Dehradun Ashram.

Video of the Shivabalayogi ashram in Dehradun, North India, taken during Shivabalayogi’s visit there in April of 1986.

The King and Queen of Patna (Mataji) maintained a summer residence there and it was in 1966 in Dehradun that they met Swamiji and became devotees.  That residence is now the ashram, inaugurated on Mahashivaratri of 1972, which was on February 13th that year.

Dehradun is near the Himalayas and the Ganges pilgrimage centers of Rishikesh and Haridwar.  The Himalayas naturally attracted many sadhus and saints, and it was in Dehradun that such spiritual seekers came to Swamiji’s ashram for his darshan.

It was in Dehradun that many Indian army officers came to Swamiji and spent their summers at the ashram.  Among them was General Hanut Singh.  Swamiji gave Gen. Hanut permission to build a retirement cottage on the ashram grounds where the general continued intense meditation.

8:43 minutes. 

Dehradun Kirtan

Bhajans (spiritual song) and bhava samadhi (spiritual trance) in the presence of Shivabalayogi at the Dehradun ashram.  Video taken in April of 1986.

Dehradun Outings

Video of Shivabalayogi and devotees walking and bathing near the Shivabalayogi ashram at Dehradun, North India, in April of 1986.

Devotees who spent time with Swamiji in Dehradun describe him as being very natural and happy there. Shivabalayogi reflected his devotees, and he appeared different in each ashram because the expectations and culture of the devotees in each ashram were different. Perhaps the presence of devotees who were disciplined and unlikely to take liberties allowed Swamiji to be more expressive and familiar.

It was from Dehradun that Swamiji had organized hikes in the nearby hills, trips to bathe in the Ganges River at Rishikesh and Haridwar, trips to Badrinath and Kedarnath in the Himalayas, and bathing in nearby pools.

6:20 minutes.