“It is a time now where we really have to
stop thinking about boundaries.
We have to come together all around the world
to hold the tradition.”
- Parvathy Baul
VISION
THE STORY OF GURU AND SHISHYA
Sanatan Das Baul, Parvathy Baul’s Guru, once told her of his vision of an Ashram.
He recognized that the spiritual and performative aspects of Baul were not receiving the rigor and honor due to a practice that is developed with discipline slowly over a long term.
He felt the need to document this oral tradition.
Sanatan Baba observed that people often perceive the Sadhana (inner practice) as a different entity from the performances.
He idealized a place for Bauls during tough times; a shelter to protect the ancient wisdom and carry it forward into the modern context of the upcoming centuries.
MADHUKORI
HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE?
“I am on a Madhukori - where, while I’m singing the songs and telling the meaning - I’m saying that you can contribute.” - Parvathy Baul
We are giving something so subtle - that is the mantra - to the person or a house or the householders, and we are receiving from them something they have.
When a true spiritual seeker stands at the door of a householder, she offers her prayer which has become ripe over the years of dedication.
Therefore she nurtures the inner world of the householders, also bringing peace and healing to the household. In return, the householder gives the spiritual seeker the material element which will sustain this inner work of the Sadhaka.
It’s a beautiful exchange between the two worlds.
SANATAN SIDDHASHRAM
Parvathy Maa remained dedicated to the guidance of the Guru, and this has today manifested as ‘Sanatan Siddhashram’.
‘Sanatan’ denotes the eternal or the truth, whereas ‘Siddha’ means perfection. The name Sanatan Siddhashram came from the Master himself.
Sanatan Siddhashram is an eternal, complete space for Sadhana.
It is both an Ashram and a Gurukul, a space to receive learning from the Guru.
The land for Sanatan Siddhashram was acquired after a long search, in January 2017, and work began after the Bhumi Puja – the ground-breaking ceremony on 8th June 2017.
SANATAN SIDDHASHRAM
PROJECTS
BAUL WISDOM
Propagation of Baul wisdom in the modern day world is a key area of work at Sanatan Siddhashram.
Under the guidance of Parvathy Maa, the Ashram and by extension the Online Akhara Learning Center conduct workshops, courses and retreats that give seekers from different paths the opportunity to have an immersive experience of the Baul path.
Participants get to meet Baul Masters and receive from them the life’s teachings.
Thus these initiatives also serve the cause of supporting other Baul ashrams.
Often, some of the participants delve deeper into the practise by becoming sevaks of the ashram.
In this way, Parvathy Maa has formed a small community of dedicated practitioners and sevaks over the last few years.
Parvathy Maa also tours to raise support for the ashram frequently. During these tours she conducts learning sessions on Baul wisdom and practise.
NEXT GENERATION
Sanatan Siddhashram aims to build and support next generation Baul practitioners through a systematic effort.
It is a long, extensive task. The idea is to identify younger children within Baul communities who aspire to take up this spiritual path.
The Gurukul at Sanatan Siddhashram aims to help them secure modern education while practising the traditional path. Some nascent steps have been taken up in this direction.
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MORE SANATAN SIDDHASHRAM PROJECTS
JNANA MADHUKORI
Sanatan Baba told Parvathy Maa:
Baul is an oral tradition - it’s a transmission.
But the time has come to write them down.
Time has come to archive them, not only in the human body but also materially for reference as a history, as a continuation of the work.
The Gurukul will house an archive accessible to all, including collections already gathered in many different countries over time, to preserve the memories of the Gurus of the Baul tradition.
This space will also serve as memorial centre remembering some of the great Baul masters and documenting their yeoman service to the tradition and the humanity at large.
There will also be an archive of the history of Baul in undivided Bengal.
The archive will include not just literature, but instruments and practices related to Baul which can be used in everyday teaching and learning.
It is meant to be a space that keeps safe the practices that are being lost in modern times. Suitable practice spaces will be designed to keep the practice alive.
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Archiving
Phulmala di listening to recording of her songs, 2007. Photo by Lisa Knight (orig. published in Contradictory Lives: Baul Women in India and Bangladesh, 2011, Oxford University Press, p. 137)
AROGYA
Healing
Parvathy Maa has the vision of creating a herbal medicine garden and herbal medicine learning, preservation and treatment center at Sanatan Siddhashram.
Some Ayurvedic herbs and medicinal plants are already growing beautifully at the ashram.
We have also been offering regular free Ayurvedic medical camps for Baul Masters and the village community of all ages.
ANNADAN
Offering Sacred Prasad to the Divine in Human Form
We conduct a ritualistic age-old tradition of nourishing the village community by offering sacred prasad to thousands of families once a year.
During covid, when thousands of families could not gather at the ashram, the annadan took a different shape. Sanatan Siddhashram sevaks made this 15 minute documentary about the possibilities within the tradition - how it celebrates through all situations or times.
SUBARNA BALYA HRIDAY
Children music, art & yoga camps and awareness program
Subarna Balya Hriday is an initiative of educational program for children from the village communities by Sanatan Siddhashram, Ekathara Kalari Trust.
We started this nourishing school for children back in 2018. We started with 20 children from local village communities and now the number has increased to 40.
We regularly hold yoga, crafts design, art & music and nature awareness camps for village community children to spread awareness of the Baul tradition and its practice.
“I believe that opening up this space in the children and making them feel that they can also have the opportunity of learning and growing spiritually inside - that will help the society. I trust it.”
- Parvathy Baul
PRANA PUSHTI
Organic Farming
We do organic farming to become sustainable and self-reliant with our food.
It is also intended to increase environmental as well as physical knowledge and to encourage the traditional intuitiveness of Indian farmers.
SANATAN SIDDHASHRAM PROJECTS PHOTO GALLERY
If you are located in the USA or France, you can directly donate to our US and French non-profit partner organizations:
USA: Sanatan Baul Organization
France: Sanatan Baul Association Europe
If you are making a donation over $300 USD from USA or France via the above organizations, you can email us to get a receipt for Charitable Contribution tax deduction.
For Indian contributions from within India, please use our Ekathara Kalari trust account below.
Bank : Axis Bank
Account Name: Ekathara kalari
Account number: 923010015951194
IFSC : UTIB0004276
Branch : Bolpur Sriniketan
