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YogAnga Retreat at Sri Santosh Puri Ashram: Explore a yogic lifestyle, where yogis were born and raised… on the bank of the sacred Ganga River in the foothills of the Himalayas (between Haridwar and Rishikesh).
Mataji was then recognized by Babaji as a form of the Ganga Mata, as well as she recognized him as someone she had known from former lives, for whom she had been searching. To meet him (in this life) once again was as if a miracle had happened.
Her Guru, Santosh Puri gave her the name “Narvada”, two saffron colored pieces of clothe to cover the body and the holy name of Lord Shiva as a mantra to repeat and to meditate upon for the rest of her life.
For Narvada Puri it was the beginning of a very challenging journey of purification.
Their “home” was only a dhuni (sacred fire place) under a tree. They ate meals of whatever happened to come by the divine will, once a day or not. Despite her own inner struggles for faith and devotion, struggles with nature’s storms, rains, cold and heat, as well as annoyances by Indian and foreign bureaucrats, divine grace provided the means to overcome it all and nothing could ever separate them.
Santosh Puri was a Guru from the times of older traditions, giving hard lessons from inside, pulling out by the roots the main obstacles of the spiritual path: laziness of the body, pride, egoism, selfishness or vanity.
Not for enjoyment, but they married out of the unshakable confidence into the divine will, the will of the holy Ganga Maata. Even before the birth of the first son, the Santosh Puri Ashram was founded, where spiritual and charitable service life continued. There they had also 2 daughters.
It had been the ideal of Guruji Santosh Puri and life partner – disciple Narmada – to take Samadhi together and remain in the union of the atma = paramatma = Brahman. But the divine will wanted it differently. The physical form of Babaji separated, but the more important spiritual relation continued by a constant consciousness of the presence of the departed soul in each and everything in the Ashram life.
Although she mainly did that by her living example, she also began teaching formal classes: yoga asana, meditation and philosophy.
Mataji left her body on Basant Panchmi (fifth day after the new moon, also marking the start of Spring season). If anybody would like to feel her presence, they can visit her samadhi at the Santosh Puri Ashram.
According to the Hindu lunar calendar, on the full moon in the month of Magh, we host this Annual Community Feast to commemorate the maha samadhi of both Santosh Puri and Naravada Puri. On this day we serve hundreds of sanyasis, Indian householders and foreign guests a delicious lunch.
Ganga Puri graduated with a degree in Physics & Mathematics from the Garhwal University in Srinagar. After the mahasamadhi of his father in 2001, a fundamental change of realization overcame the student of science causing Ganga to change his life path onto the complete devotion to the Divine Truth. Meditation and yoga practices became his main activities. Eventually Ganga Puri received his post-graduate diploma and Master’s Degree in Human Consciousness and Yogic Science, from the Gurukul Kangri University of Swami Dayananda Saraswati, in Haridwar.
Mandakini Puri Rox is rooted in a traditional yogic family, following the sanyasi lineage of her parents / gurus: Santosh Puri Maharaj and Narvada Puri Mataji. She is blessed to have been born and continues to reside on the bank of Ma Ganga in the Ashram of her father’s namesake. Her sincere yogic practices led her to become a Yoga Acharya, with a Masters Degrees in Yogic Science & Human Excellence at Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya. Since 2004 she has been managing and teaching courses with YogAnga Retreat at Santosh Puri Ashram.
Dr. Alaknanda Puri (aka Gangotri), is our resident Ayurvedic Doctor and Teacher at YogAnga Retreat, Sri Santosh Puri Ashram. Aside from initially studying informally with several swamis and Ayurvedic practitioners, Alaknanda has a Bachelors in Ayurveda Medical Science from Ayurveda College Coimbotore, a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and Diploma in Yogic Science from Shrinagar University, as well as a certificate in traditional Ayurveda Vaidyavisharad, and a Diploma in Holistic Health Management from Dev Sanskriti University.