Kanha Shanti Vanam
Kanha Shanti Vanam is the global headquarters of Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) and Heartfulness Institute[1][2][3]. It is a spiritual retreat center or Ashram and an integrated township spread across in a sprawling 1,400 acre campus. Located in Kanha village, near Chegur village of Ranga Reddy district, about 50 km from Hyderabad, India. [4][5]. The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated Kanha Shanti Vanam in Feb 2020.[6]
Facility & infrastructure
The facility is equipped with temporary and permanent living spaces to support housing of large gathering often in excess of 35,000 practitioners who travel from across the globe to take part in mass meditation sessions while staying over three to five days. The entire facility is completely self-sustaining with solar energy systems meeting the power needs[4]. The meditation hall structure, comprising one central hall and eight secondary halls, is spread over 30 acres and can accommodate 100,000 practitioners at one go, making it the largest closed meditation centre in the world.[7][8][4]. The centre was unveiled in a series of events starting 28 January 2020 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Heartfulness Institute. Hon President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind unveiled the World's largest meditation hall at Kanha Shanti Vanam on 2nd Feb 2020[1][2][3][9]. In April 2019 the Heartfulness Learning Center was launched which aims to provide a blended learning environment to Pre-KG to Grade 8 (age 3 - 13 yrs.) children[10].
In Nov 2019, Union Minister for Jal Shakthi Gajendra Singh Shekhawat laid the foundation stone for the world class Ayush Wellness Center at Kanha Shanti Vanam. The Ayush Wellness Center will provide access to all Ayush systems, including Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy and the Tibetan system of medicine, Sowa-Rigpa[11][12]
In January 2020, Rohit Sharma, the Vice Captain of Indian Cricket Team visited Kanha Shanti Vanam to lay foundation stone for an International Cricket Stadium and Training Center. The stadium will be called as Rohit Sharma Stadium[13][14][15].
Training programs
The retreat center is designed to facilitate extensive spiritual training & mentoring programs that aim at promoting personal inner experience and providing opportunities to learn and contribute. Each month over 1000 people from different walks of life, countries and professions visit the center for training. [4][5]
Green Kanha Initiative
In the last 3-4 years, the dry and arid area has undergone transformation with the plantation of more than two lakh trees. A sapling nursery with more than 600,000 saplings is acting as a supply for the plantation in the region, while close to 1,000 trees saved and translocated from faraway places resurrected here.[4][16]. In December 2017, Ram Nath Kovind, the President of India, E.S.L. Narasimhan, Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana visited Kanha Shanti Vanam Ashram and planted 100,000th tree with Kamlesh D. Patel (Daaji), the Global Guide of Heartfulness under the Green Kanha initiative. [17][18].
Awards & recognitions
- In July 2019 Kanha Shanti Vanam was awarded with 'The Pride of Telangana' award hosted by Round Table India, under the category 'Inner Wellness'[19]
- Shri Ram Chandra Mission, Kanha Shanti Vanam, was awarded the 'Haritha Mitra' (Green Friend) Award by the Telangana government for the year 2016. [20][21]
References & citations
- "ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRI RAM NATH KOVIND ON THE OCCASION OF INAUGURATION OF THE NEW GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS 'KANHA SHANTI VANAM' OF SHRI RAM CHANDRA MISSION". www.presidentofindia.gov.in. 2020-02-02. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- "President inaugurates 1,400-acre HQ of Heartfulness Institute". The Hindu Business Line. 2020-02-02. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- "President inaugurates meditation centre". Deccan Chronicle. 2020-02-02. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- "Heartfulness meditation for living by heart". Daily Pioneer. 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Kanha Shanti Vanam for city-weary souls seeking spirituality". New India Express. 2017-11-29. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- president-kovind-inaugurates-kanha-santi-vanam-ranga-reddy-telangana
- "World's largest meditation centre comes up in Hyderabad". Outlook India. 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
- "World's Largest 'Heartfulness' Meditation Centre to Open in Hyderabad". News18. 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
- Rahul V Pisharody (2020-02-10). "Near Hyderabad, 'world's largest meditation centre', inaugurated by President Kovind". Indian Express. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
- "A Unique LEARNING CENTRE' inaugurated at Heartfulness Institute, Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad". APN News. 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Gajendra Singh Shekhawat lay foundation stone for Ayush Wellness Center". UNI India. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Yoga Centers". Ministry of AYUSH. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Rohit Sharma stresses on meditation for positivity". The Times of India. 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Rohit Sharma laid foundation stone for a Cricket Stadium and Training Centre at Heartfulness Institute in Hyderabad". The Hans India. 2020-01-04. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Rohit Sharma lays foundation for international cricket stadium in Hyderabad". Hindustan Times. 2020-01-04. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Over 300 trees uprooted for road widening get new lease of life in Kanha Shantivanam". The Times of India. 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Kovind visits ashram near Hyderabad, plants sapling". Business Standard. IANS. 2017-12-25. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Telangana: Green drive –18 crore more saplings planted than before". Deccan Chronicle. 2017-12-26. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Achievers honoured with 'Pride of Telangana' awards". The Hindu. 2019-07-01. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Over 300 trees uprooted for road widening get new lease of life in Kanha Shantivanam". The Times of India. 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- "Haritha Mitra AWARD to Kanha Shanti Vanam". Krishi Jagran. 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2020-01-05.