Hindu Ashrams and Hindu Organizations

Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas

Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas is a spiritually focused non-political, scientific, cultural, educational, humanitarian, Charitable Trust, which persistently strives to provide untiring selfless service for spiritual enhancement and to create an infinite source of happiness and bliss through God realization in daily life.

The Ashram was established by Sage and Philosopher Swami Omkarananda who is an embodiment of highest spirituality, with the prime objective to love, serve and help all equally.

The Ashram aims to create a sanctum where spirituality encompasses every action, where truth attains a personality, divine love becomes an all-pervading reality and peace becomes an eternal constant companion.

The Ashram has personally volunteered various service projects and activities to serve and uplift the various communities through its 2 registered Trusts -

Swami Omkarananda Saraswati Charitable Trust and
Swami Omkarananda Dharma Samsthan.

Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas is located in Muni-ki-reti, the sacred place near the bank of the holy river Ganga, in the proximity of both Rishikesh, the ancient place of pilgrimage and the famous Lakshmanjhula. This Ashram was established in 1967.  

People of all nationalities live in the Ashram. Those who live in the Ashram, live by the eternal values. Many of them have come to the Ashram as children. They are Hindu by nature and Hindu by Sanskar. They are real Brahmin by Swabhav and recite Vedic Hymns and sacred Hindu texts better than any one expert in reciting these Hymns. They have pure hearts and innocent natures. They are made Hindus by special purificatory Vedic, Tantric and Pauranic Rituals. They are given Upanayana Sacrament and given Sanyas Diksha and are made monks of Adi Shankaracharya’s Saraswati order, belonging to Sri Sharada Pitha of Sringeri. Mostly Indians and Indian Citizens of Western European lands are living in this Ashram. All of them are highly educated and specialised in various educational and engineering fields.  

The Ashram is managed by a group of Sanyasis, Swami Vishveshwarananda, President of the Ashram is in charge of all the activities of Omkarananda Ashram in India. He has received Sanyas Diksha from Gurudev Paramahamsa Swami Omkarananda Saraswati. Swami Vishveshwarananda is a Karma Yogi by temper, character and choice and bears in his heart uncompromising and total devotion to his Gurudev. From 1967 to 1982 he has rendered distinguishing services to Omkarananda’s European Ashrams. In 1982 he was sent to manage the social, religious, cultural and educational activities of the Ashram in India. Within a short time he has created a large field of activities – the Ashram temples for the Sadhakas, schools for the students, and buildings for resident Swamis, teachers and professors. In a hilly region, which is a world of Sadhus, Sanyasis and Mahatmas, he discovered –education as the greatest need and has been ably fulfilling this need much to the joy of over a thousand families. He is self-effacing and has no ambition for himself. Such is his devotion to the Gurudev that he wants to be Hanuman and not Lord Rama.  

In the spirit of Veda Mantra, a team of Omkarananda Saraswati's monastic disciples are serving Sarva-Devata and the public – one heart, one mind and will. The grace of Guru, Gayatri, Ganga, Gita, Tripurasundari is visible in their lives.

The aims of Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas are the development of educational, social, cultural and spiritual projects, specially educational projects.   

The Lineage

The lineage of Omkarananda Sannyasis, their Guruparamapara runs in this order: Lord Narayana, Brahma, Dakshinamurti, Shankaracharya, Shivananda, Omkarananda. Their roots are in Vedas and Upanishads. Their heart is Srividya, the soul of their being is Sri Yantra. Their Ishta Devata is Parabrahmasvaroopini Sri Mahatripurasundari. They are at the same time Shiva Bhaktas and Vishnu Bhaktas, because they believe that Shiva and Vishnu are two of the many faces of Parameshwari Tripurasundari.  

Branches in India

Omkarananda Dharma Samsthan, Mumbai: Since 1991, a beautiful temple is maintained in Mumbai, where besides pujas regularly Bhajans and Kirtans are held. Two important Shankaracharyas have already visited this place: H.H. Sri Jayendar Saraswati of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham and H.H. Shri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal of Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri.

Sri Omkarananda Veda Mata Bhawanam, Kanchipuram: Omkarananda Dharma Samsthan in 1996 acquired a house in Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu, which is just adjoining the Kamakshi Temple. The house is completely new construction and it is rare grace that it is situated so near to Kamakshi temple. Regularly Pujas, Hawanas, Bhajans and Kirtans are conducted in this beautiful building. From the roof of this building one can have a dreamlike, heavenly view over the whole Kamakshi temple area.

Omkarananda Educational Foundation, Mumbai: Omkarananda Educational Foundation was established on Vijay Dashami, 1994.

The aims and objectives of this foundation are:
- To provide, establish and maintain schools and other educational institutions in India.
- To carry out objects of general public utility such as village-uplift, public health and hygiene, etc.
- To conduct study groups, lecture series, print and distribute books.
- To provide books and scholarships to needy and deserving students

The Aims and Objects for which the Omkarananda Ashram is established are:

  • To create an oasis where is demonstrated in daily practical life, the practicability, the immense value, and the perfect validity, of the greatest Ideals of mankind; where Truth has personality, divine Love a reality, and the Peace that passes understanding rules every circumstance and situation of life; where matter and spirit are reconciled, and God lives in man and man in God.

  • To serve as a builder of bridges between the world of science and the world of man, between eternal truth and human knowledge, between the venerable ancient and the fascinating new.

  • To teach the religion of the NO-RELIGION, the religion of all religions, the universal religion, the religion of modern man, who, while living in and improving the scientific and technological world, has a living contact with the living God.

  • To love all equally, to serve all equally, to honour all equally, and to help all equally to find sources of strength, which they can use for art of living peacefully, progressively in daily life.

  • To create a place where one can learn the arts of cultivating spirit; of developing reason, concentration, logic, and the qualities of a high moral life - goodness, truth, justice, unselfishness; of increasing all the other faculties and skills; and of working dynamically for the welfare of thousands of people.

  • To help people to find peace of mind, and progress on the path of growth in love and service, goodness and God-consciousness, through the dissemination of spiritual knowledge.

  • To build up an entirely new structure of philosophical values for a happy daily life, on the foundations of all that is best in the cultural and spiritual heritage of the world.

  • To systematize the different views, philosophies, sciences, religions and cultures in the light of the Integral Science of Man.

  • To seek to provide answers to the fundamental problems of life, for which there are no answers in the fields of modern knowledge - psychology, literature, sociology, politics, medicine, etc.

  • To make it its duty to fulfil the urgent need and longing of people for deeper knowledge of the nature of Reality; therefore the Ashram has chosen Swami Omkarananda - a genius of rich and living spiritual wisdom, of all-inclusive education and intelligence, of intuitive sympathy and all-embracing love, who transmits the treasures of the highest Truth, as perceived and received in dynamic and integral experience of the divine Reality - as its spiritual, intellectual and cultural leader and ideal.
       

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