Madhava Ashish

Madhava Ashish (1920–1997) was a Scottish-born naturalised Indian spiritualist, mystic, writer and agriculturist, known for his services to Indian agriculture. He was the head of the Mirtola Ashram located in the village of same name, near Almora, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. He published several articles on the topics of agriculture and ecology of India. He was also the author of four books, What is Man?, Man, The Measure of All Things, Man, Son of Man and An Open Window. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 1992 for his contributions to the agriculture sector in India.

Early life and education Madhava Ashish was born Alexander Phipps, on 23 February 1920 at Edinburgh to a Colonel working in the British Indian Army and his early schooling was at Hove and Sherborne. When the war ended the same year, he stayed on in India to continue his spiritual searches. Assisted by Esther Merston, the author of Village Life By the Ganges, he moved to Mirtola Ashram, a spiritual base at the foothills of the Himalayas, near Almora district, in the Kumaon valley. remained his home till his death in 1997. and preservation of ecology. He also wrote three books, What is Man?,

His involvement with agriculture and ecology earned him memberships in many committees of the Planning Commission of India. recounts the experiences of Seymour Buddy Ginsburg (b. 27 August 1934), an American businessman and the founder president of Toys R Us, US based children's goods retailer, had with Ashish, during his visit to Mirtola. Guru by Your Bedside: The Teachings of a Modern Seer is a Penguin India publication by Satish Datt Pandey (b. 1930), a biographical account of Ashish which includes details about Mirtola and its spirituality. A Way Within - Seven Year's In A Himalayan Ashram by Madhu Tandan published by Speaking Tiger in December 2023 is a personal account of her stay in Mirtola under Madhava Ashish's tutelage, following his 'soil to soul' philosophy, where every experience was viewed as an opportunity to grow.