Gurudev Siddha Peeth is an Indian

ashram An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...

run by the Gurudev Siddha Peeth Trust and serving the

Siddha Yoga Siddha Yoga is a spiritual path founded by Swami Muktananda (1908–1982). The organization states in its literature that the Siddha Yoga tradition is "based mainly on eastern philosophies". It also states that it "draws many of its teachings f ...

path. It is situated between the villages of Ganeshpuri and

Vajreshwari Vajreshwari also known as Vajrabai is a village situated near the Tansa River in the Bhiwandi taluk of Thane district, Maharashtra, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of c ...

in the state of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

, north-east of

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

. On the Siddha Yoga path it is known as the "mother ashram" because it is where Siddha Yoga began.

History

The ashram's origins date back to the

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...

known as

Bhagawan Nityananda Bhagawan Nityananda (November/December, 1897 – 8 August 1961) was an Indian guru. His teachings are published in the "Chidakash Gita". Nityananda was born in Koyilandy (Pandalayini), Madras Presidency, British India (now in Kozhikode di ...

, who had been in the nearby village of Ganeshpuri since 1936. Before he died in 1961, Nityananda is said to have told his devotee, Swami Muktananda, to build an ashram near Ganeshpuri on land that Nityananda gave him. Nityananda prophesied that the ashram would become "very big and beautiful" and would attract people from all over the world. Swami Muktananda established the ashram and called it Sri Gurudev Ashram, in honour of Nityananda. In 1978, Muktananda changed the name to Gurudev Siddha Peeth. The ashram has since grown as Nityananda predicted and is the site of shrines to both Nityananda and Muktananda (who died in 1982). It functions as a full-time spiritual retreat for people who want to pursue their Siddha Yoga practices. The ashram also runs short-term retreats, for example a seven-day "Pilgrimage to the Heart Retreat." In addition to spiritual practice, the ashram established significant charitable services for the benefit of the

adivasis The Adivasi refers to inhabitants of Indian subcontinent, generally tribal people. The term is a Sanskrit word coined in the 1930s by political activists to give the tribal people an indigenous identity by claiming an indigenous origin. The term ...

(tribal people) of the area. Medical services and housing were provided for these people and for other poor people in the valley. The PRASAD Project was set up to administer these projects. The Project also organized several eye-camps in which those who were blind from cataracts received free corrective surgery that restored their eyesight. Current PRASAD projects include organic farmers' initiatives, irrigation and water conservation projects, women's self-help groups, and AIDS prevention awareness.

In popular culture

Gurudev Siddha Peeth has been linked by multiple commentators with the ashram in

Elizabeth Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert (born July 18, 1969) is an American journalist and author. She is best known for her 2006 memoir, ''Eat, Pray, Love'', which has sold over 12 million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. The book was also mad ...

's 2006 memoir ''

Eat, Pray, Love ''Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia'' is a 2006 memoir by American author Elizabeth Gilbert. The memoir chronicles the author's trip around the world after her divorce and what she discovered d ...

'', since, among other clues, it has a multilingual female guru who was a swami's translator, succeeded him, and resides in the United States, attributes of

Gurumayi Chidvilasananda Gurumayi Chidvilasananda (or Gurumayi or Swami Chidvilasananda), born Malti Shetty on 24 June 1955, is the guru or spiritual head of the Siddha Yoga path, with ashrams in India at Ganeshpuri and the Western world, with the headquarters of the ...

, and where a 90-minute ''

Guru Gita The Guru Gita (Song of the Guru) is a Hindu scripture that is said to have been authored by the sage Vyasa. The verses of this scripture may also be chanted. The text is part of the larger ''Skanda Purana''. There are several versions of the Guru ...

'' is sung every morning. ''

Hinduism Today ''Hinduism Today'' is a quarterly magazine published by the Himalayan Academy, a nonprofit educational institution, in Kapaʻa, Hawaiʻi, USA. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally, currently in 60 nations. Founded by ...

'' magazine states that in the 1960s, the ashram was "an austere sanctuary" with few people. From 1970, Muktananda traveled widely, bringing thousands of visitors to the ashram. According to Catherine Parrish of SYDA Foundation, "People were coming to the ashram for the wrong reasons"; she explained that "tourists were showing up to eat at the ashram's non-existent 'five-star restaurant'." Crowding increased still further when Gurumayi was at the ashram. Accordingly, visitors were required to apply for at least a month's stay. The magazine reported that by 1995 there were once again fewer people: "everything is simpler; the silence is deeper."

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