Vaikuntha Ashram Layout

The Layout of Vaikunt Ashram

I have come to understand that when Bhagavan Nityananda first arrived at Vajreshwari with Shri Sitaram Shenoy. Their journey took them from Sandhurst Road Station to Thane, where they boarded a bus to Bhiwandi, eventually reaching Vajreshwari. Upon their arrival, they ascended the temple stairs to the spot where the lion statue now stands at the entrance. Bhagavan patted the back of the lion statue and addressed Goddess Vajreshwari, saying, “Awake! Soon devotees will come for Darshan.” After this, He instructed Shri Sitaram Shenoy to return, while Bhagavan remained for a few days at the site where the Shree Nath Mandir now stands. He later moved to Akroli, where the Shree Rameshwar temple is located. There, in a small room next to hot water kundas, He stayed for some time. Many of His early devotees, who knew Him from His days in Karnataka, visited Him at this location. Among them were Mr. Rao, Mrs. Susheela Prabhu, and my own family, who were regular visitors.

Mrs. Susheela Prabhu once recounted an incident where they encountered a large cobra visiting Bhagavan. However, the people of Akroli were not as accommodating, and Bhagavan soon relocated to Ganeshpuri. Initially, He stayed in a small hut behind the Bhimeshwar temple, where devotees began to gather. Gangubai and her husband lived close by. After a few months, the devotees requested the villagers to provide Bhagavan with a place near a pond opposite where Kailash Bhuvan stands today. A small hut was constructed near this pond, (which was later filled in). As the number of devotees grew, a proper Ashram was built next to the Bhimeshwar temple, where the present Samadhi shrine is now situated.

Lord Krishna

The Vaikunt Ashram originally consisted of a few rooms and a hall, with additional rooms in front of and behind the Bhimeshwar temple. Gangu Bai, who lived behind the temple, took on the role of caretaker. Her original home was behind these rooms, which were mainly used as a storehouse for utensils, stoves, and groceries. Gangu Bai was a gentle and devoted woman, taking great care of the visiting devotees who stayed overnight. Bhagavan resided in one of the rooms inside the hall, which I recall as being quite dark. His room had no doors, only a small gate or barricade. In fact, Bhagavan never had doors where He lived until He moved to the Bangalorewalla building. Shree Krishna Temple came later and it was the spot where Bhagavan washed His Feet after His walk. He walked towards the river or the Panch Ammba site or  Bhiwali where we find today the hospital. He used to return from His walk and stand at the spot close to the Krishna Temple. My sisters, Kusum and Lata used to immediately run with a bucket of water and pour on His Feet. It was a rare honour. At night the village children used to sleep in the hall where even Bhagavn slept. He used to go for His bath early morning (3 -4 am)and return to His room. He used to then wake up the children and ask them to go for their early morning ablutions and baths. On their return, He used to offer them something to eat. Just outside the hall was an open space. He got it cleared for children to play. Sometimes, He too played with the children. Games like Langdi, Koiba (marbles), Vithi-Dandu, etc were played. If children did a lot of commotion, He used to discipline them. He taught them to meditate, pray and sing bhajans. Later He arranged for Tabla, Harmonium, and cymbals so that they could enact dramas which were based on Puranic stories such as Bhakta Pralad, Bhakta Druva, Shivaji Maharaj, etc. He took a deep interest in developing their character.

Kailash, where the entire structure had doors, Bhagavan preferred to live in open spaces. The air-conditioned room you see today was built much later, originally with tin sheets as the roof. There was also another shed-like structure opposite the staircase leading to the terrace of Kailash, where Bhagavan often spent time. The summers in Ganeshpuri were harsh, prompting some devotees to install an air conditioner in the shed on the north side, though Bhagavan seldom used it. Bhagavan was open and transparent. He lived in the open and anybody could approach Him. The attendants and devotees brought restrictions on visitors and devotees so that He could get some rest and there was an unending queue of visitors.

Kailash Bhavan – Ganeshpuri

To provide a clearer picture of the Vaikunt Ashram’s layout, we requested senior devotees to create some drawings. The late Shri Ramanth Prabhu, son of Mrs. Susheela Prabhu, drew a freehand layout that is quite accurate, validated by a few devotees who still remember the Ashram. The drawing is included above for reference, along with a long-shot photograph of the Ashram.

I consider this post incomplete as I continue to seek more information. Whenever I receive new details, I will update and make corrections as needed. The content shared here is based on what I have learned from other devotees and my memories from when I was six years old. Any corrections or additional insights are welcome.