Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama (Avadhoota Datta Peetham) in Mysore, Karnataka is a spiritual ashram which was established with the aim of encouraging people to seek god through prayers and worship and to help oneself discover their true self. In this ashram is located Ayadhoota Datta Peetham, which is headed by Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji. This ashram also has centres and branches all over the country and abroad. This ashram is dedicated to the cause of humanity. The main spiritual guru of this ashram is Swami Ganapathi Sachchidananda who belongs to the Dattatreya Avadhoota lineage. He has a strong belief in the ancient Vedic traditions and promotes them through his teachings. Well known for his healing powers and medication music, Swamiji is considered as a divine guru who respects every religion and also believes that there are various ways to reach gods.

This ashram is spread over a huge area and is very serene and big. It has a skilfully sculpted gate and a spiritual ambience which allows the visitors to soak themselves in the serene and tranquil environment. There is constant chanting of vedic mantras which relaxes the mind and stirs the soul. The entire ambience is set up to encourage Vedic learning. It has an impressive layout with a lot of greenery and lovely gardens which makes the environment very peaceful. This ashram has a very unique feature which is the Dina Stupa or the 365 stone pillars that are spread across the ashram. Each pillar represents one day in a calendar year. Other things that are located in this ashram are a large pond, herbal garden, a temple of Lord Venkateshwara, SGS hospital and a book shop. All these atmosphere and facilities provides a perfect atmosphere for spiritual healing and relaxation.

The main deity of this ashram is Lord Dattatreya. Every year this ashram celebrates a lot of important festivals like Maha Shivratri, Navratri and Dattatreya Jayanti. The Dattatreya Jayanti is a three day festival that is celebrated in the month of December. This festival marks the incarnation day of Adi Guru Dattatreya. It is one of the major festivals out here and a lot of daily programs like Abhishekha to Dattatreya idol, memorial service, bhajans, shastra sadas etc are organised during this festival. There are a lot of facilities available here. Some of them are - a large universal prayer hall with a capacity for thousands of devotees, the Narashima Swamy temple which is situated inside the hall, a school for Veda and Sanskrit studies, a multipurpose auditorium which can seat about 2000 people and has the an exclusive Sapta Swara Devatha Mantapa which means a shrine with pillars and idols of the seven musical notes, a book store which has audio albums of Sri Swamiji's discourses, bhajans and healing music, video programs and books. There is also a canteen which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from the Anna Purna Mandir and an outpatient polyclinic and an Ayurveda hospital that caters to the health needs of people.

Social Activities of Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama

The ashram also undertakes many social activities for the poor and the needy. It helps the economically weak community to meet their needs of food, education, shelter and health. It also emphasizes on spiritual upliftment through the practice of Karma yoga. Some of the social initiatives that this ashram undertakes are - ambulance to serve people in remote areas in cases of medical emergencies, providing toilet facilities in school in rural areas, donating furniture to schools, provides assistance to various scholars to publish their works, conducting mass marriages for members of backward or economically weak sections, kriya yoga camps in prisons for the inmates, scholarships for academically good students, financial assistance for reconstruction of temples, free medical service including consultation and medication, home for the insolvent aged women, providing equipment for the physically handicapped, provides opportunities for women to make them self-employed and offer financial help and skill set to other organisations. Thus through these series of social programs this ashram aims to create a great impact in the society.

Publication of Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama

This ashram also publishes a monthly magazine called the Bhaktamala. It is published in several languages and is now also available online. This is a great medium to spread the work and teachings of the ashram.

About Founder of Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama

The founder of this ashram, Sri Sri Ganapathi Sachidananda Swamiji if one of the greatest spiritual figures of modern day India. Even though people call him by different names, he is mostly regarded as an incarnation of Great Cosmic Power. His main aim is to revive the culture and reform the society by establishing peace and happiness among mankind. He aims to transform every person into a godly man. Some of his methods are establishing Dharma and Bhakti by singing devotional hymns, reciting the names of the almighty and inculcating into the masses a sense of devotion to god. He also sings bhajans and is also popular for his meditation music. He travels all over the world to spread the message of love, devotion and bhakti. Through his retreats he aims to spread love, compassion and divine wisdom. He guides people on the path of yoga sadhana and helps them realize their true self. His unique music and namasankirtan are his signature styles and he uses the power of these props to create a measurable impact in the life of his followers. He sings self composed music in Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and English. He also plays ayurvedic healing ragas on an electronic synthesizer. Devotees all over the world have benefitted from his spiritual concerts and spiritual guidance.

How to Reach Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama

The place where this ashram is located is quite accessible. Mysore is one of the important cities of Karnataka and it is well connected to all other major cities and towns by rail, road and air network. There is a railway station which connects the city to several other cities and towns of south India including Bangalore and Chennai. There are also frequent bus and taxi services from Bangalore and other parts of the state. Upon reaching Mysore you can easily hire a cab or taxi to reach Mysore.