Bannerghatta Road ashram, Bangalore

Early film of Shivabalayogi and the first ashram on Bannerghatta Road in Bangalore, India. This ashram was inaugurated on August 7, 1963, and served as the main ashram until the International Centre was inaugurated at the J.P. Nagar (district) of Bangalore on August 7, 1977.

As with so many films and videos of Shivabalayogi, one sees many people in bhava samadhi (spiritual trance), particularly during bhajans (spiritual song). Devotees recall that the intensity of the bhava samadhi during bhajans was so great that visitors would pass into trance while still kilometers away.

It was at the Bannerghatta Road ashram that Shri Swamiji sat in tapas (meditation in samadhi) for one year for world peace.

The bhajan on the soundtrack, "Om Namah Shivaya, Shivaya Namah Om" was recorded at the Bangalore ashram in 1991.

One Year Tapas

From August 7, 1968, until August 7, 1969, Shivabalayogi did tapas for world peace at the Bannerghatta Road ashram. For that one year period, he remained inside his room and received no visitors.  The day the tapas was completed, he gave darshan to a vast crowd estimated by some newspapers at over a hundred thousand. At least three films were taken on that occasion, one of them in color.

Part 1:    The video begins with mass feeding at the Bannerghatta Road ashram. No function in honor of Shivabalayogi is complete without feeding blessed food to all who come.  There follows shots of the gathering crowd, devotees playing bhajans, and devotees in bhava samadhi (spiritual trance). T hen we see Parvatamma garu (Swamiji's mother), the royal family of Patna, other dignitaries, and the press gathered outside Swamiji's locked room.  Finally, the doors are opened and we see Shivabalayogi on his asana where he had been meditating for the previous one year. 

Soundtrack, part 1: bhajans "Om Bhagavan" and "Prabhu Balaisha" recorded at the Bangalore ashram in J. P. Nagar, 1989;

Part 2:    Shivabalayogi emerges to give public darshan.  We see shots of the vast crowd and Shivabalayogi, Parvatamma sitting next to him.  Shri Swamiji gave darshan in samadhi the entire afternoon as devotees filed by and dignitaries bowed before him.

Soundtrack, part 2: bhajans "Om Namah Shivaya", "Sri Shiva Omkara" recorded at the Bangalore ashram in J. P. Nagar, 1989.

Part 3:    Darkness has descended as Shivabalayogi continues to give darshan in samadhi, then returns to ordinary consciousness and his room where he gives darshan to dignitaries, blesses fruit to be distributed as prashad, and is given arthi.

Soundtrack, part 3: bhajans and Shivabalayogi arthi recorded at the Bangalore ashram in J. P. Nagar, 1992.