A BESPECTACLED visage, long flowing beard, prominent tilak on the forehead and a smile on his lips. This is the image that greets you, if you step into any of Chinmayananda Mission's centers, schools or Sandeepany Sadhanalayas. Of course this look is very different from that of a young journalist who had set out in search of the meaning of spirituality. The journalist was Kerala-born Balakrishna Menon and the year was 1947, when he was almost 30 years of age. Balakrishna Menon's early days Course curriculum Balakrishna Menon's tryst with destiny How to reach Sandeepany Sadhanalaya At Sivananda Ashram Where to stay Swami Tapovan Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram Chinmaya Mission Location Chinmaya Mission and Education How to reach Tapovan Ashram Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai

Balakrishna Menon's early days The future Swami Chinmayananda was born on May 8, 1916 to Parakutti and Kuttan Menon in Ernakulam, Kerala. Theirs was an aristocratic family, which was deeply pious. Daily evening prayers were a family activity and sages and other holy people were regular visitors in their home. Balakrishna grew up in a spiritually charged atmosphere. Although he enjoyed the chanting of mantras, doubts lingered in his mind about what was religion all about. He wanted to know whether there existed a greater truth behind all the ritualistic traditions. In 1940, he joined Lucknow University and took up the study of English Literature and law. Inspired by the Quit India Movement of 1942, he soon found himself immersed in the country's freedom struggle for which he even spent time in prison. The need for self-expression combined with the zest of the freedom struggle saw Menon shifting to Delhi to join the nationalist paper, the National Herald, in 1945.

Balakrishna Menon's tryst with destiny At the time India was realizing its tryst with destiny, in some way so was Menon when he decided to head for the Himalayas in search of fodder for an article. He zeroed in on the ashram of Swami Sivananda located near Rishikesh with the intention of finding out "What is the true meaning of spirituality? Does it make any sense in life?" Of course, at that time Menon had no inkling that this research work for the article would be his calling to a new path.

At Sivananda Ashram He reached the ashram and what met his eyes was enough to disperse all sorts of pre-conceived notions he had of religion or spiritual work. To his utter amazement, he found the ashram to be buzzing with activity, yet the ambience was one of peace and harmony. His meeting with Swami Sivananda was one that changed the skeptical journalist forever. He was particularly attracted to what the Swami used to say, "Be good. Do good" and "Serve, love, give, purify, meditate and realize." Menon spent nearly a month at the ashram and soon Swami Sivananda realized that this young man had a special intelligence and, therefore, encouraged him to put it to good use and spread the message of spirituality and right living. By the time Menon left the Sivananda Ashram, he was a transformed man. Within a year he was back in Rishikesh to truly embark on his spiritual journey. In February 1949, on the holy day of Mahashivaratri (symbolizing the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati) Menon took deeksha (initiation) from Swami Sivananda and became a sanyasi (one who gives up all worldly pursuits to follow and live life abiding by the scriptures). At the time of initiation, as is the general tradition, he was given a new name Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, which literally means 'the one who revels in the bliss of pure consciousness.'

Swami Tapovan Swami Chinmayananda lived and studied at the ashram for sometime under the guidance of Swami Sivananda who later asked him to master the Holy Scriptures under the tutelage of the renowned Vedanta master, Swami Tapovan. Swami Tapovan was a man of wisdom, deeply pious and compassionate. He has authored tome like Himagiri Viharam and Kailasa Yatra. His autobiographical sketch, Swamiji's masterpiece, is the Sanskrit text called Iswara Darshan. Under the guidance of his guru Swami Tapovan, Swami Chinmayananda mastered the Bhagawad Geeta, Upanishads and Brahma Sutras. This is when he was consumed by the desire to share his knowledge with the common man.

Chinmaya Mission In 1953 was born the Chinmaya Mission. The Mission's aim is to spread the knowledge of the Vedanta to individuals from all backgrounds through its centers located across the nation and countries abroad. Its mission statement proudly outlines its purpose -- "To provide to individuals, from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta and the practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become positive contributors to society." And, Chinmaya Mission's motto is "To give maximum happiness to maximum number for the maximum time is our religion." The mission highlights each individual's purposes, which are personal growth, heightened efficiency, contentment and living in peace and harmony.

Chinmaya Mission and Education The Chinmaya Mission is very deeply involved in the field of education. It sponsors over 75 schools called Chinmaya Vidyalayas in India. Along with the regular government prescribed curriculum, these schools also aim to develop students into more socially aware individuals with a sound understanding of their Vedantic heritage. For this purpose alone the Mission has developed a special program called the Chinmaya Vision Program (CVP) to complement the regular curriculum. The CVP has been so successful in India that over 500 schools, which are not even affiliates of the Mission, have now adopted the same. Under the CVP, the student is given exposure to the Indian culture. There is an emphasis on physical development of the child, as also invoking a spirit of national pride. Children are taught civic manners as well as encouraged to have a universal outlook, which basically means making the student appreciative and aware of different world cultures and issues as well as becoming an eco-conscious person. The Mission runs the Chinmaya International Residential School in Coimbatore whose purpose is to provide students from abroad and India with an educational program that closely parallels to that of junior-senior high schools (grades 6-12) in the USA and that of the CBSE curriculum in India, with a deep understanding of Indian culture and with best of learning facilities. The Mission also runs a professional institute called the Chinmaya Institute of Technology. This institute is approved by the All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi and Government of Kerala, and is affiliated to the Kannur University. Harihar Schools are schools run by the Chinmaya Mission exclusively for the poor children. These are tuition-free schools and are mostly located in the rural villages. At present Chinmaya Mission has five such schools - one each in Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and two in Tamil Nadu. Recognizing the need to create an environment where students can temporarily withdraw from the daily grind and completely immerse themselves in the study of the scriptures, Swami Chinmayananda established seminaries for the study of Vedanta called Sandeepany Sadhanalayas. Many graduates of these Sandeepany Sadhanalayas are now involved in the teaching of Vedanta all over the globe.

Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai In the lush green environs of Mumbai's suburban haven Powai, lies the Chinmayananda Mission's Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, set up in 1961. Situated on a hill top, the Sadhanalaya provides a panoramic view of the Powai lake and the surrounding areas. Located inside the complex is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Jagadeeswara. This Shiv temple is remarkable for the mammoth Shivlingam on the dome of the temple. In one sense this Sadhanalaya is a boarding school for those in search of Vedantic knowledge. Of course, unlike a boarding school, which is only affordable by the rich, Chinmaya Mission provides free boarding and lodging to eligible students at the Sandeepany. Normally students stay here for a period of about two and a half years, without any home visits. However they do take trips to holy places for special camps. On course completion, the students are sent in the service of the mission to different parts of the world. However, in case a student decides that s/he does not want to work for the Mission, there is no compulsion and the student is free to choose a different path.

Course curriculum at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai Once enrolled, a student is expected to follow a strict regimen - scheduled classes combined with reflection to digest the truths they learn each day. The subjects covered under the Vedanta course include: Vedanta - Upanishads and the Bhagawad Geeta (with Shri Shankara-bhasya) Bhakti Literature - Ramayana and Srimad Bhagwatam Sanskrit Practice of Meditation, Vedic Chanting and Bhajans An overview of Six Darshanas, world religions and related areas Simple rituals (Puja/havan) Simple physical/Yoga exercises Communication skills

How to reach Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai It is fairly easy to reach the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in Mumbai. It is located near the Powai lake in the city. One can approach it from Andheri (East), a suburb in Western Mumbai, or else from the eastern suburb of Kanjurmarg (West), or Powai, which is nestled in between these two suburbs. It is located next to a hotel called the Hotel Lakeside Chalet. The Central Chinmaya Mission Trust office is located right at the entrance of the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in Mumbai. For information on enrollment, contact: Tara Cultural Trust Sandeepany Sadhanalaya Saki Vihar Road Mumbai 400 072 Tel: +91-22-2857-0368/ 5805 Fax: +91-22-2857-3065 E-mail: ccmt@vsnl.com or jagadis@vsnl.net Website: http://www.chinmayamission.org

Where to stay Inside the sprawling 7-acre premises is located the Tapovan Vihar, which consists of rooms where guests and acharyas (teachers) reside during their stay in the ashram. Apart from the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya in Mumbai, the Chinmaya Mission also conducts Vedanta teaching in its Sandeepany Vidyamandir, in Coimbatore, Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Chinmayaranyam in Andhra Pradesh and at the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya located in the Sidhabari Ashram in Himacahal Pradesh.

Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram Nestling in the spectacular Dhauladhar ranges of the Himalayas is the Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram, one of the many retreats of the Chinmaya Mission. Apart from its importance in being a center of the Sandeepany Vedanta course, camps, and the Chinmaya Rural Primary Health and Training Center, this ashram is special as this is also Swami Chinmayananda's last resting-place, who attained Mahasamadhi in August 1993 . The ashram is named after the guru of Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Tapovan Maharaj. Located in the scenic Himalayan mountain ranges, with its cool climes and fresh air, far away from the madness of city life, the ashram provides the environment necessary for meditation, spiritual fulfillment and introspection. People in search for spiritual succor make their way to this ashram from all across the country and the world. The ashram also holds short duration courses on the holy Geeta (the sacred book of the Hindus), and trains health workers to look after the health needs of the villagers living in the Kangra valley. Inside the ashram is a huge discourse hall, ideal for lectures on the Geeta. Also located inside the campus is a bookshop, which sells prized literature on Hindu religion besides recorded music and discourses' cassettes. As one approaches the ashram, a huge idol of the monkey God Hanuman meets the eye. It appears as if he is standing guard at the ashram gate. This is the reason why the ashram is also called the Sidhabari ashram, named after Lord Hanuman.

Location For more information about the ashram, you can contact: Chinmaya Tapovan Trust Sandeepany Himalayas Sidhabari Himachal Pradesh 176 057 India Phone: +91-1892-23425/ 234324 Fax: +91-1892-236199 E-mail: sidhabari@chinmayamission.org or ctthm@vsnl.com Website: http://www.chinmayamission.org

How to reach Tapovan Ashram The nearest airport is the Kangra Airport about 20 kms from the ashram. From here one can avail of taxi services to reach the ashram. If you are traveling by rail, the nearest station is Pathankot or Chakki Bank, both of which are 90 kms from the ashram. From either of the stations, you can avail of the taxis that are available. You can also take buses that run between Pathankot station and Dharamsala, which is 8 kms from the ashram. From Dharamsala you can hire a taxi. Direct buses are available to Dharamsala from Delhi (526 kms), Shimla (260 kms) and Chandigarh (242 kms). So, if you are looking at a dash of spirituality in your life, this is where you should be headed. The ashram will provide you guidelines and practical means for spiritual enhancement. And, who knows, maybe this could be a turning point in your life, just like the one that came into the life of Balakrishna Menon when he reached the Sivananda Ashram!

- Vandana Mohal Vandana is a Mumbai-based journalist and media consultant. She regularly writes on topics ranging from entertainment, spirituality, education and travel.

Back to Ashrams Read about Guru Swami Chinmayananda