As I steered towards the countryside a little beyond Wooster in Ohio on Interstate 71, a cavalcade of horse drawn carriages caught my sight. Riding the buggies were men and women as well as youngsters attired in a manner out of sync with contemporary America. Animal drawn carriages ferrying people from place to place were the last thing I had expected to see in the center of a high-tech country such as the US. But there was more. I was told this was Amish (nothing to do with the Sanskrit  word  for  non - vegetarian )

Buggies are not the only things quaint about the Amish. There are no telephones, radio or TV in Btheir homes. If necessary they go to public phone booths, which are not many either. The automobile is not used except for moving merchandise, handicrafts, and quilts in striking geometric patterns or artistically carved wood furniture to the marketplace. The computer age has yet to make inroads into Amish life. The tools they use are simple. 

Fossil energy is sparingly used in Amish households. There are no electric powered appliances, and stoves and fridges run on bottled gas. Oil lamps and lanterns are common, and central heating, a common feature in American households, is non-existent in Amish residences. They make their own butter and cheese. The women spin yarn and weave fabrics, and stitch all the family clothing on old fashioned sewing machines. Horses and mules plough Amish farms and carry field implements. The average Amish farm size—55 acres—is much smaller than most mechanized farms in the US. Their cultivation methods aerate rather than compact the soil. They believe fqrm aninals animals are far more economical than  gas  guzzling  tractors For fertilizer, the Amish use manure. They rely on the

An Amish woman displays a young girl’s costume

nature more than any other energy source. Almost every farm has a windmill to draw water and pump it up.

The Amish, who derive their name from Jacob Amman, a leader of the Swiss Brethren of the late 17th century, have been an enigma to the rest of the world since the beginning of the Anabaptist movement. Amish forefathers sought refuge in America from religious persecution in Germany and Switzerland. The first Amish settlement is believed to have sprouted in Pennsylvania in 1737. Immigration to the US continued until the 19th century. An estimated 125,000 of them now live in 20 or so states in the US, the largest settlements being in Ohio.  

A gazebo in an Amish home

Although the Amish do not actively seek new members, their communities have grown because they have large families, averaging seven or eight children. They believe the Bible teaches a life of simplicity and a distinct separation between church and state. Pacifism permeates every aspect of their life. Though devout Christians, the Amish do not build church towers; the church is located usually in the home. Many of them even now follow the ancient custom of washing the feet of the elderly. Virtually every Amish home has a special corner alongside the Bible for the Martyr’s Mirror, a book chronicling Amish history. Until about a century ago Amish and non-Amish  children used to attend common one-room schools. But the Amish viewed the consolidation of schools into

larger educational districts in the early years of the 20th century as detrimental to their way of life, and began to put their children in schools close to their homes. Amish children study the same subjects as others do. The main difference now is the teaching of German in Amish schools. The Amish view children as the Lord’s gift and frown on contraception. Children accompany their parents wherever they go, put on Amish dress and learn to speak the Pennsylvania German dialect in their mothers’ lap, which serves as a very important cultural and bonding medium. They learn to take responsibility early. It isn’t uncommon for a five-year old to walk down the village road with a can of milk to a neighbor’s house or steer a wagon.

Until their early twenties, when they are baptized, Amish youth have the freedom to decide whether or not to join the church. Once baptized, they are expected to stick to the rules of the church. All the girls turning 16 in one calendar year are often close buddies. Dating is allowed at 16 but many Amish young men spend a couple of years or more socializing with girls before choosing their life’s partner.