I want to know about Santhigiri Ashram Thiruvananthapuram?

Question

The organisation was started by Karunakara Guru

Answer 1

Please check the following link:

http://www.santhigiriashram.org/ashram/news.htm

Answer 2

Santhigiri Ashram is situated on a beautiful hillock, Pothencode 24 Kms away from Thiruvananthapuram City, Capital of Kerala, South India. Government buses and private taxies are available to reach Ashram.

The actual location is 2 kms beyond Pothencode Junction known as Koliyacode Village which comes under Nedumangad Taluk, Manickal Panchayat and Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala State.

This is the mid place between the two main road ways to north commencing from Thiruvananthapuram viz. National High Way 47 and Main Central Road.

From Thiruvananthapuram one can reach through National Highway up to Sreekariam and then taking deviation to right through Chempazhanthi, the birth place of Sree Narayana Guru, Chengottukonam, Kattakom to Pothencode.

There is also another byroute from Sreekariam via Kariyne, Powdikonam and Airoorpara to Pothencode. Through MC Road the Ashram can be approached through Venjaramoodu Pothencode Road (Via) Thaikad, Velavoor, Koliyacode and before reaching Pothencode a deviation to Ashram can be had. Those who are coming to Thiruvananthapuram through NH 47 can turn right from Mangalapuram Junction after Attingal.

Nearest Railway Station: Murukkumpuzha/Thiruvananthapuram
Nearest Airport: Thiruvananthapuram
A day in the Ashram is commenced with the ringing of Ashram bell at 4 a.m. It is the alarm for all inmates to get up and get ready for the days activities after completing personal needs - cleaning, bathing, dressing etc. Everybody is expected to assemble in the prayer hall for 5 a.m. Aradhana daily.

Aradhanas:
In the sanctum sanctorum of the prayer hall there is Aradhana during all the 8 Yama Union periods viz 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. 12 noon and 3 a.m. repeating continuously. Special Aradhanas are conducted during 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. also. Thus there is over all 10 Aradhanas on a day in the Prayer Hall.

The Aradhanas at 6 and 12 day and night are important. 30 minutes prior to such Aradhana and 15 minutes prior to all other Aradhana are prayer time. This is denoted by a bell. Before Aradhana the Sanyasies or Brahmacharies who are conducting the Aradhanas perform Pushpanjali and every body shall stand up in two side, right side for male and left side for female. During Aradhana Sanyasies or Brahmacharies consecrate the omkaram - Lotus image of GURU with lighted camphor and flowers. Except after the Aradhanas during 3 and 5, the devotees sit down and contemplate for 10 minutes. After that camphor light holy water and holy ash is distributed to the participants as Prasadam.

These are very potent with GURU Prakasam and act as medicine for even incurable diseases. In users after 9 am and 6 pm Aradhana some specially prepared Prasadam is served. After the Aradhanas of 5 am and 6 pm there will be mass prayer for half an hour.

Annadanam:
Offering free food to all who come to the Ashram anytime or any day, the famous Annadanam of the Ashram, is the primary charitable service initiated by GURU from the inception of the Ashram. The food and drinks offered from the Ashram Dining Hall is Prasadam which cures many ailments. It fills the stomach as well as the mind. The matchless taste of the simple items of food is an experience. The general service schedule is as follows.

7 a.m. after morning Aradhana - Tea

8.30-10.30 a.m. - Breakfast consisting Kanji (rice porridge) Vegetable curry and pickle or some other Tiffin items with herbal water

1.30 - 3.30 p.m. - Lunch

5.00 p.m. - Tea

8.30 - 10.30 p.m. - Dinner consisting Kanji, Vegetable Curry or other Tiffin items

Offering money to perform Anndanam is the most virtuous act one can do. On special occasions devotees from different places collect agricultural products and dedicate at Ashram for using for Annadanam.

This Annadanam is only a symbolic activity, while feeding one person the sankalpam, the presumption behind it is that this food shall fill not only the stomachs of the particular person it served, but also by the grace of God one Crore hungry stomachs of the world be filled.

For the benefit of persons coming out of the service hours, the Ashram runs a separate canteen near the Ashram. In the Hospital complex also there is a good canteen for those serving in different units there, patients and by standers of the hospital students and staff of Siddha Medical College etc. Annadanam is followed in all branch Ashrams also on a small scale.

Attending to New Visitors:
New visitors of the Ashram are daily increasing. They are cordially received and made to register their names first. According to the level of the visitors, special volunteers, brahmacharies and sanyasies will talk to them and enquire about the purpose of visit. There will be general talk in which all can participate.

On Sundays there are group discussions in which one or two dignitaries are invited as Chief Guests. Even without talking to any body a communication takes place from the Guru Prakasam of the serene atmosphere and the visitors experience the peace and tranquility. Some of them will stay back for one or two days also to understand more.

Guru Darsan:
In the Sahakarana mandiram Guru Darsan programme is available daily after noon. Everybody coming to the Ashram will bring some thing to offer to Guru. Some flowers, fruits, sweets, agarbathies, camphor packets, food items, vegetable etc. according to the will and sankalpa of each person will be brought.

The wooden sanctum sunctrum of Sahakarana Mandiram will be opened and every body can view the luminous protract of Guru. Before Guru all will dedicate the things and submit prostrates. After that recorded speeches of Guru in his own sweet sound will be played. Some body from the Sanyasies or Grihastas will speak also. Prasadam will be distributed while going back after Guru Darsan. Occasionally the Sishyapoojitha Janani Amritha Jnana Thapaswini will grant darsan to the devotees.

Reading of spiritual books and holy stories:
Daily at 8 p.m. after the mass prayers one of the Brahmacharies will read a portion of some spiritual books or holy stories. Everybody present will attend to this.

Pank is orts of Guru - All routine food is daily offered to Guru in the subtle form. Accordingly to those having visions, Guru is please to accept them. In the morning, noon and night orts of meals offered to Guru is distributed to devotees as Pank which is very virtuous

Attending all Aradhanas, hearing the words spoken about Guru having food from the Dining Hall, Gurudarsan feeling Gurus Pank etc. are the daily practices and participating with devotion and dedication in all these practices are very virtuous and makes one close to Guru.
The ideology of NAVAJYOTHISREE KARUNAKARA GURU concentrates in bringing about the ideal style of life in obedience to GODS WILL directed through an enlightened GURU. This is GURU MARGA, the Path of Guru. It renders equal opportunity to the entire man kind for spiritual realization through the observances and Performance of ordained Dharma and Karma relevant to the present time.

The Guru Parampara founded by NAVAJYOTHISREE KARUNAKARA GURU with the instrument and medium of SANTHIGIRI ASHRAM has the assurance and affirmation from GOD made through revelations that there will be a Realized Guru in this Parampara always.

As the un doubtful visible evidence of this assurance SANTHIGIRI GURU PARAMPARA is graced with such an enlightened GURU emerged as SISHYAPOOJITHA OF NAVAJYOTHISREE KARUNAKARA GURU after he merged in ADISANKALPA on 6 May 1999. That is SISHYAPOOJITHA JANANI AMRITHA JNANA THAPASWINI.


You can get more information here -

http://www.santhigiri.co.in/ashram/location.html