An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

in Indian religions, not including

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Etymology

The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< PIE *''ḱremh₂'', śramaṇa) with the prefix 'towards.' An ashram is a place where one strives towards a goal in a disciplined manner. Such a goal could be ascetic, spiritual, yogic or any other.

Overview

An ashram would traditionally, but not necessarily in contemporary times, be located far from human habitation, in

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

s or mountainous regions, amidst refreshing natural surroundings conducive to spiritual instruction and meditation. The residents of an ashram regularly performed spiritual and physical exercises, such as the various forms of

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

. Other sacrifices and penances, such as yajnas, were also performed. Many ashrams also served as

gurukula A () is a traditional system of religious education in India with ('students' or 'disciples') living near or with the guru in the same house for a period of time where they learn and get educated by their guruji. Etymology The word is a com ...

s, residential schools for children under the guru-shishya tradition. Sometimes, the goal of a pilgrimage to the ashram was not tranquility, but instruction in some art, especially warfare. In the ''

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

'', the princes of ancient

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

, and Lakshmana, go to Vishvamitra's ashram to protect his yajnas from being defiled by emissary-demons of

Ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...

. After they prove their mettle, the princes receive martial instruction from the sage, especially in the use of divine weapons. In the '' Mahabharata'', Krishna, in his youth, goes to the ashram of Sandipani to gain knowledge of both intellectual and spiritual matters.

Schools in Maharashtra

Boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

s, especially in the tribal areas of

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

and elsewhere in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, are called ''ashram shala'' or ashram schools. One such school is the Lok Biradari Prakalp Ashram Shala.

In the West

A number of ashrams have been established outside India. Typically, these ashrams are connected to Indian lineages, focus on imparting

Yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

-related teachings, often in residential retreats, and are headed by spiritual teachers (Indians or Western).

Gallery

File:Sabarmati-Ashram-8.jpg, Sabarmati Ashram, where

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

stayed File:Sevagram Ashram .jpg, Sevagram Ashram File:Inside Gandhiji Ashram, Seva Gram.jpg, Ashram with folk architectural elements with wood and bamboo roof File:Gandhiji's room @ gandhi ashram.JPG, Arshram in Sabarmati File:Sabarmati Ashram during Dwaraka DWARASPDB 2015 (14).jpg, Sabarmati Ashram with folk architectural elements; stone floors and wood and lime-plaster walls File:Refurbished roof of the Kutir of Maganlaal gandhiji at Sabarmati ashram , ahamadaabad.jpg, Wooden rafters in ashram File:Hut inside Gandhi Ashram.JPG, Small ashram hut in Sabramati File:Gandhi Aashram.JPG, Ashram at Sabramati with verandha File:Acharjya Binoba Bhabe 's kutira at Sabaramati Ashram , Gandhi memorial , Ahamadabad.jpg, Acharjya Binoba Bhabe's kutira at Sabaramati Ashram File:Ashrams on the banks of Ganges, Rishikesh.jpg, Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, the headquarters of Divine Life Society, founded by Sivananda Saraswati in 1936 File:Kailash Ashram, Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh.jpg, Kailash Ashram, Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, established by Dhanraj Giri

References

External links

* * {{Worship in Hinduism Asceticism Hindu architecture Hindu monasticism