Samadhi Hermitage

The purpose is to provide:

*** facilities for sadhana ... satsang, meditation, and yoga for local villagers as well as visitors from elsewhere;
*** "spiritual lodging" for visitors and friends who wish to visit Ellora and it's famous caves;
*** an Indian home base for Ananda, who now prefers to live in India, more-so than in USA;
*** a place for Ananda to host his friends .. Sadhus and those who are not .. who wish to visit him at Ellora; and,
*** a future place for Sita and Sagar Tambe to serve local villagers in whatever ways they choose to develop theirselves in.

This Hermitage is currently under construction,
with a goal of fall 2010 for completion of facilities sufficient to receive visitors.

We are building internal walls, and other places, from local volcanic stone to give an ancient temple/cave-like atmosphere.
Some very large old volcanic stone blocks were used in the style of old India temples,
to make the "Samadhi Hermitage Heart-Temple Meditation Cave" ... next picture!

Behind the windows is a hall for Yoga, Meditation, Satsang, etc. That's the front half of the building. The Heart Mandir photo below is in that front half, facing the windows. Behind the Heart Mandir wall is Ananda's living quarters and kitchen.
The Verandah wall (photos below) is on the backside, providing a 5 foot wide verandah overlooking the creek (village "Ganga") below.

View of entry and garden from the Hermitage building roof. The walls with no cover is the "Heart Temple Meditation Cave" (see photos below), and just beyond that, in the dark corner, is the entry gate to the property. We have a small Banana Garden; and on the right side we will have seedless grape vines. Various veges interspersed also.

The satsang Hall, just inside the windows of the above photo. Kitchen and Ananda's sleeping area are beyond the door. The back door leads to a deck overlooking the small creek below (the village "Ganga").

Three guest rooms are planned for the lower level, overlooking Ellora's very small "Ganga" River (creek) to back-side to this photo. There will also be a small outdoor kitchen-deck on that side.

Ananda's "cave" One stone wall remains to be constructed .. on right side where the blue glove sits .. this wall will separate the kitchen from the computer desk which will be in that corner of his cave .. yep, where else to put it??	Heart Mandir (temple) in the Satsang Hall Below is an earlier shot of this when under construction; and, it can also be seen in the middle of the upper photo of the satsang hall.
"Samadhi Hermitage Heart-Temple Meditation Cave" Constructed in 5 days, by friend JT Grosch (mostly) and "crew".	The Heart-Temple wall on the cave Ananda and JT Grosch (October, 2010)
"The Crew!!" JT, Stacey, and Yuki came for a 3 week visit, which included a two week "masonry marathon" to construct the "Heart-Temple Meditation Cave", as well as other walls in the Ashram building. Yes, we had a blast, and that is Sita, Mom, & Sagar who also helped alot.	Ananda's first old stone project .. using the old stones to construct a giant plant pot for a Chickoo/Saporta tree It is just off the lower right corner in the picture to the left.
Work Crew 2008 & 09	That's Sagar, Sita's brother and my very good work buddy. We did that floor we are sitting on together; and he has also helped with so many other things. Great attitude; not much of a lazy bone in his body. Later he will be a great sadhu!!


Heart Mandir (Temple)	Meditation "Throne" in the Verandah Wall

Verandah - backside of the window is Ananda's bed.	A wall in the making. The upper-most stone here, is lower left of Heart Mandir picture (above, left).