SriAnanthaniketan

The Beginning

A young lad was greatly affected on hearing the name Arunachala when his uncle mentioned it. Is it a place on this earth, he exclaimed! Ramana had heard his calling. At the age of 17, he embraced the fear of death and realized his Immortal Self. Very soon he left home and reached Arunachala, also known as Tiruvannamalai in Tamilnadu.

Extolled by sages of the lore, the love of Arunachala is rekindled by the sage of our times, Sri Ramana Maharshi. A living example of simplicity, profound awareness, and grace, Ramana beckons the hearts of those who look at him. His love of the mountain is an invitation to look deeper and realize the unbounded grace of Arunachala. To all his devotees the mountain is very precious bestowing supreme knowledge through stillness and silence.

Love of Ramana Maharshi brought Gopi and Chitra to Tiruvannamalai and in 1999, Sri AnanthaNiketan came into being. Starting with a few simple thatched cottages, the Ashram has now grown into a full-fledged retreat centre.

John de Ruiter

Gopi and Chitra met Sri John de Ruiter, a Jnani, and recognised him as their Sadguru. They spend considerable time in his presence in Canada since then.

Sri Anantha Niketan is blessed by the gracious visits of Sri John de Ruiter from 2014 onwards.

People

Gopi and Chitra - With the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, their life took a new meaning. They left their Corporate Careers in pursuit of Truth. Spending the early years with Swami Ananthānanda and Swami Sahajānanda, they were inspired to create an Ashram and Sri Anantha Niketan was born.

Chilakamma, their daughter, is also an ardent devotee of Sri Ramana and Arunachala.

Sri Anantha Niketan is well supported by staff and volunteers from nearby village.

Guidelines
Facilities

Welcome to Sri Anantha Niketan. We wish you a pleasant stay. We have listed down a few guidelines to facilitate a harmonious functioning.

Visitor Information All foreign Nationals have to fill in a Visitor’s record on arrival.

Kitchen: The Center serves lunch and dinner. Breakfast is also served whenever possible. (Check this at the kitchen). Kindly make entry for your meals in the food register preferably 24 hours early. This will help the kitchen to plan and execute. Please adhere to the meal timings to help the kitchen staff to finish their duties.

Participation: Help in the kitchen for cutting, cleaning and dish washing is welcome and much appreciated. Any other help in the garden or maintenance would be a lovely contribution. Any such participation is purely voluntary!

Room Cleaning: We request you to keep your room clean during your stay. However, if you are on a long stay for more than a week and you need additional help, please check at the kitchen.

Toilet Paper: Our toilets get clogged if toilet paper is flushed. If you have to use toilet paper, kindly collect it in the garbage bin provided in the toilets and periodically burn them at the specified place.

Dressing up: Wear clothes that are appropriate for an Indian village and Ashram environment. (It will be good for women to keep their shoulders and legs covered) Kindly also avoid intimate physical contact with partners in public.

Electrical Equipment: Do not use any electrical equipment in your rooms as our power-supply cannot take much load - mobile chargers are OK.

Stillness and Silence: The ashram is a place for Self-retreat, introspection, and surrender. We love the support the place is able to give toward this. We look forward to your contribution in supporting the stillness and silence of the place.

The Ashram is a place for introspection, self-enquiry, and surrender. It facilitates individuals and group retreats.

Green fields, lovely birds, trees, and rocks make it easy to rest in the heart.

The accommodation is simple. There are several cottages/rooms, some bath attached and others with bathrooms nearby.

There is no running hot water, but hot water is available.

Vegetarian meals are served three times a day.

Smoking and Alcohol is not permitted in the premises.

Gallery

Location

Sri Anantha Niketan is set in the countryside on a 4-acre farmland. The name of our village is Peria Pāliapattu. At 10 kms from Tiruvannamalai town on Chengam road, there is a junction called Thānāmedu. Here there are some shops, bus-stop and an auto-rikshaw stand. From here, 800 meters to the right you will find us! This road is marked as Satya Sai Road on Google maps. Our immediate neighbor is ‘Singing Heart’ guest house. This road leads to the village and other guest houses like the Tiru Farm, Greenland Ashram, etc.