Bihar has a history and spiritual heritage that goes back to ancient times. Thousands of years ago, Bihar was the home of two great spiritual universities, Nalanda and Vikramshila. Its soil has been touched by the feet of Gautama Buddha. The first sound of Gayatri was whispered on Bihari winds. Mother Ganga herself bathed and caressed the shining bodies of Sri Rama and Sita. Mahavir, the founder of Jainism, and Valmiki, composer of the epic Ramayana, were nurtured in Bihar. Bihar gave the world its first republic. Ashoka, the greatest ruler of India, was born in Bihar. The father of surgery, Sage Sushrata, resided in Bihar.
Bihar gave birth to Aryabhatta, the ancient mathematician, and Chanakya, the father of economics. Sage Vatsyayana wrote the Kamasutra, the treatise on love, while in Bihar. The Ashok chakra adorning the national flag of India originated in Bihar. Bihar gave the world its first yoga university. The epicentre of many social, cultural and spiritual revolutions lies in Bihar. Bihar is blessed to be the karma bhoomi of Swami Satyananda Saraswati the modern yogic visionary and reknowned sage.
Ganga Darshan Yogashram stands on a hill overlooking the Ganga river, in Munger, Bihar, 175 km from Patna, the state capital, and 500 km from Kolkata. Against a backdrop of natural splendour, surrounded by beautiful gardens, Ganga Darshan Yogashram commands a majestic 180-degree panoramic view of the Mother Ganga as she sweeps through green paddy fields, fertilizing, energizing and purifying the surrounding areas.
The river Ganga is the symbol of yoga, the soul’s journey to unite again with the supreme. At Ganga Darshan Yogashram, a new vision of yogic life is inspired, making it a spiritual oasis in the 21st century.
In the ancient past, the site of Ganga Darshan Yogashram was the seat of King Karna of Mahabharata fame. Here he performed great acts of tapasya (austerity and sacrifice) sadhana, (spiritual endeavour) and daan (unconditional giving) which are still remembered today.
Here, Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati had the vision of Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati blessing him at exactly the same time that Sri Swami Sivananda left his mortal body in Rishikesh. It is the site where he perfected his sadhanas and had the vision of the future role of yoga for humankind.
