On January 3, 2010, the tireless efforts, unflinching dedication & generous financial support of many devotees of our beloved Gurudeva Sri Sri Paramhansa Yogananda found fruition in the inauguration of a beautiful new Ashram in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. On this historic day, the long-time desire of YSS devotees to have an Yogoda Satsanga Ashram in the National Capital Region was at last fulfilled.
The new Ashram is built on a 5-acre campus in Sector-62 of Noida. The inauguration ceremony marked the completion of the first phase of construction, which includes a four storey Administration Building, and two four-storey Retreat Buildings- one each for men & women. In the Administration Building, we have a reception area, book room, library, counselling room, offices, kitchen, dining hall 7 40 rooms for accommodating YSS devotees & sevaks. The two Retreat Buildings together have 60 single rooms & six dormitories, to be used by devotees for conducted & individual retreats. In the second phase of Ashram construction, a spacious dhyana mandir, a monastic residential block, a service block for resident employees, and landscaping of grounds will be undertaken.
Despite chilly winds & inclement weather, January 3 found the sannyasis & devotees assembled at the Noida Ashram gate, eagerly looking forward to participate in the Prabhat Feri. Manu a willing shoulder carried the palanquin, bearing a picture of Gurudeva, richly decorated with flowers, in a procession around the Ashram grounds. Devotional chants & bhajans dedicated to beloved Gurudeva filled the air with a feeling of deep reverence, divine love & joy.
Devotees gathered infront of the Administration Building & prayed with reverence as the sannyasis performed aarti. Swami Shudhdhananda then unveiled the main entrance of the Administration Building.
Swamis Shradhdhananda & Shudhdhananda and Brahmachari Nisthananda then proceeded with a group of devotees to offer Pushpanjali in the meditation hall in Administration Building.
At the same time, Swamis Nityananda, Hiteshananda and Lalitananda proceeded to the beautifully decorated entrance of the Retreat Buildings and opened the doors of men’s & women’s blocks. While this was happening devotees were joyously chanting Paramhansa Yoganandaji ki jai!
The inaugural satsanga was held inside a huge pandal with a capacity crowd of about 1,300 devotees. During the function, Songs of the Soul, a collection of poems by Sri Sri Paramhansa Yogananda and a new DVD, The Life of Sri Sri Paramhansa Yogananda: The Early Years in America (1920 – 1928) were released by Swami Shradhdhananda. Gurudeva’s blessings & presence were tangibly felt throughout the dedication ceremony by all the devotees who participated in this momentous event. We offer our deep gratitude to Gurudeva, whose ceaseless blessings alone converted the wish of many devotees into reality.
