Sri Ram Ashram provides a stable, loving family atmosphere for abandoned or neglected children in India. The Ashram accepts both infants and older children.

Daily life at the Ashram is a full and well-balanced routine, teaching both responsibility and discipline. The children are taught to help and care for each other. They are all brothers and sisters.

The Ashram ensures proper nutrition, exercise, health care, education and family support for all its members. Surrounding the Ashram are fields where they grow fresh vegetables and grains — feel free to pick a lychee off the tree for a snack!

The Ashram cows provide fresh milk for yogurt and chai. The kitchen staff works hard to produce three nutritious meals daily along with snacks of fresh fruit.

At the Ashram, CrossFit is a major component of everyone’s day. Children are usually up by 5:30 a.m. before the heat of the day sets in. Curtis Dowhaniuk, Roxy Secara and Alexandra Rabbitte from Group B were also ready every morning to capture the role CrossFit plays at the Ashram.

Facilities include housing for babies, children, staff and visitors, as well as a library, game room, well-equipped playground, cricket and soccer fields. There is a never a boring moment at the Ashram.

Sri Ram Orphanage is not an adoption facility. Instead, the children are raised to honor their culture and become contributing members of Indian society. One of the ways this is done is by providing a place for the children to have their nightly Aarti celebration. Aarti is a part of the Hindu religion and is done daily to worship deities. Gautam Verma and Kaitlyn Brown sat down with some of the children to find out why Aarti is important to them.