An Ashram (Pronounced 'aashram') in ancient India was a Hindu hermitage where sages (See Rishi) lived in peace and tranquility amidst nature. Spiritual and physical exercises, such as the various forms of Yoga, were regularly performed by the hermitage residents. Other sacrifices and penances, such as Yajnas were also performed. Many Ashrams also served as Gurukuls or residential schools for children. The word ashram is derived from the Sanskrit 'aashraya', which means 'protection'. (In the pronunciation of 'aashraya', the ending 'a' is not lengthened to 'aa'.) In many respects, a Hindu ...

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Ashram:

Hermitage, residence for saints and spiritual aspirants. A spiritual school.

(See also: Ashram, Body Mind and Soul)

ashram: monastery, hermitage, place of retreat.

(See also: ashram, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

Swami Krishna Ashram

Swami Krishna Ashram is a living saint at Daroli village, 14 miles below Gangotri, the origin of the Ganges. He has been living there for the last eight years in an absolutely nude state, in an icy region, where an ordinary man may require a woollen sweater, a Gothma and half a dozen blankets.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

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The ashram now has a museum, Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalay. This museum presents a story of the Mahatma's life, in commentary, photographs, and displays of his personal effects. The cottage in which Gandhi used to live, Hirday Kunj, also is preserved here. ...

See also:

Sabarmati Ashram, Sabarmati Ashram - India's independence movement, Sabarmati Ashram - Ashram

Read more here: » Sabarmati Ashram: Encyclopedia II - Sabarmati Ashram - Ashram

 Sai Baba: A Pilgrimage

A Sai Baba devotee meets with Paramahamsa Hariharananda for initiation at the Karar Ashram in Puri, India - March 1989.

The article is an excerpt taken from the devotees book, Glimpses of the Divine: Working with the Teachings of Sai Baba by Birgitte Rodriguez.

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In Hinduism, Yajna or Yagya यज्ञ(Sanskrit yajñá "worship, prayer, praise; offering, oblation, sacrifice") is a Vedic ritual of sacrifice performed to please the Devas, or sometimes to the Supreme Spirit Brahman. It involves pouring oblations into the divine Agni (the sacrificial fire). Everything that is offered in the divine Agni is believed to reach the Devas. A yajna is typically performed by a hotar, with a number of additional priests playing a supporting role, chanting Vedic verses. Often there will be a ...

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Mirra Alfassa (later Morisset and Richard), known as The Mother (February 21, 1878 - November 17, 1973), was the spiritual partner of the sage and seer Sri Aurobindo. She was born in Paris to Turkish and Egyptian parents and came to his ashram on March 29, 1914 visiting Pondicherry several times and finally settling there in 1920. After November 24, 1926, when Sri Aurobindo retired into seclusion, she supervised the organization of his ashram and institutes. She became the leader of the community after ...

Including:

• The Mother - Difficulties facing the biographer
• The Mother - Early Life
• The Mother - Meeting Sri Aurobindo
• The Mother - The Mother of the Ashram
• The Mother - The Physical Transformation
• The Mother - Auroville
• The Mother - Important Disciples
• The Mother - The Mother - Quotes
• The Mother - Partial bibliography

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The beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation, founded by the Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba (major article) can be characterized as a rather traditional but syncretistic form of Hinduism. Additionally, believers have faith in the guru as an purna avatar (full divine incarnation) of Shiva and Shakti, who is predicted in the Bhagavad Gita. In non-Hindu terms, this means that his followers see him as God. Followers are engaged in singing bhajans and charity. Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisati ...

Including:

• Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Important teachings
• Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Ashrams in India and the person of Sathya Sai Baba
• Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Youth stories
• Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Practices in the ashrams and the person of Sathya Sai Baba
• Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Activities in local Sathya Sai Baba groups
• Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Celebrations and commemorations
• Beliefs and practices in the Sathya Sai Organisation - Bibliography

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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (September 1, 1896–November 14, 1977) was born Abhay Charan De, in Kolkata, West Bengal. He studied at the Scottish Church College, Calcutta, which was then administered by the British. In his later years, as a Vaishnava sadhu, he became an influential communicator of Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology to India and specifically to the West. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Married Life. Prior to adopting the life of a vanaprastha, or pious renunciant in 1950, he was ...

Including:

• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Married Life
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Sannyasa
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Mission to the West
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - 'Books are the Basis'
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Reactions to Prabhupada's Passing
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Prabhupada's respect for the World Religions
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Prabhupada's Impact on Indians
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - North American Ashram

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Sathya Sai Baba (born Sathya Narayana Raju with the family name Ratnakaram [1], November 23, 1926 or October 4, 1929 is a popular, controversial Indian guru who has millions of followers and hundreds of Sathya Sai Baba groups in many countries. In the 1940s he claimed to be the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba and subsequently took the fakir's name. He says that he is an avatar (incarnation) of Shiva and Shakti and an embodiment of love w ...

Including:

• Sathya Sai Baba - History and origins
• Sathya Sai Baba - Miracles claims and ashrams
• Sathya Sai Baba - Teachings
• Sathya Sai Baba - Organizations
• Sathya Sai Baba - Opposition controversy and allegations
• Sathya Sai Baba - Stances by devotees and proponents
• Sathya Sai Baba - Parliamentary governmental and political issues and responses
• Sathya Sai Baba - Sathya Sai Baba's Presence in Popular Culture
• Sathya Sai Baba - Bibliography
• Sathya Sai Baba - Books by Sai Baba
• Sathya Sai Baba - Selected books by his followers
• Sathya Sai Baba - Books by sceptics and critics
• Sathya Sai Baba - Other books

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Sūrya namaskāra (Salute to the Sun) is a form of sun worship and self vitalization that is reputed to have been handed down from the enlightened sages of the Vedic Age. Sūrya namaskāra can be practised on varying levels of awareness ranging from that of simple physical exercise to a complete sadhana which incorporates asana, pranayama, mantra and chakra meditation. The physical base of the practice links together twelve asanas in a dynamically performed series. These asana ...

Including:

• Surya Namaskara - Series summary
• Surya Namaskara - Practice suitability and cautions

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Bala Sai Baba is an Indian guru who claims to be the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba. He has his ashram at Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. He should not be confused with the famous Sathya Sai Baba (born 1926-1929), another guru who claims to be Shirdi's Sai Baba reincarnation. Bala Sai Baba - External link. Homepage ...

Including:

• Bala Sai Baba - External link

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Siddha Yoga is a spiritual group teaching traditional Hindu or yogic practices both in India and in the West. The group has an organizational foundation by the name of SYDA Foundation, founded by the second guru of the Siddha Yoga lineage, Swami Muktananda (1908 – 1982). The guru who is the latest in the lineage of teachers of Siddha yoga is a woman, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda (June 24, 1955 – ). The group has its U.S. headquarters at a large country ashram called Shree Muktananda Ashram composed of two former resort hotels i ...

Including:

• Siddha Yoga - History
• Siddha Yoga - Tenets
• Siddha Yoga - Practices
• Siddha Yoga - Criticism
• Siddha Yoga - Press articles - Favorable
• Siddha Yoga - Press articles - Critical

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Ahalya was the wife of the sage Gautama in the Hindu epic Ramayana. The story of Ahalya is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayan 23rd Sarga. The name Ahalya is composed of two words – Aa is a negation term and Halya means deformity. Therefore Ahalya means one without any deformity. Ahalya was very beautiful. Indra once saw Ahalya and was captured by her beauty and longed for her. Once when rishi Gautama was away from his ashram, Indra disguised himself as Gautama and came to the ash ...

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Alan Richard Griffiths (1906-1993) was a British-born mystic who lived in an ashram, called Shantivanam, in south India. He originally studied literature in Britain. One of his professors was famed Christian writer C. S. Lewis, who became a lifetime friend. He was also known as Swami Dayananda. He wrote twelve books on Hindu-Christian dialogue. Griffith's form of Vedanta-inspired Christianity is called Wisdom Christianity. Bede Griffiths - External link. Bede Griffiths websiteIncluding:

• Bede Griffiths - External link

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He was a saint, who lived in Tiruvallur, near Chennai, India. Sri Venkatesa Battar was born in a small village called Sitthamalli,near Sirgazhi in Tamil Nadu,India. He spent most parts of his life in Kumbakonam and Tiruvallur.He was an authority in Mantra Shastra and temple procedures. He was an ardent devotee of Goddess Meenakshi, the guardian deity of Madurai. He was instrumental in establishing the Panchamukha Hanuman Ashram at Tiruvallur,near Chennai. He attained Samadhi in 2003. His Guru was Sri Mantramurthi RangaSwami Battachar of Anandatandavapuram.The Title Mantram ...

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There are several people with the name Sai Baba Sai Baba of Shirdi (approx. 1838-1918), the original turn of the century fakir or guru who lived in the village Shirdi, Bombay Presidency, now Maharastra who has both Muslim and Hindu followers. Several Indian gurus claimed to the be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi Sathya Sai Baba, (born circa 1926-1929) the famous guru whose main ashram is in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh. He claims that he will be re-born as Prema Sai Baba<

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Acharya Sushil Kumarji Maharaj ("Guruji" -- June 15, 1926 - April 22, 1994) was a Jain Acharya. Sushil Kumarji was the honorary president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, founder of the World Fellowship of Religions (1950), and a founding member of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (1964). Kumarji's primary ashram is Siddhachalam, located in Blairstown, New Jersey -- established in 1983. He was born in Sikhopur, India and, at the age of seven, went to live with Shri Chotelalji Maharaj (who became his guru). Kumarji claimed that the spirit of Shri Roop Chandji Maharaj had inspired him t ...

Including:

• Sushil Kumarji - Quote

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A maṭha (also written matha and mutt) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of the Hindu religion. A maṭha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram. The head of a maṭha is often called a Sankaracharya, a title derived from Adi Sankara. Important establishments include the four āmnaya maṭhas; Dwaraka Pītha, at Dwarka, Gujarat Govardhana matha, at Puri, Orissa Jyotirmath, in Uttaranchal Sringeri Shar ...

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