With the blessings of our beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, we would like to invite all devotees across Canada to join us for the SSSGC Canada Pilgrimage: Journey to Prasanthi from December 19th, 2024 to January 1st, 2025!

Recent Updates:

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Prasanthi Nilayam

Ashram Information

Prasanthi Nilayam means ‘the abode of highest peace’. It is the main ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, located near the village of Puttaparthi amidst rolling hills, with the river Chitravathi to its east. Sri Sathya Sai Baba spent most of the year in Prasanthi Nilayam, and hence, this hallowed township is the destination for thousands of spiritual aspirants of varied cultures, faiths, races, languages and socio-economic strata from all over the world to behold His divine presence and experience His pure love.

Swami's Guidelines for Ashram Visitors

Etiquette & Discipline​

  1. Decorum
    Men and women are not expected to socialize and visit each other’s rooms to indulge in idle talk or gossip inside the ashram. Indian customs and social behaviour are commonly observed inside the Ashram premises. Any public display of affection is out of place. Putting hands around each others’ shoulders or holding hands while walking about is discouraged.
  2. Silence
    Kindly observe silence, and when it is necessary to speak, please speak softly. Do not play your music loudly. Please do not socialize or talk / laugh loudly in public areas (especially at Ganesha or other temples within the Ashram) and be a nuisance and disturbance to others. Do not shout loudly to call someone at a distance and talk loudly on your phone while walking around the Ashram. Lights-out time in the Ashram is 9.30 p.m., after which devotees are not encouraged to move about inside or outside the Ashram. The Ashram gates are also closed at 9.30 p.m.
  3. Mobile Phone Manners
    Mobile phones are not permitted inside Sai Kulwant Hall. However, while using them in the Ashram premises, kindly do not play any music or watch videos loudly from your mobile phones. Use your headphones. Keep your ringtone on silent or at a lower volume. Kindly do not talk loudly on your phone and be a disturbance to other devotees and trivialize the divine atmosphere of the Ashram.
  4. Strictly Prohibited
    The consumption or possession of tobacco / tobacco products, drugs, alcoholic drinks and non-vegetarian food, including eggs, is strictly prohibited. Gambling inside the premises is strictly forbidden.
  5. Children
    Please be responsible for the discipline of your children in the Ashram. Please ensure that they do not disturb the silence of Sai Kulwant Hall or disturb other devotees in any way. Please be responsible for their manners in the Ashram.
  6. Dress Code
    Modest, Clean & Sober dressing encouraged - as befits a place of worship. Shorts, Half-lungis, Sleeveless Shirts or Salwars, Above ankle-length dressing or tight fitted and transparent clothing is not allowed.
  7. Cleanliness
    God walked this Ashram, so please lets keep it clean. After using the public Toilets, keep them clean and tidy for everyone to use comfortably. Don’t litter the food stall areas and kindly use the dustbins provided. It will be your contribution to the Ashram!
  8. Cameras
    Use of Cell Phones and Cameras is as per prevailing Ashram rules (Not allowed inside Sai Kulwant Hall).
  9. Accommodation
    If using ashram accommodation, please ensure that all dues are settled, room keys are dropped at accommodation office and the premises are left neat & clean while leaving.

Items NOT permitted inside Sai Kulwant Hall

Kindly take note of the following items NOT permitted inside Sai Kulwant Hall.

For more information on Swami’s Guidelines, please visit: https://www.srisathyasai.org/pages/sai-prasanthi-nilayam.html

Tentative Schedule

Canada leads Christmas Program – December 19th to 25th, 2024

  • Including participation in Christmas lighting ceremony, Choir, Decorations, Seva opportunities

Canadian Program Offering – December 26th to 30th, 2024:

  • Including Vedam chanting, Drama, Musical offering, and Bhajans

Travel & Visas

Getting to Prasanthi Nilayam

If you are yet to book your flights, we encourage you to immediately to book flights to India to avoid increased costs.

Members are requested to arrive in Prasanthi Nilayam no later than the afternoon of December 18th, 2024 as the Pilgrimage officially commences on the morning of December 19th, 2024. Therefore, you should book your flights to arrive in Puttaparthi no later than December 18th, 2024 and to leave on the evening or after January 1st, 2025. When booking your flights, please request a meal suitable for Vegetarians (or Vegan as required).

Address for Prasanthi Nilayam:
Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi
Sri Sathya Sai District, Andhra Pradesh – 515134, India
Telephone: (+91) 8555-287390 Ext 2208

Passport size photos – please bring at least 2 copies of your current passport sized photo.

Note – the closest airport to Puttaparthi is Bengaluru International Airport (Airport code – BLR) 

Taxi/ Bus

The nearest airport to Prasanthi Nilayam is the Bengaluru International Airport (BLR). It is situated about 130 km (80 miles) from Prasanthi Nilayam.There are flights to and from Bengaluru airport to many cities within India and other countries. To reach Prasanthi Nilayam one may fly to Bangalore (either directly or from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad etc). Then take a taxi or bus. The airport is situated about 30 kilometres north of Bangalore, between Bangalore and Puttaparthi. A taxi from the Bangalore airport to Prasanthi Nilayam takes 2.5 to 3 hours and the charges vary from time to time. You can ask your travel agent to reserve a taxi ahead of time. However, it is possible to get a taxi at the airport itself --there are lots of taxi drivers waiting there.

Visa Information

All members travelling to the Pilgrimage, irrespective of their age, need an Indian Visa to travel to India unless you have an Indian Passport or OCI.

E-Visas can be applied only via the link below and usually taken upto 72 hours. You will need 2 special Indian Visa passport size photos.

Link to India E-Visa:  https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

NOTE: Please keep a printed copy of the Indian E-Visa email you received for each member travelling to India. You will need to show this to Indian Immigration Officials on your arrival in India.

Accommodation Information

Information to follow

Medical Information

It is important that you see your local General Practitioner prior to the pilgrimage to ensure that your vaccinations are up to date and check your general health status.

The information contained below is general in nature. Should you require specific individualised advice please consult your health care professional.

Sanitation and Hygiene:

Poor hygiene is a cause of several illnesses.

  • Always wash your hands before and after meals using soap and free flowing water or alcohol based hand sanitiser.
  • Bring adequate soap, liquid hand wash and hand cleaners or cleansing wipes.
  • Be considerate of others when you dispose of soiled personal material.
  • Do not share personal use items such as water bottles.
  • Dust in the rooms is a very common trigger of allergies and infection. Consider bringing along the following items to keep your rooms clean and hygienic.
    • Bathroom: detergent, toilet brush, toilet duck/cleansers, floor mat
    • Hand gel and dish washing liquid
    • Hooks for clothes, pegs and clothesline
    • Brooms, mops, dust pan, bucket.

Often these items may already be available within the rooms or can be purchased at the supermarket located on the ashram grounds.

Hydration:

Please drink at least 2-3 litres of fluid a day (unless advised otherwise by your GP). Drink only bottled water (check that the seal is unbroken), canned drinks and hot drinks.

Coconut water helps to maintain hydration, replenish electrolytes and maintain your immunity. The coconut stand is located outside North Block.

Avoid drinking or using tap water, e.g. do not rinse toothbrushes in tap water. Do not use ice unless it is made from boiled, bottled, or purified water. Freezing does not kill the organisms that cause diarrhoea.

Food in the ashram:

You are strongly advised to eat only food and drinks from within the ashram.

For more travel health information for the Government of Canada: https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/india#health

Attire

Dress Code

Kindly take note of the appropriate dress code to be observed in Prasanthi Nilayam.

  1. Devotees are expected to dress modestly, in clean and sober clothing, as befits a place of worship. Generally, people in the Ashram dress in whites.
  2. Wearing of shorts or sleeveless shirts is strictly prohibited. Women are required to dress to their ankles. Tight-fitting or diaphanous dresses are not permitted.
  3. Unorthodox hairstyles, over-matted hair, tall set hair etc. or large obtrusive hats are highly discouraged.
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