In the Indian folk-lore, it is said that an old woman sits on Moon while spinning cotton wheel. This actually used to happen for several years in Haridwar. Madeleine Slade, born in 1892, was a pianist in the UK. She authored the biography of Beethoven forward to which was written by conductor Jubin Mehta. Her father was a commander of the British naval forces in Asia.
When Madeleine met Romain Rolland, he asked her to meet ‘Christ-like’ Gandhi. Thus she visited India and after meeting Mahatma Gandhi, became his life-long follower. She set up an ashram in Haridwar in the year circa 1932. Gandhi ji himself visited and stayed briefly at the place. She used to teach cotton spinning here.
Not only her ashram but her memory also doesn’t survive. Team of AZIMVTH Ashram were searching for the lost ashram of Madeleine for a year. Finally, on the 2nd October 2018, a minor expedition was led and they were able to locate the place which is about 10 km downstream AZIMVTH Ashram. 2nd October is birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. And a year later, 02 October 2019, was going to be a grand occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Ganadhi ji. After Gandhi ji passed away, Madeleine brought a part of his ashes and immersed them in Ganges near to her ashram.
Following video shows her teaching cotton-spinning. Although not old in age, she is exactly like what the Indian folk-lore describes a scene at Moon.
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AZIMVTH Ashram 