The Art of Living International Centre also called the "Bangalore Ashram" is the spiritual-cultural headquarters of the Art of Living Foundation.
Video The Art of Living International Center
Introduction about the Center
The Center was established in 1986 by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to offer a base for his Art of Living Foundation, as well as provide a spiritual solace for all people. It draws 1.2 million visitors yearly from across the world for its yoga and meditation programs.The lifestyle is with a daily routine of group meditation, chanting, knowledge sessions, pujas and satsangs. Visitors can also be a part of numerous seva opportunities and undergo Ayurveda treatments.
The Center features several meditation halls, Ayurveda hospital, Gurukul, and goshala amongst others. It is also the focal point of many service projects such as rural development and education, alternative energy utilization and organic farming initiatives.
The Center teaches a variety of yoga and breathing techniques, especially Sudarshan Kriya. It is the pivot of majority of Art of Living Courses which are conducted by instructors, most of whom are volunteers. These courses have also been conducted for students and faculty, government officials, firemen, ex-militants, and prisoners.
The center is located 21 km southwest of Bangalore on Kanakapura road, at the top of the Panchagiri Hills.
Maps The Art of Living International Center
Places
Vishalakshi Mantap
Vishalakshi mantap is a meditation hall consisting of five tiers with designs of lotus petals surrounding it. Symbols of all major religions of the world are depicted inside the hall.
Ayurveda hospital
Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science & Research Hospital is a 172 bedded multi-speciality Ayurveda Hospital covering over 1 lakh sq ft area. It offers more than 100 Ayurveda treatments and super speciality clinics in each branch of Ayurveda. Treatments range from traditional Panchakarma to modern cancer and diabetes treatment.
State-of-the-art residential facilities are available at the hospital for medical tourism.
Sri Sri Gurukul
Veda Agama Samskrutha Maha Patashala, also known as Sri Sri Gurukul is spread over 7 acres. It has two divisions, Agama and Veda.
The Agama Pathshala aims to preserve the age-old rituals of temple worship as they were laid down in the ancient scriptures - the Agama. The school offers a five-year training program that teaches students from all over India how to conduct pujas, abhishekas and other rituals. The students learn the Dravidian Style of vedic chanting.The course syllabus also includes study of the Veda, Agama, Sanskrit language, Astrology, Yoga, music, Sculpture, Epics and Shaivic scriptures from the Dravidian tradition. Computer and general knowledge is also taught to keep the students updated.
Students 11 to 14 years old learn there the authentic way of chantings and performance of pujas. Duration of study is 7 years + 1 year of internship. The Patashala is also a learning center for Sanskrit, Jyothisham, Saiva Siddhantha, Sangeetham, Yoga, Vedic Mathematics, Thirumarai, and Shilpa Sasthra.
Goshala
The Goshala was set up in 2006 with the aim of preserving pure breeds, and houses over 500 indigenous cows of different breeds such as the Ongol from Andhra Pradesh, Kangayan from Tamil Nadu, the Gir from Gujarat and the Sahiwal from Punjab.
The cows and bulls are fed thrice a day with fresh and dry fodder, gram husk, and mineral supplements. They are let out mid-morning for grazing and daily Mahamrityunjaya homes performed for their well-being. Cows are milked twice a day, the products of which are distributed in the Center.
The cow dung is used to produce biogas for meeting the Center's energy needs and the other by-products are used in Ayurvedic medicine that is well-renowned across the world.The goshala also provides a model for reviving and promoting organic, zero budget farming.
Annapoorna Kitchen
Opened in October 2004, the kitchen has three floors. Solar panels fuel the preparation of nearly 40,000 meals each day and the concentrated heat from all these panels create 2800 kg of steam in a single day.
The food is Satvic (food that induces a calm mind) and cooked with steam produced from environment-friendly boilers using briquettes (a type of fuel that is made from a mixture of sawdust, groundnut and coffee shells).
Radha Kunj
Radha Kunj is a garden overlooking a lake. Surrounded by greenary, there is a lily pond and a mantap. There is an earthy pathway all along the garden to facilitate easy walking.].
Sri Sri Panchakarma
The Sri Sri Ayurveda Panchakarma Center has been built in the traditional Kerala style,.
Panchakarma (five steps) is a natural cleansing and rejuvenating program for the body and the mind. Guests can schedule personal consultations with panchakarma doctors at the facility and can opt for an extended curative treatment plan which includes massages, diets and other Ayurvedic treatments.
'Nadi Pariksha' (pulse diagnosis), one of the main methods of diagnosis in Ayurveda is conducted here. 'Nadi' refers to the channels of subtle life-force energy (similar to the nervous system) called 'prana', and 'Pariksha' means 'diagnosis'.
Sumeru Mantap
Sumeru Mantap is an open-air auditorium at the geographically highest location in the ashram. There is a middle open space where a marble bench and a Banyan tree can be seen. With white marble flooring and pink pillars, the mantap stands on a hilltop.
There are 12 pairs of pillars, representing the 12 zodiac signs around the mantap, decorated with ornamental lotus flowers.. The pillars have been designed is such a way that the first rays of the Sun fall on the pillar with the corresponding zodiac sign carved on the ceiling above it.
Festivals
According to Hinduism, the Mother Divine is the source of all energy. Due to this attribute, she is also referred to as Shakti, which literally translates to power or energy. Hence, Navratri (nine nights) is a celebration to thank and worship the Devi for our very existence.
The nine nights of Navratri offer a chance to go back to the Mother Divine (or source) to rest and rejuvenate. Resting here implies the absence of physical and mental activity. While meditation and fasting help calm down the mind and reduce mental chatter, silence enhances the rejuvenation by turning attention inwards. Silence not only purifies speech, but also develops skills.
Various advanced meditation programs are offered during Navratri where participants go through 5, 7 or 10 days of silence and meditation processes. It is followed by a series of grand pujas and homas in the presence of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, with each day having a special significance. A large number of people from all over the world gather to experience this event at the Center.
Mahashivratri
Shivratri means 'The Night of Shiva' and is observed in honor of Lord Shiva (The meditative aspect of the Universe). According to the Shivapurana, the 14th night of the new moon during the month of phalgun, is Shiva's most favorite day. Hence, it is on this day that the consciousness, and the aura descends onto the material world, bringing deep rest to the mind and the spirit.
It is grandly celebrated at the Center with Rudrabhishekam i.e. singing of the ancient Vedic mantras accompanied with a ceremony of washing the Shiva Linga with milk, curd, honey, rose water, etc. This ancient tradition is said to bring purity, positive energy in the environment, and improve the well-being of the whole world. Thousands(exact figures) gather to witness this event and participate in the intense meditation afterwards led by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Legal issues
A public interest litigation (PIL) in the high court was filed alleging that the Art of Living International Center had constructed luxurious structures illegally on the water spread area of Udipalya tank at Kaggalipura in Bangalore South. The petitioner reminded the court that the Supreme Court had held that tanks be restrained only for irrigation purposes, and not be utilised for other activities.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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