In the few short years since his advent, Nithyananda has already won recognition as the pioneer of a powerful Vedic renaissance for which India has already waited too long. Himself deeply rooted in the traditional spiritual disciplines of India, Nithyananda is adept in yoga, meditation and mystical sciences since childhood, and has a sound understanding of the spiritual philosophies of the East. Nithyananda is also a powerful exponent of Vedanta, drawing from his own experience backed by scriptural authority. Having lived as a wandering monastic in India, he also has an intimate personal understanding of the life, values and spiritual roots of the Indian people.
Breathing life into Hindu scriptures: A compelling orator who effortlessly reinterprets traditional wisdom in an enjoyable and practical way for the modern mind, Nithyananda is rapidly becoming one of the powerful voices influencing Indian philosophical thought. He brings to his discourses a wealth of personal experience. Demystifying spirituality with science, and enriching science with spirituality, his talks span the entire spectrum of human experience, from the mundane to the mystical. His live talks on Bhagavad Gita, Shiva Sutras, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Brahma Sutras and other powerful scriptures have touched audiences of thousands, both within the country and abroad.
Taking Vedic culture into homes: Nithyananda has an agenda to make enlightened living a practical reality for every person in every home.
To effect this transformation, he has led padayatras (pilgrimage by foot) in South India, carrying the message of Vedic living directly into the home of the common man. Apart from this, the rath yatras (chariot processions) being organized annually since 2006 carries the idols of the ashram’s temple deities in procession throughout the south. The rath yatra does a commendable job of reaching out to the lower middle class and labor classes, whose lives are beset with poverty, addiction and domestic violence. The story goes that wherever the rath carrying the flag of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam rolls, people return to the time-honored traditions of worship and dharmic (righteous and disciplined) living!
Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam also offers training in traditional worship and mantra chanting for families. Men, women and children alike receive basic training in performing traditional worship. Mahasaptayagams (mass worship) are organized in cities and towns, where hundreds of families gather to worship and pray for their own well-being and for global peace. While worshipping as a family strengthens internal bonding and sustains stable families, it is also a way to restore dignity to traditional culture and values, especially among the younger generation.
Several times a year, Nithyananda himself conducts the marriage of couples according to the time-honored Vedic tradition. Keen to inculcate traditional Indian values in children, he has initiated the gurukul system, an alternative educational system where each child receives individual attention, and education is based purely on need and aptitude. To expose people to the spiritual energy fields of India and create awareness about the rich spiritual heritage of India, Nithyananda leads yatras (pilgrimages) to the Himalayas, Varanasi (Benaras or Kashi) and other holy spots.
In Bidadi, the energy field where the organizational headquarters is located, all devotees, irrespective of class and gender, are permitted to perform individual worship for the sacred Shiva lingam - a privilege unheard of in other South Indian temples. Nithyananda’s vision is to restore spirituality to the people, and the people to spirituality, in very real ways;
Creating international awareness about Indian culture
Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam’s western headquarters is located in Los Angeles in California, USA. The
organization is currently running over 30 Vedic temples housing 3720 deities internationally, with regular worship, religious ceremonies, meditation, Sanskrit classes, Vedic chanting, satsangs (spiritual gatherings) and a consistent devotee base that includes both Indian and international followers. These temples are visited by over 20,000 people daily on an average. Apart from this, over 400 paduka mandirs (temples where the holy sandals of the Guru are worshipped) and over 1000 griha mandirs (home temples) have been set up by devotees in 33 countries.
