After his studies, however, he could not proceed in that line as he was appointed to teach in Sacred Heart Seminary, Poonamallee at Chennai in Tamilnadu, India in June 1985. Already in 1990, his General, after seeing his book, bade him not to stop on his research and even to struggle, with his superiors if need be, to keep on at it. Fr. Jaswant sacrificed his 6^th year of Rectorship in poonamallee (1994-95) for a year of discernment. His discernment gave him the assurance that God’s time had come for him to go ahead in the line of the ashram and of his research. Even then, it was not to be. He was appointed parish priest of Don Bosco Shrine at Ayanavaram in Chennai.

For more details go to Ashram History.....