Located in the sylvan, southern-most Indian state
of Kerala, Santhigiri Ashram was founded in 1968
by Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru , a teacher
( Guru ) in the absolute sense of the term.
Guru , whose coming to the world was prophesied
by great souls such as Christ, Prophet
Mohammad, Buddha, Nostradamus and Aurobindo
has laid the foundation of a universal spirituality
which will one day bring peace to the entire
world, freeing it from the age-old animosities of
class, caste, creed, gender, race and religion.
Santhigiri Ashram, situated in quiet green
surroundings ringed by hillocks at Pothencode, 21
km north of Kerala’s capital city
Thiruvananthapuram, serves as the fulcrum of a
‘Guru-Sishya Parampara’ (Guru-Disciple lineage)
founded by Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru as
per Divine Revelation. The ‘Santhigiri Parampara’
has followers in different parts of the world who
have adopted a worship system based on faith in
One Universal God with Guru as the path to that
Transcendent Supreme Plane (Guru Margam). As
several of Guru ’s disciples, including small
children, are blessed with direct insight into
spiritual truths through clairvoyance (darsanam),
this path is known as ‘Darsana Margam’ also.
Guru, whose simple and earthy manner
encompassed all in the golden glow of His
compassion, founded Santhigiri Ashram from a
thatched hut (Parnasala) in 1968, in pursuit of
“That which will bring eternal peace to the soul.”
It was here that Guru attained spiritual
completion in 1973, opening the way to spiritual
truths and knowledge hitherto unknown to
humanity. Guru merged in ‘Adisankalpam’ (the
Plane of Primordial Consciousness) on 6th May,
1999, at the age of 72. As per Divine direction,
Guru’s body has been placed in the ‘Parnasala’,
which has been reconstructed as a magnificent
monument in the shape of a full bloomed lotus
in white marble.This monument is now known as
Lotus Parnasala.
Today, as predicted by Guru , His guidance
continues to emanate through His foremost
disciple, Her Holiness Sishyapoojitha Amritha
Jnana Thapaswini , to anyone who seeks it.The
guidance of Guru acts as a corrective force,
removing the inherent ‘karmic’ and other
infirmities in an individual ‘jeeva’(soul, life-force),
aiding its journey to the ultimate destination the
Supreme.
Santhigiri Ashram is well known in India and
abroad. It daily attracts hundreds of devotees,
well-wishers and tourists. It is a centre of
pilgrimage for spiritual seekers, several of whom
have been guided to it by ‘visions’ or
clairvoyance.
The Ashram functions as a registered voluntary,
charitable non-government organization , aiming
to spread the Guru ’s message and to fulfill a
three-fold mission of ‘Annadanam’ (Serving free
food), ‘Athurasevanam’ (Caring the ailing) and
‘Athmabodhanam’ (Spiritual Conscientisation )
set by the Guru . A nucleus of renunciates
(sanyasis, sanyasinis, brahmacharis and
brahmacharinis) and a vibrant community of
householders (grihasthashramis) carry out the
day-to-day activities of the Ashram as per the
Guru ’s directives.
The main Ashram at Pothencode is spread over
100 acres, comprising a ‘Prarthanalayam’ (Prayer
Hall), Parnasala ( Guru ’s Abode), Sahakarana
Mandiram (Shrine of Togetherness),
Darsanamandiram (The place where Guru lived
and gave Darsan to people) kitchen, dining hall,
work centers and accommodation facilities for
more than 1500 inmates. There are 17 branch
Ashrams, in India. Prayer meetings are held
regularly in various cities of India and abroad.
A holistic healthcare doctrine propounded by Guru
(Nava Arogya Dharma Siddhantham) has resulted
in the revival of the traditional Indian systems of
medicine -- Ayurveda and Siddha.