Entries about ashram

The Ashram’s Of The East

India is the land of sages , philosophers , saints and spiritual healers . It is thus but natural that it is a land over flowing with Ashrams . These are centres of religious ,theological and spiritual growth . Here men come leaving all the heavy chores and responsibilities of the material life to savour the flavours of being sadhu’s or renouncers of the world . These ashrams are all over Haridwar and Hrishikesh , where i started my travelthon . I spent two days in the ashram od Baba Ram Dev in Haridwar . The compound is huge covered with a lush green garden and a huge patangili yog hospital . In the middle of the compound is a huge Statue of sage Patanjali meditating . The is rishi bhoomi indeed , all Baba Ramdev Style. The Ashram has rooms for visitors to stay in and a dining hall , which serves vegetarian food . The near by shops sell products that Ramdev and the patanjali yog centre manufactures through local farmers . These include Ghee , Honey , Toothpaste , Oil’s , juices , sherbets and many other such day to day products . It’s a flourishing enterprise of baba’s .Instructors teach yoga and why it is so important in fighting day to day ailments . Ram Dev once claimed he could eradicate homosexuality through Patanjali Yoga. Indeed abrade attempt to make the uttrakhand area of India into a Rishi Bhoomi.

The other ashram of course is the OSHO Ashram in pune it is the centre .Hailed as a ashram for free sex , it was known for it’s love , music ,dance and laugh philosophy .Mostly run by europeans and American’s who are followers of OSHO , the ashram works like clock work . It is the cleanest and most hygienic ashram i have ever seen . Sanyasis wear white and maron robes . The ashram is a centre for meditation and the teachings of OSHO .Before one enters a AID’S test is carried out . The security had been beefed up lately because a bomb had gone off at the near by German Bakery . This was of course later found to be the work of Hadley who was a friend of Mahesh Bhat’s Son Rahul. Mahesh Bhat himself had been a sanyasi at the ashram for a few years , along with the actor Vinod Khanna of course. OSHO’s provocative lectures , meditation which includes kundalini awakening , laughing and dynamic meditation. Swan’s flot around in the pond wich is full of gold fish , it’s a heavenly sight.

Right at the bottom tip of India is the Viveka Nanda Asram situated in Kanyakumari and the huge vivekananda rock some way into the sea. One has to take a ferry to the rock on which is situated the temple . Here also meditation is the key , pilgrims meditate focusing their energy on the OM symbol carved on the wall , which constantly keeps glowing .Food is vegetarian and the accommodation is simple and sparse . In the morning yaga and puja’s are performed by the priests .Their is the library nnd a grils school in the ashram also . Grand quotes from the great man adorn the walls of the ashram , with huge cutouts of the saint himself. A monk who truly put indian philosophy and religion on the world map.