A Lotus of Universal Peace and Fraternity Blooms in Kerala, India

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A Lotus of Universal Peace and Fraternity Blooms in Kerala, India

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thiruvananthapuram: ‘God’s Own Country’ Kerala, known the world over

for its enchanting natural beauty and spiritual heritage, is all set to

add another marvel to its rich repertoire - a sublime, full bloomed

lotus in white marble, symbolising universal peace, spirituality and

fraternity.

 

Located 21 km from Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram, the structural

marvel is situated at Santhigiri Ashram, a well known spiritual centre

in Kerala, India which has played host to the past President of India,

Mr. Abdul Kalam, UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the

Opposition, Shri L K Advani, and number of eminent personalities within

India and abroad in recent years.

Under construction for the past nearly ten years, the lotus structure

is the ‘Parnasala’, or the final resting place, of the Ashram’s founder

Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru. Guru left His physical body on May 6,

1999, and the construction of the lotus shaped ‘Parnasala’ was started

soon after.

 

The imposing structure, rising to a height of 91 ft., is fast nearing

completion. It is scheduled to be dedicated to the world on September

12, 2010, the 84th birthday of Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru, a

spiritual teacher in the absolute sense of the term.

 

Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru, whose followers included the Late

Former President, Sh. K. R. Narayanan (who donated his ancestral house

to Santhigiri Ashram while serving as the President of India), focused

on core spiritual truths, shorn of any religious trappings.

Guru had a universal message – God is the same for everyone,

everywhere, and is not particular about being worshipped. If you do

worship, do it correctly. A human birth is a precious opportunity to

gain salvation. Make the most of it. Do not get lost in dogmas and

rituals from the past which hold no relevance in the new era - the Kali

Yuga. Live as per the ‘dharma’ (ethics) of the new age.

Not only did Guru give a radical new message, the Ashram that He set up

provides a practical platform for His followers to work out their

‘karma’ and evolve in both spiritual and material terms.

 

Started in a humble way in the 1960s, the Ashram is open to all,

irrespective of caste, class, region, religion or gender. Devotees from

as far away as Mexico have reached the Guru’s Divine feet, guided by

spiritual visions. The Ashram is at the forefront of a three-fold

mission of activities set by the Guru – ‘Annadanam’ (free food to all),

‘Athurasevanam’ (treatment of the ailing) and ‘Athmabodhanam’

(self-realisation).

 

Guru lived with utmost simplicity and austerity in the ‘Parnasala’,

which was then only a one-room tenement with a tiled roof. It was here

that Guru attained spiritual completion in 1973 after protracted

struggles on the physical and subtle planes. After the Guru’s merger in

the ‘Adisankalpam’ (The Plane of Primordial Consciousness) in 1999, His

body was laid to rest in the ‘Parnasala’. As a mark of their deepest

love and devotion to Guru, His followers have reconstructed the

‘Parnasala’ as a blooming white lotus, symbolising the Guru’s message

of universal spirituality, peace and fraternity.

 

Constructed in pristine white marble brought from Rajasthan and special

black granite mined in Karnataka, the Parnasala is a visual wonder. It

consists of 21 marble overlaid petals – 12 facing upwards and 9

downwards. Almost 100,000 sq. ft. of marble, transported from Makrana

in Rajasthan, India for the Parnasala, was painstakingly cut into even

sized tiles by workers at the Ashram before being cemented onto the RCC

petals. The entire edifice, with a radius of 84 ft., is supported on 21

carved pillars. The ‘Balalayam’ or the elevated platform meant for

conducting ceremonies is noteworthy for beautiful and intricate wood

carving.

 

The shaping of the lotus petals took a lot of effort and skill as the

curves had to be executed perfectly and evenly. Thus, the construction

of each petal took almost six months. The fixing of the marble tiles

took another three years.

 

However, what makes the building truly unique is that the design was

not given by any architect. The designing and construction of the

monument were carried out completely under the direction of

Sishyapoojitha Janani Amritha Jnana Thapaswini, the Guru’s foremost

disciple and spiritual successor.

 

Union Minister of State for External Affairs, India, Sh. Shashi

Tharoor, launched a three-year-long ‘Global Dissemination Campaign’ on

the Guru’s message, with the dedication of the Parnasala as the focal

event, in September, 2009.

 

As part of the ‘Parnasala Dedication’ programmes, Sishyapoojitha Janani

Amritha Jnana Thapaswini, accompanied by nearly 60 ‘sanyasis’,

‘sanyasinis’ and other dedicated members of the Ashram, undertook a

nearly four-week ‘Theerthayathra’ of North and West India from November

5 to 30, 2009.

 

Winding through the northern heartland, the ‘Teerthayathra’ went

through parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,

Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Among the places visited were

Hardwar, Rishikesh, Mathura, Agra, Amritsar, the Wagah Border, Jaipur,

Udaipur, Mount Abu, Ahmedabad, Vapi and Mumbai.

Sishyapoojitha Janani also met several important political, spiritual

and social leaders during the ‘yathra’, including UPA Chairperson, Smt.

Sonia Gandhi, and the Head of the Brahmakumaris sect, Dadi Janaki. She

also laid the foundation stone for the Delhi branch of Santhigiri

Ashram.

 

Meanwhile, work is going on in full swing on a redevelopment and

landscaping project in the Ashram with a ‘Zone of Peace’ coming up

around the ‘Parnasala’.

As the word spreads about the structural marvel, people are flocking to

the Ashram to admire its grace, dimension and beauty. The state tourism

department has put a photograph of the ‘Parnasala’, nestled in a sea of

green, on its website.

 

An image of Guru in gold is also nearing completion and would be placed

in the Parnasala. The blooming lotus in white marble, charged with

great spiritual vibration, will not only be a sight for sore eyes but

also a source of revelation for the searching mind and soul, according

to Swamy Jyothiroopa Jnana Thapaswi, director and R. Gopalakrishnan a

senior member of Administration of the Ashram, who are on a visit to

Singapore.

 

Santhigiri Ashram is associated with Ayuveda Healthcare (S) Pte.Ltd.,

situated at 17 Hindoo Road, Singapore ,to preach, practice and

propagate Ayurveda in the most pure and traditional method.

 

To revive the hitherto sidelined knowledge, the GIFT OF GOD to the

mankind – Ayurveda -, Santhigiri Ashram has set up number of

institutions in India, viz. Ayurveda and Siddha medicine manufacturing

units, ( where as many as 450 types of medicines are manufactured and

distributed throughout the world), Ayurveda & Siddha Hospitals,

Medical Colleges, R & D centres, Herbal gardens (where the rare

species of plants are preserved and cultivated) and chain of Ayurveda

centres/hospitals across the country and abroad.

 

The spiritual head of Santhigiri Ashram, Her Holiness Sishyapoojitha

Amritha Jnana Thapaswini, is likely to visit Singapore, on the long

time pending request of devotees of Singapore, shortly.

 

Swamy Jyothiroopa Jnana Thapaswi, Director

R. Gopalakrishnan, Senior Member, Administration

Santhigiri Ashram, Kerala, India

Camp: Singapore

Phone: 63417996/63417990

Web: www.ayurveda.com.sgWith Prayers, Akhil. J.L