Ashrams in India

Ashrams are a many thousand year old tradition in India and nowadays spread all over the world. An Ashram can be conducted by any person of any gender and any race, religion and culture if that person is a true Guru serving but God.

The word Ashram describes a house where a true Guru is living and teaching God-seekers seeking spiritual advice and help. An Ashram always is free of any religion and open to absolutely ALL. Traditionally most Ashrams accommodate the Guru only, however some Ashrams also offer accommodation for visitors – even long time visitors staying for months or years or permanently living in an Ashram similar to the tradition in Christian Monasteries.

Webster’s online dictionary defines Ashram in the following way:

ash·ramnoun /ˈäSHrəm/
ashrams, plural

1.(in the Indian subcontinent) A hermitage, monastic community, or other place of religious retreat for Hindus
2.A place of religious retreat or community life modeled on the Indian ashram

Other definitions include:

• a place of religious retreat modeled after the Indian ashram wordnetweb.princeton.edu
• Traditionally, an ashram (Sanskrit/Hindi: आश्रम) is a religious hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo.
  by wikipedia.org
• A Balmiki temple is called an Ashram, which means a hermitage or monastery. It is the communal house for Balmikis. …
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashram_(Balmiki)
• A secluded religious hermitage inhabited by gurus; A hippie commune by wiktionary.org
• A Hindu term for a religious retreat center where a student can learn under the guidance of a guru (teacher).
  by www.religioustolerance.org