Uniquely Indian Phenomenon

Shri Kailas Ashram Brahmavidya Peeth – Rishikesh - Uttarakashi

After both our daughters were married in 2010, my wife, Geetha  and I travelled to many parts of India. We went to various places   for  sightseeing, meeting Holy men and women, visiting some of our relatives, observing silence, doing research on our charitable work and generally having a good time.

I am sixty two years old and left India to migrate to the USA in 1977. I am an NRI, whatever that means. In some quarters within India I am not qualified to talk about India. In some circles, I am considered objective. In the USA, I am looked upon as an immigrant, with all the baggage that goes with that term. Some good, and some not so good!

Our travels were between July 26^th, 2011 and August 31^st , 2011. This is one of my observations

India is still a land where you can find true Yogis and God men, Avatara Purushas and enlightened souls. We were very fortunate that we met some and read about some. Kutti Swami is one such. Sri M (Mr. Mumtaz Ali Khan from Kerala   http://satsang-foundation.org) is the other. Please read his autobiography, ‘Apprenticed to A Himalayan Master – A Yogi’s Autobiography’.

We visited the Vani Niketan School in Netala, Uttarakhand. We stayed at the Ashram of Swamini Pramananda, on the banks of the Bhagirathi river. It was our good fortune that Bramhachari Shankar, an Israeli Jew, who we met at the Sivananda Asharam in Bahamas a few months ago, was also staying at the Ashram. Br.Shankar offered that he would be our tour guide to go around Uttarakashi. I am so glad that we went with him. He is not only very familiar with the place, having been a student himself there,  but knows all the Ashrams and the life stories of many of  the Mahatmas living there.  He took us to Kailash Ashram Brahmavidya  Peeth.

Kailash Ashram Vidya Peeth is a 115 year old institution. Here, Sanyasins and Brahmacharis study Brahmavidya according to Sampradaya Parampara (Guru-shishya tradition). Today over 110 Sannyasins from all over India study there. All of them are provided with boarding and  lodging facilities.
Great Saints, like Swami Vivekananda, Swami Abhedananda, Swami Ramatirtha
Swami Shivananda, Swami Chinmayananda and  Swami Dayananda of ArshaVidyaGurukulam  have studied in Kailash Ashram.

For a variety of reasons, Brahmavidya Peeth fell into disrepair and needed significant funds to meet operating expenses. Swami Dayananda and other noble souls like him stepped in and the institution is going to be able to continue doing what it does, educating future generations of  brahmacharis. Here we briefly met Kutti Swami, a Sanyasi  about thirty one years of age. His story is fascinating.

Kutti Swami is from Kerala. His father was working in the Sivananda Ashram as a landscaper. When Kutti Swami was about seven years old, he had a vision of a  Mahatma who taught him how to do certain poojas and also how to help the sick with rituals dedicated to that. Kutti Swami did this for seven years.  Kutti Swami’s name and fame spread through out Kerala. When he was fourteen, the same Mahatma again appeared and instructed him to give up everything and go to the Himalayas. He did just that, at age fourteen and came to Uttarakashi.  He was a student at the   Kailash Ashram Brahmavidya  Peeth. When he was about sixteen years of age, the same  unseen Mahatma who has been his guiding force, gave him Sanyasa Diksha. He is now the Acharya of the Peetham. The youngest to shoulder this responsibility.

This is land of the divine and the incredible, the supernatural and extra terrestrial. Think Adi Sankara, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Ramana Maharshi, Kanchi Paramacharya, Shirdi and Satya Baba, Mahatma Gandhi or the great mathematician, Ramanujan. India offers everything. It depends on what we are looking for. 

I am glad and proud to be an Indian.