Dear Friends,
After the ISHA Dining Hall was finished in 2023, a suggestion was made to build a landscaped patio between the Dining Hall and Ishwar’s house. An enthusiastic friend of Ishwar’s assumed leadership of the seva project and, over the next two years, worked with a volunteer landscape architect and other sevadars to develop an appropriate patio plan. Phase 1 construction in the patio area began in 2025 with removal of a dirt slope, installation of a small retaining wall, and installation of a rain garden along the west side of the Dining Hall. Fueled by an outpouring of love and devotion, the rain garden and small wall were completed in the summer of 2026. Below is a photo journal of the project.
The next blog will focus on Phase 2, which was the recent installation of two large retaining walls set into the dirt slope.
The future patio, as seen in 2023. In this area, sevadars imagined a comfortable and convenient space for visitors to gather, relax, and celebrate their many opportunities to serve Ishwar.
One of many informal meetings to discuss design updates for Master’s Patio. All ideas were welcomed, and the final plan therefore represents a symbiotic celebration of love and devotion for Master Ishwar.
One of many design sketches that evolved over the two years of harmonious planning.
And then, in the spring of 2025, volunteers began to happily move dirt for the long-awaited patio.
The first task involved excavating space for the rain garden along the west side of the dining hall. This garden was designed to catch water from the roof and slowly channel it away from the building.
A block retaining wall was installed between the rain garden and the patio area.
The garden was filled with soil and mulch, and flowers and ferns were planted by joyful seekers.
Finally, to minimize erosion and splashing, a row of stones was placed under the roof drip-line.
After the rain garden was complete, workers began to fill the patio space with compacted gravel that will serve as the base for the patio stones.
Stay tuned for the next blog, which will feature the installation of elegant, twin retaining walls along the dirt slope on the right.
Mitti Seva 2026 at the dera is September 18 to 21. On Saturday, September 19, we will be taking a tour of Ishwar’s newly painted Meeting Hall building with the full group of visitors! We hope you can join in the fun! For more information, or to register for the event, please click here ishanews.org/sep-2026-mitti-seva-registration/.
Both of ISHA’s live Dera Cameras are online! To view activity in Ishwar’s Prashad Garden, click here garden.ishanews.org/ishwars-prashad-garden-camera/. To view Ishwar’s Meeting Hall worksite, click here garden.ishanews.org/live-hill-camera-1/.
All are invited to visit the dera any time between now and November 1, 2026. Please let us know when you will be visiting by emailing ISHA President Bill Grout at bill.grout@ishanews.org.
To learn more about Ishwar’s Meeting Hall, check out the Dera website at dera.ishanews.org
If you would like to offer seva to Ishwar Ji, please visit ishanews.org/voluntary-contribution/.
Any questions related to Ishwar’s Dera can be directed to ISHA chairman Jagannath Kerai’s email at chairman@ishanews.org.
With warmest regards,
Paul Bauer
ISHA Dera Building Committee
