Dear Friends,
Master’s Patio continues to evolve at Ishwar’s dera in Bruce, Wisconsin. The latest patio component to be completed is the double retaining wall on the west side of the patio. Soon after the last block was placed, the wall was playfully named The Great Wall of Dera … in part because of its resilience and stature, but also because it reminded some of Ishwar’s visit to The Great Wall of China in 2017.
Here is a series of photos that track the construction of Ishwar’s Great Wall in Wisconsin.
The earthen bank is modified to accommodate the shape of the wall.
The first block of the lower wall is placed on a compacted sand and gravel base. Each block weighs about 70 pounds.
As the lower wall reaches its full height, gravel and drain tile are placed behind the wall so water drains away from the wall.
Both walls are installed. The next step is to place the caps on top of the walls.
A strong adhesive is applied to bond the top caps to the wall blocks.
The Great Wall of Dera is completed!
Volunteers then added composted soil to the garden bed and planted a variety of carefully chosen flowers and perennial shrubs.
Bark mulch was applied around the plants, and the lower wall garden is complete! The upper wall garden is scheduled for planting during the Mitti Seva event.
Mitti Seva 2026 is just a few days away, September 18 to 21. 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/.
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